A Second Lease on Life for this Ball Trainmaster 999

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This gorgeous antique Ball Trainmaster 999G pocket watch was sent in by a viewer who stated it was in serious need of a service. These trainmasters were approved for use on the railways and so the expectation is that it should be able to keep time to a gain or loss of a maximum 30 seconds per week.
The Ball watch company, founded in 1891 by Webb C. Ball, pioneered new safety standards in timekeeping as a result of a horrific and fatal head-on-collision between two trains in Kipton, Ohio.
Can I restore this watch close to railroad grade accuracy?
#restoration
#watchrepair
#pocketwatch
Contact info: cspinnerwatchrepair@gmail.com
Many of my tools I use are affordable. If you're interested in getting started with watch repair and would like to use what I use, I've included some links below. I earn a small commission from Amazon if purchases are made using these links.
Useful Texts:
Watch Repairer's Manual: amzn.to/3knrwdG
Watchmaker's Lathe: amzn.to/3D02WGb
Tools:
Micrometer: amzn.to/3vPPuUy
Micrometer Stand: amzn.to/3vPPuUy
Microscope: amzn.to/3ZrQ3Pn
Movement Holder (pocket watches): amzn.to/3H9JBUv
Movement Holder (wrist watches): amzn.to/3JeG2iv
Ceramic Tipped Tweezers: amzn.to/3QP1qMH
Finger cots: amzn.to/3CXbXzJ
Micrometer: amzn.to/3QNGN3C and Stand: amzn.to/3iIyF86
Rodico: amzn.to/3kr5RBb
Tweezers: amzn.to/3GNFEVi
10X Loupe: amzn.to/3iLfome
Levers: amzn.to/3XB4RZG
Demagnetizer: amzn.to/3ZINUhS
Screwdrivers: amzn.to/3Xr7gqo
Cleaning:
Mesh Baskets: amzn.to/3ITqikE
Ultrasonic: amzn.to/3wcO7wg
Mason Jars: amzn.to/3WkUfgB
Cleaning Solution: amzn.to/3XwQ16I
Rinsing Solution: amzn.to/3wdgAlA
Cleaning Brushes: amzn.to/3QPnSp8
Lubrication:
Oilers: amzn.to/3Xi8LXR
DX Grease: amzn.to/3ZO0kVU
Moebius 941: amzn.to/3Hf6g2X
Moebius 9010: amzn.to/3CVGM7Y
Moebius D5: amzn.to/3ITqikE
Buffing and Polishing:
PolyWatch: amzn.to/3XlVTja
Polishing Compound: amzn.to/3QQ1r33
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:25 Disassembly
9:40 Cleaning
12:59 Making a Spring
14:07 Assembly
22:13 Balance Install & Timegrapher
24:27 Final Steps & History

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Опубликовано:

1 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 75

@stevev7402 3 месяца назад

This is my pocket watch and I cant thank Chris enough for the fantastic job he did on this Ball. His skills are a thing of beauty and having him as a resource to keep these beautiful timepieces running strong is invaluable. We need more skilled craftman like Chris.

@jebsails2837 4 месяца назад

With my late fathers demise, I inherited his Waltham Railroad Watch. Working extra hours on a tobacco / cotton farm, he dreamed of becoming an engineer on the ACL in North Carolina. His pay was a bail of cotton, which he sold at .25 cents per pond or $125. He spent it all on the movement and works in 1925. It keeps excellent time. He became a Navy Medical Service Corp Officer, surviving one of the Saipan banzi charges, and helping to create a separate rating group for Navy Dental Technicians. Thanks. Narragansett Bay.

@leesimpson5920 Месяц назад

It's a pleasure to watch you work

@tonyaxeman4381 7 дней назад

Thanks for all the info

@Wdroster 2 месяца назад

I inherited my great uncles Ball pocket watch. He gave it to my dad in 1960 when he turned 18. He was a retired engineer and included a note on how important the watch was to his safety.

@rowejon 27 дней назад

Great work again!

@stevev7402 3 месяца назад

Thanks!

@csspinner 3 месяца назад

Steve! Thank you for the super thanks! I really appreciate it :)

@KT_ASV 4 месяца назад

What a nice explanation and bit of history . Keep up

@mikebruegger8654 3 месяца назад

Fantastic...

@bbbk3312 4 месяца назад

Good watch.

@alraymond9529 4 месяца назад

Great work!

@maestromecanico597 4 месяца назад

Beautiful piece (and a beautiful job). I obtained my first Ball timepiece from a conductor whilst riding the train some 30 years ago. They knew me and knew I would want it. I am old enough to remember when a timepiece was referred to as a "potato." ("What time you got on your potato?") Looking at the heft of an 18s and one can see why.

@markehuss 4 месяца назад

Nice video and work, as per usual. Is it just me, the circular decorations and deep base plate remind of the bottom of a cat food or tuna can! :D

@briancarpenter1255 4 месяца назад

I really enjoy watching you service these pieces of history and art as they are wonderfully made. Thanks for the great content!

@BryanO92 4 месяца назад

My goodness, it isn't often you see a watch that old running to its original specs. Well done, sir.

@hampdentime 4 месяца назад

Another nice job! Glad to see you testing the balance prior to complete assembly. One more step that I take when testing the balance at this point is to use a very fine artist brush to gently begin the motion. I used to use a puff or air but I like the brush better. I also use rodco on the full plates to keep the fork in place but I use it on the other side down toward the lower jewel. For me it is easier to remove once together. Interesting to see the difference with the new spring also. Happy to see the respect that you give to these pieces.

@Josh.Davidson 3 месяца назад

Amazing video!

@neilkloppenborg8399 4 месяца назад

Wow what a beautiful timepiece, inside and out. Excellent video!

@luizcarlosmuzzo4071 4 месяца назад

Já vi muitos vídeos de relojoeiros,mas vc faz essa profissão ser magnífica !! Parabéns!!

@r100curtaincall 4 месяца назад

Wow I just serviced one of these 999s recently myself. Mine is only 17 jewels not 19 (it doesn't have the barrel arbor jewels) and its missing the setting lever spring, but it is pretty much flawless otherwise. These are great timekeepers for their time period, and even today. Great job and keep it up!.

@donaldluetkemeyer4218 4 месяца назад

Another excellent video

@WatchRestorationCottage 4 месяца назад

Great work Chris! It's always a joy to watch your work, especially with the click spring!

@curingabettoni4310 3 месяца назад

Lindo relògio , belo trabalho parabéns, Graciez ( Brésil)

@billiehydrick6417 4 месяца назад

I'm a new subscriber and luv watching your videos my friend thanks for sharing 👍 ❤❤

@stevefeeney6156 3 месяца назад

Such a beautiful example of an ornate time piece that only those who service them get to see. The main spring barrel mechanism was truly unique and I loved learning something new. Thank you 😊

@michaelpthompson 3 месяца назад

I really ❤ learning history as I watch you interact with these elegant examples of fi e technology. And of course, your voice over just caps the experience. 😂

@retro-vintage-Ukraine 4 месяца назад

beautiful mechanism 🤤

@spiffydevo8434 4 месяца назад

I’m a finishing watchmaking student here in Canada, this is awesome stuff, very detailed and comprehensive! Cheers! As the pallet fork, only the exiting stone needs lubricant if I’m correct, the other one will spill oil into the movement! Contact stone with the escape wheel is only at the tip, My two cents!

@joelgoodwin4092 4 месяца назад

This is the best video I've seen on railroad grade pocket watches ever. Thanks!!!

@garyz0611 4 месяца назад

From one Spinner to another Spinner you did a fantastic job on a great old watch 👍

@thomasgabriel2213 4 месяца назад

I love old pocket watches, and this one did not disappoint! Another great video, thank you for sharing your work.

@hughbryant1326 4 месяца назад

The clarity with which you explained the whole process from beginning to end I enjoyed immensely. Thank you so much. Hugh. Somerset UK

@tveksam8347 4 месяца назад

What a beauty! American pocket watches was at that time like todays Patek!

@samharper4289 4 месяца назад

Beautiful watch and amazing work my friend! Nice improvising with the click spring! 👍😉

@jdmccorful 4 месяца назад

Another real Beauty! Thanks for your time and skills.Always enjoy!

@WatchWithMike 4 месяца назад

Beautiful watch, and a magnificently produced video, Chris! Great photography and storytelling...and BONUS POINTS for the guitar string click spring. 😁

@bryanlatimer-davies1222 4 месяца назад

My grandfather and father were watchmakers and held that only European watches had any merit. I am pleased to say the American railroad watches you have featured prove them totally wrong!

@aserta 4 месяца назад

There was a time when American (NA) watches were held in higher regard than Swiss watches (or European). Nowadays, even if some say it's back in Swiss pockets, the truth is... there is no center of the watch world anymore. That said, one of these (and plenty other - even normal, time pieces) is more than equivalent to European watches, and i say that as an European.

@machinistmikethetinkerer4827 4 месяца назад

Nice work. Got a couple of em. Beautiful piece. Pocketwatch prices continue to rise.

@tomcodispoti2056 4 месяца назад

Excellent video. I doubt I will ever have the opportunity to wonk on a movement like this so I really enjoyed watching it, Thanks

@akoskendehevesi3062 4 месяца назад

These scenes inspire me to learn day after day and practice watchmaking as accurately as I can. I like your videos!

@WatchRestorationCottage 4 месяца назад

What a great attitude! 👍

@akoskendehevesi3062 4 месяца назад

@@WatchRestorationCottage Thank you :)! Basically I'm 17 and I hope one day I will be enough professional to service more complicated watches. But it still remains just a hobby :).

@WatchRestorationCottage 4 месяца назад

@@akoskendehevesi3062 wow! So young. You have a bright future ahead of you sir! 👍👍

@akoskendehevesi3062 4 месяца назад

@@WatchRestorationCottage Thanks Sir! I checked your channel, and you are also a man who deserves respect! Quality repairing and beautiful camera work! So I've subscribed! :) Keep doing it! These are so inspiring for me!!

@WatchRestorationCottage 4 месяца назад

@@akoskendehevesi3062 you keep watching this channel and you're going to learn a lot. Chris produces some of the best work on RU-vid.

@GentlemensWatchServices 4 месяца назад

Beautiful work on the video. Love these watch movements with every edge and part being a work of art.

@alexandregb566 3 месяца назад

16:43 "(...) but before we get to that, I'll reinstall the ballance jewels (...) and use my bergeon A1 Automatic Oiler (...)" Watchmakers always take advantage of any opportunity to show their beloved toys 😂.

@boydsargeant7496 3 месяца назад

Great job as usual Chris! Lovely movement and watch. The movement is interesting and in great condition, and running spot on!

@barefoofDr 4 месяца назад

I have a Hamliton 992 that has kept perfect time for 3 months with out resetting. It hasn't gained or lost time.

@larrykelly2838 4 месяца назад

Very beautiful watch. Great video.

@foxbatmotorsports 4 месяца назад

Nice watch, very interesting mechanicals; I've never seen one like it before.

@MASI_forging 4 месяца назад

That's gorgeous 👏👏

@glockman19c 4 месяца назад

Great video, very well done Sir!

@peter84624 11 дней назад

13:22 Now I have to go find that other video where you sing 🤣

@csspinner 11 дней назад

Here you go! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fmLGdCfd_qs.htmlsi=FL9IOPhHTJiaP8Qr

@aserta 4 месяца назад

If you have oil that's reluctant to give up its arbor, warm the action a bit. Not much, just enough to make the oil fluid again. The older it gets, the more viscous and heat's about the only way that's not going to introduce a solvent. I have a hair drier with 4 settings, the lowest is so low that i can hold my hand against the heat vent at about 2 cm and it won't burn, perfect for this. 10~20 seconds is usually more than enough and all the arbors are released.

@csspinner 4 месяца назад

Great tip

@jakeforester2705 3 месяца назад

Very nicely done! I do have one question: I usually peg pivot holes after running parts through the cleaner. It seems to me that the cleaning step would remove most crud so that there would be less possibility of anything abrasive in the holes scratching the bearing surfaces. I realize that the hardness of the jewels makes this unlikely, but it seems that for brass bearings it's a possibility. It also seems like having the pegging as the last cleaning of the bearings that it would give a final clean and polish to their surfaces. Any comments on the relative merits of each method? Thanks!

@csspinner 3 месяца назад

The jewels would be unaffected by the pegging process. Good point on the non-jeweled bearings though. However, I think anything super abrasive would be more likely to embed itself into the wood vs destroy the surface of the bushing. The reason why I don’t peg after cleaning is I’m concerned about small particles of wood breaking off and fouling the bearing

@SkyBlue-le7cd 3 месяца назад

Chris, awesome work and quality video. Thanks!!! When you made springs in the past, what is the range of the gauge that you have used for a click spring? In this video, looks like 11 gauge? Trying to figure out what to use because I need to make a click spring. Although I was able to remove the spring without launching it, the really infuriating thing was that the spring disappeared when I inadvertently bumped my parts tray. That’s what happens when a moment of distraction happens. Thanks for the help!!!

@csspinner 3 месяца назад

Most of the time I’ve used the high e acoustic string, which is 12 in my case. However in this case, I used my B string since it was a closer match in strength

@SkyBlue-le7cd 3 месяца назад

Thanks for the quick response.

@foxbatmotorsports 4 месяца назад

Wonder if Ernie Ball ever intended their Extra Slinky to become spring materials?

@ehun 4 месяца назад

Would love to see you heat blue the spring you made to blend on with such a beautiful movement. Also, did you polish the ends that you snipped off? I saw one of them was in dorect contact with the click and those sharp edges would likely score that part. Great work otherwise!

@theyakninja 4 месяца назад

I wonder how they measured these "30 or less seconds a week" back then when the only source of precise time was the stars. I can imagine measuring a year precisely with these methods, but tuning a watch to that level of precision without a modern timegrapher?

@samnova450 4 месяца назад

Really enjoy the Ball pocket watch series. Great work on getting it serviced, love the guitar string fix. 😊 Have you ever had to de-magnetize a watch to fix the amplitude?

@csspinner 4 месяца назад

Yes magnetism can be an issue and it’s pretty obvious when it happens. I have a cheap device from Amazon I’ve used for that when needed

@gavinlagrange5930 3 месяца назад

Hi there CS, I have an 1899 Elgin 0s hunter watch that I would very much like to get up and running. It is beautiful and has a 14k body and case. How can I contact you? Keep up the amazing videos!

@blueringoctopuss 4 месяца назад

Me personally I prefer the Hamilton 940 over the Ball 999. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Ball watches, don’t get me wrong. Every collection is incomplete without this Private Label brand, especially if you like private label watches.

@timstoffel4799 3 месяца назад

I am curious why you press out the hole jewels on the capped jewels in these watches. Doesn't that make for a lot of extra work when the jewel could be pegged and cleaned while still installed in the baseplate or bridge? How do you go about making sure you reseat the jewel at the correct depth?

@csspinner 3 месяца назад

They need to be staked out so they can be separated for cleaning. Otherwise, all the old oil residue will remain in between them. Most of the time, depth isn’t adjusted (just stake them all the way back in), but occasionally it needs to be. This can be determined by test fitting the balance before proceeding with installation

@alexandregb566 3 месяца назад

Hey, do you want a song recommendation? Search for Coisa 2 by Moacir Santos. He was a Brazilian musician.

@thunderdick6117 2 месяца назад

Brass tweezers do a decent job of avoiding scratches on finely finished parts I found stainless steel tweezers with replaceable wood tips they are the exact same tweezers that come with ceramic tips that people use with electronic vapor devices or e cigarettes. The wood tips leave a little to be desired so I made my own out of some very fine grained Birdseye maple which is harder than the tips it came with but not too hard . I found a set of three of the ceramic ones for les than 5 dollars on sale and made different shaped tips for them. So I don't know if it would be something that would interest you but for me I will never use metal tweezers for watch repair again unless absolutely necessary . I really enjoy your videos and don't change a thing your videos share a lot of techniques and tools without being full of useless information or unnecessary banter and that's the way this type of video should be.