SkinnyPupp's Adventures in Watchmaking

[68style]

570g in that? Wow that’s a heavy little guy. Very satisfying to use I’m sure.

[EvoFire]

That's a nice looking tool and 570g is great. I appreciate a great deal.

I think there is a case to be made for getting the Swiss set if you have visibility with clients, especially if they have a social media following. People can recognize that shit and you need to put the show up for it. Otherwise for you, unless you really want the Swiss set, then the hi-po China one is probably more than good enough.

[Hehe]

With all these equipments, Skinny, have you thought about getting into the rangefinder CLA/fixing scene as well?

Many of the parts are similar or less complex than the watch counterparts, and the physical aspect of them on how they work on a mechanical level is pretty much the same thing.

[SkinnyPupp]

Stinkywatch is running really well now after a service. Man it is such a satisfying feeling to take a watch that isn't working at all, and getting it running like new again after a service. I am going to take its mainspring and put it in that first one tomorrow. These little movements are really great quality.

BTW this is the other one I picked up, it is in nearly perfect condition except the frame around the date on the dial is off. Just need to glue it back in, service the movement, and someone should want this. The dial is beautiful

(this isn't the exact one, but it looks just like this. Actually this picture doesn't do the sunburst dial justice)



Only issue might be the original bracelet, which did not come with extra links, is so small I can't even fit 4 fingers through it while open! Otherwise I might wear this myself!

[Badhobz]

arabic dial !!! durka durka mohammad jihad

[SkinnyPupp]

the third movement I bought to practice on after the ST36 and 2824 was a Miyota 8200 series, and to anyone considering getting into this as a hobby or whatever, I would recommend to NOT do this. It's a fine movement and keeps good time, but it is not a good serviceable movement.

The main issue is that it uses a single bridge to connect the entire gear train, the mainspring barrel, AND the automatic winding works. To make things more difficult, there is a spring attached to the bridge which prevents it from settling down on the pivots. It's basically the worst movement for a beginner to work on.

So in my early attempts using a 2x optical visor instead of a microscope, I managed to crush several pivots, including a 3rd wheel, 4th wheel, escape wheel, and the pallet fork pivot. These parts are all cheap to replace, like 3-5 RMB each.

I also crushed a jewel in the bridge, which gives me an opportunity to use my new tool. So I recorded that process and will share it here:

First, the broken jewel needs to come out. The correct size pusher is selected (in this case it's a 0.9 mm pusher) and it's simple enough to just push it out:

Streamable

It was a tight fit; I probably could have gone down to 0.8mm

Next, we replace the jewel, and push it back in. Make sure the jewel is facing the right direction first!

Streamable

You can see the importance of the pump spring here, in keeping the jewel centered and level before it gets pushed in.

The movement is now up and running with all its new parts, and as much as it was a pain in the ass from the start, it was a good learning experience for me. I will rebuild it a few more times, because really it's the most challenging movement I have, and I think that can increase my skills quite a bit. Also it's a pretty common movement, including wide use in replicas.

[SkinnyPupp]

Picked up this gem for like $45





It's a 1965 Omega ladies watch, in VERY good condition and just needs a service. The strap is new, but the buckle is original, the crown is original, and even the lens is original! The lens is cracked though, which will need to be replaced. Finding an original will definitely cost more than the watch, so it might be worth just taking the loss on value with a generic replacement

[JDMDreams]

How do you know if a crystal is original? I'm scared to touch older watches as I don't know if it's cobbled together

[SkinnyPupp]

Originally Posted by JDMDreams

How do you know if a crystal is original? I'm scared to touch older watches as I don't know if it's cobbled together

Omega crystals have a little symbol embedded on the inside. Let me see if I can take a picture of it for you



This watch probably got worn once or twice then sat in a drawer for over 60 years. The leather strap would have rotted during this time, but everything else looks unworn

I might keep it! My wife isn't much of a watch wearer though

[JDMDreams]

I guess I would only be into vintage dive Seikos or Tudor Rolex. Nothing really older speaks to me