If you ever have one of the small screws fall on to your carpet like I did you can get it back with a high powered magnet saved me from finding or buying a new one nice job on the watch
Hi just found your channel I'm just starting to make watches and learn repairs I'm not ready for RU-vid just yet but love what your doing I've given you a sub and share keep it up sir
on the numerous small sized elgin movements I've worked on and slipped with a driver the hairspring usual comes out fine, but i can remember vividly at least 9 times from my early days where i didn't take the balance out and end up snapping a pivot on the balance arbor, you'd have thought id remember to take the balance out after the first couple but apparently not.
Its a good practice to attach the crown to the stem prior to insertion into the movement. Its just easer to screw it on tight enough to get an accurate measurement. Another thing thats handy to have is gasket silicone grease. You can get it in a plastic tub that contains a foam sponge inside. you put the caseback gasket in it, close it up and turn the cap a couple times to coat the gasket in silicone to help the case maintain its water resistance. Also a dab on the crown gasket too. just take a piece of pegwood or watch oiler and get a bit off the sponge an dab a bit on the stem gasket.
the dial and hands you chose not to use would make a good staring point for a field watch project. It looks like its meant to resemble a hamilton khaki. Get yourself a 38mm explorer/field case.
Really fun to watch this restoration of a vintage watch. I have an old vintage automatic Longines watch which was given to me when I was 15 years old. I am now 84 and contemplating passing it along to a great grandson soon. How much do you think it may cost to have it overhauled? Just a rough approximation will do. Thank you.
While watching your video and thinking about the gunk everywhere, wondering if some diy person dipped the watch in vegetable oil which over not to much time would gunk up. Thanks for the interesting video and for all the commenters there are so many people with helpful tips. I have lots of watches that I someday hope to find the time to to service if not repair, and hopefully not damage in the process.
On screw down crowns, when cutting stems to size, always measure from the end of the threaded tube, NOT the case. There's a spring in the crown so it will screw to the case & the extra stem will slide into the crown. If you cut to the case, it will be too short. But, you did it wisely by doing little by little. It'll get to be easily done by eye as you do more.
absolutely troy- Thats an important tip. If you trim that stem too short and try to seat it, youll end up stripping the clutch on the crown rendering it useless.
@@alexbeardmore3588 it really depends on the individual crown, but id say 1mm is like a mile. On a normal crown it should push in easily but not tight against the case. Maybe less than .25. Screw down crowns are a little forgiving as they are spring loaded and have some give. But it should be at its 0 position just past fully unscrewed.
A real good investment are movement holders. They make one especially for the nh 35/6. Its also a good idea to remove the winding rotor while installing dials & hands, etc. Reinstall the rotor after it's been cased & ready to screw down the case back. It makes the movement less fiddly & more stable.
I've used that same case many times to build watches. They are great. Excellent water resistance, screw down crown, sapphire, cheap. I've also used the 39mm one too.
Hi can I ask some questions as you are an experience watch maker? Is the 39mm the same thickness? Also, is it possible to swap the caseback for a slimmer one (i.e. an SKX009 compatible slim caseback from namoki)? I want a slimmer watch even if it means giving up water resistance.
Movement holder or you can use your teeth. Hold the movement in your left, press the button with your right and use your teeth to pull out the crown. A bit barbaric but it works well.
Nice video! I have an upcoming build that will use the same case like yours. Your dial of choice looks cool, but I noticed it doesn't have minute markers. I would choose a dial with minute markers, but that's just my personal preference. Keep it up! Looking forward to seeing more of your builds. Best of luck to you!
It's not for everyone, though the dial also didn't come across too well on camera. I absolutely had larger files 🤣 . I just used what I had handy, and sandpaper is just as effective. Thanks for sharing!
Given this was just pretty much a dollar watch movement (deep Great Depression, afterall) and it's nominally 7 jewels, I'mma guess that someone dropped the watch back when and shattered all the jewels, and the brass pivots are replacements for all the fragments. It's a wonder and a mercy that the balance jewel didn't shatter too.
A couple of viewers had chimed in on this to help me out with the count. The pallet fork has 2 jewels, the impulse jewel on the bottom of the balance wheel is another. Those, plus the balance pivots (top and bottom) and their caps gives us the 7. Thanks for watching, more to come soon!
Nice repair I love old mechanical watches no time for modern planet polluting junk I detest them mechanical watches are pure art not battery junk .retired mechanical engineer.👍
love the idea will do this in couple months (save some money LOL) one comment and the rest is great. but filing the stem- either smaller file with finer teeth or a diamond plate or sand paper i use alot of diamond knife sharpeners so that's my preference.
Thanks for the advice, and that's exactly what I ended up doing as I got closer to the right size. Switched to low and then high grit sandpaper instead.
Excellent video. Nice job. I wonder if one can buy custom faces. I’m half tempted to give this hobby a shot myself but question whether I have the patience. Looking forward to more of your videos.
You can definitely get custom dials, but you may need to secure them to your movement with dial dots. As far as picking up the hobby, you should give it a try! I find it meditative. Thanks for watching!
