Don't you just hate it when...

[Tmuir]

You spend 2 hours assembling a vintage watch, carefully oil everything, drop in the balance and you can instantly see you have obviously missed something else not right.

I just did this, watch only has an amplitude of around 140 degrees. I replaced the mainspring so I know that is good, but obviously I am loosing power somewhere.

Time to stop tonight, have a whiskey and strip it back down tomorrow and look for what I missed

[TimFitz]

Yes I have been there many many times, and the next day I seem to have the magic solution, everything goes perfect. Then I say to myself " You know this Always Happens so next time just leave it until tomorrow, everything will be OK" . However, I never listen to myself.

[rogart63]

26 minutes ago, TimFitz said:

Yes I have been there many many times, and the next day I seem to have the magic solution, everything goes perfect. Then I say to myself " You know this Always Happens so next time just leave it until tomorrow, everything will be OK" . However, I never listen to myself.

For me is the other way around. I finish the watch and it runs like a dream . Next morning i put it on the timegrapher it runs like sh.. .  But sometimes i am out of ideas i put it aside and usually i come up with something to test or fix when i do something else. 

[transporter]

Have you oiled the pallet? There was a post some where that said not to as it causes friction, I’ve always oiled the pallet but I tried the no oil way on the last couple and the amplitude had shot up and stayed up aswell, just my two penneth worth

[anilv]

Did you check the train runs down freely without the pallet fork/balance installed? Worn barrel holes are usualy a prime suspect for some watches.

My most recent faux pas was not closing the barrel properly.. It was sticking up only a little but but enough to affect the amplitude.

Good luck

Anilv

[Chopin]

I hate it when it happens but there's nothing I can do about it. (except learn from mistakes and get better)

Edited August 1, 2018 by Chopin

[frenchie]

21 hours ago, Tmuir said:

You spend 2 hours assembling a vintage watch, carefully oil everything, drop in the balance and you can instantly see you have obviously missed something else not right.

I just did this, watch only has an amplitude of around 140 degrees. I replaced the mainspring so I know that is good, but obviously I am loosing power somewhere.

Time to stop tonight, have a whiskey and strip it back down tomorrow and look for what I missed

Story of my life...

At this point, I'm more surprised when it all goes back together perfectly and actually runs as it should 

[teegee]

On 7/31/2018 at 9:53 PM, Tmuir said:

You spend 2 hours assembling a vintage watch, carefully oil everything, drop in the balance and you can instantly see you have obviously missed something else not right.

It seems I have been defeated so many times already that I don't even care anymore

- Spent 5 hours making a new component, only to ruin it on the last operation? Just start over. The second time you can do it in 4 or 3 hours anyway. 

- Bent hairspring by catching it on center wheel again? Learn to be more careful and spend 2 hours spring-tweaking under the microscope. Even more fun if it's a ladies watch.

- Some part pings into oblivion? Scout for new one on ebay. I actually force myself to purchase a new (old) part as a form of self-punishment, even if the watch is not worth the expense (unless extreme, hehe). 

One part of learning watchmaking is to stay calm in the face of soul-crushing defeat.

A few days ago I assembled and cased an ETA 2824 in a miserable front-remove case. The watch ran great on the timing machine without the automatic module installed. I installed the module, closed the back and wore it for testing -- and it stopped after just a few minutes. I haven't quite figured out what's wrong, but if the ratchet driver wheel of the automatic module exerts pressure on the ratchet wheel, the wheel train loses power somewhere. Most likely there's something wrong with the barrel, or the intermediate wheel. So, start from scratch!

Cheers!

     Rob