Do you like watches? I do! A lot, come watch me review watches and walk through the state of my collection of ticking things.
I plan to show many of my mostly vintage pieces as well as whatever I happen to pick up online!
If people find it interesting I may also demo some amateur watch making, I tend to work on my watches whenever possible as the size of the collection would mean that sending it out to a professional watch maker would probably bankrupt me.
My first contact with the Tongji movement was in early '90s. It was fitted in a fake Vostok Komandirskie (a friend came back from Russia to Italy with it) and the stem broke as it was made of butter, i absolutely hated it and thought it was utter junk. Today i have 5 Tongji (2 of them are the T-Winner in the video), some of them run great, other does not keep very good time, however (being based on a good Enicar design) they are surprisingly serviceable and easy to assemble. Balance wheel drops quick and nice - so easy to install. Most important thing is to buy them in basic versions - hand winding, no date, no crappy decorations. If something needs to be oiled/adjusted, it will be simpler to make them run correctly. Probably it's outclassed by Seagull and other better movements, but still has lot of things to say - Merkur makes nice versions with better finish and accuracy.
Electric watches are, Electric driven , Mechanically Regulated, Contact Point Impulse Watch. Much much different from a Quartz. An Electronic watch is virtually the same as an electric, however a transistor is incorporated into the power control system. Great overview. I like the old electrics too.
I can't believe I hadn't seen this before. Excellent job with a simple explanation of one of the most amazing pieces of manufacturing/engineering! I have a 1973 214H and I think they are just the most amazing advancement since the tourbillion movement. I really wish Accutron (now a separate company from Bulova proper) would start a new line of tuning fork transistor watches. I'd be IN! Great video!!
Great video. Great explanation. I am just curious about one point. I guess the placement of the feedback coil in relation to the fork leg. The accuracy of the placement would dictate the accuracy of the watch as it has to be placed in such a position that it prevents current flow in f1 when it is at a peak. Just wish I had a picture of it.
Very informative video, thanks. There's not a lot out there on servicing Timex movements, especially the electronic/electric ones. I have an original "Time Machine" Q, that I believe has the M62 movement (It has the crystal and gold multi-legged component.). In order to get to remove the stem you have to remove the circuit first. The balance bridge screw looks like it might hold the circuit, but it does not. The circuit lifts over the screw, which makes sense. There are two screws near a gold, what looks to be, integrated circuit or perhaps a transistor? Your video helped me avoid utter disaster as I work to get this thing running. At first I thought I might have hurt the movement because I may have put a drop of very light watch oil on the top of what I now know is the balance jewel. From the looks of it, no oil would have gotten down to the pivot. But, if it did, how would you go about cleaning the pivots without removing the balance from the bridge. I don't want to deal with the hairspring pin that is holding the HS to the bridge if I don't have to. Thanks again. Cheers.
I have a Timex Viscount with M109 movement made in 1979. It runs around +12 spd. The watch has never been serviced. I found the service manual, but I won’t get it serviced since it’s technically running as good as expected.
Nice video. Very informative. Any idea where I could go to get a Timex identified? I have one I picked up from an estate sale with none of the usual markers from after 1963 and in fact, very few other markings of any kind. A single 5 digit number on the exterior, separated into 2 digit, three digit format (03 L06)and a single three digit code (203) metal stamped or engraved directly onto the movement. Other than that, all of the other usual markers are missing.
Hi Chris , I was just looking through the Timex M40 service manual and it says " no silicone oil" that's all I see ,is this out of date now? what should you use on these ? Thanks
Still running ok after 3 years, 2mo. I wear it once every ~2 weeks with a full wind. I love the dial. I think I would wear it more if the watch was smaller.
I just found a vintage marlin (27549 10579) at a thrift store for 9.99. Unfortunately it’s not working (I’m new to both wearing and collecting watches). Does anyone have any thoughts of a RU-vidr or watchmaker who restores them. I’ve also read it may not be worth refurbishing since they are plentiful?. Any help is appreciated.
I now have a CARAVELLE by BULOVA introduced c1962 - 32.8mm - self winding watch, it has a black dial, raised silver trainable makers, date function at ‘15’, silver numerals at ‘6’, ‘9’ and ‘12’, features a sweep second hand in silver, lume on the hands that’s original, although faded, dots on the outer dial every 5 minutes. Unsure whether the loomed hands were radium or not, as unable to make this out under the 6, It has a polished steel case, original glass crystal fitted, original crown, all original watch, screw on case back, with an original automatic movement that’s in amazing condition for its age.
OK in hindsight, there is a problem. When I took the stem out, another piece came out with it. This piece is not shown in your movement??? Do the Dynabeat watches indicate this on the watch somewhere? (I love your thoroughness!)
Thanks, Hmm is the part round? It might be a part for the quickset date. If so you should be able to put it in the slot and when you reattach the stem it should click in. Alternately if could be a flat spring. I'm not at my home and the moment but when I get back I'll see if I can find a electric with the parts to get a photo and post on the community page.
Do you happen to have any of the Timex Q Quartz watches with the M42 movement in your collection? I have one it's a 1980 and it's working great and is excellent shape. When I first received it I thought it was non working because it didn't start ticking so I set it aside and decided to do some research and found it advance every minute and it doesn't have a second hand. I decided to set the time and let it sit and low and behold it was keeping perfect time.
Somewhere between f and f sharp😂 they were the most successful mechanism before quarts, because it lacked a balance wheel and other mechanical parts driven by magnetic fields, strictly a magnetic field to vibrate a fork and a precise frequency to advance the escapement a tooth at a time, awesome.
Thanks! I just bought a Timex Electric. Movement says 22D. I am learning watch repair (hobby) and I have just serviced a Seiko Elnix. What battery does this use and is 22D in fact movement number? (I tried an LR 44 but not running.) This has a metallic "cowl" that goes between the movement and the case back. Do they need to be in place in order for this to run?
I have two Timex's that use the M116, famous for its self-destroying click spring. Any tips on finding a replacement? Neither watch will hold a wind. I've found several movements that have ther right form factor, but the hour/minute/hand tube diameters are different.
Wow! Excellently presented and thanks for sharing. I bought an Accutron in 1962 bust lost it in Vietnam and recently got a replacement on eBay to give my son and it is working properly.
Now I have the knowledge I was missing ! Thanks Chris . Great video and very helpful. Now lets see if I can put the knowledge towards getting a couple of dynobeats running.
I know you just put the same balance back in for demonstration, but while replacing the balance you get an opportunity to clean/oil the pivots on the gear train and balance jewels.
Look at that giant thumbprint on the 7th digit marker, this is one thing about they don't oil anything they don't clean anything and it's full of all coated with a kayer of some sort of grime, I rebuilt mine and polished everything and oiled it and now it's running too fast I got to take it back apart today and tune it to match the oils presence lol. They say it only runs for a few months and then you throw it away it's not worth servicing, if you service it and it ran for years with net save you some? I need to find out how much people charge for servicing
