When you see a watch maker snap on some black finger cocks, it's time to get the hell out of Dodge. Watchmakers are like enforcers in the NHL. They are definitely willing and able to throw down. I'm scared just thinking about it.
All those springs!! Oh my. Amazing work. Also, a "mortally wounded, yet strangely horny sea lion" is the most interesting thing I've heard in a watch repair video.
😂 I suppose that phrase isn't commonly spoken in any circumstances! I felt it most adequately described the sounds I was making 😁 Thanks for watching and for your kind words!
Whenever you feel that you have the time in your videos, could you comment on the vertical clutch/horizontal clutch, column wheel/sliding lever design choices, and the reasons/pros/cons of each? I find your comments about the history of, in this case, LeMania, interesting and add quite a bit to your videos.
Hello do you know about Honk kong movements? I have a watch Phantom brand with EB 8501.76 movement, Im starting to work with watches, but fist to I see its that these movement have rivets not screws!!! Please try to do some video about these movements, regards from Mexico
The Lemania 1340 had not been made to face the quartz crisis. It had been made to face the "three first automatic chronograph movements" The Buren Caliber 11, Zenith El Primero and Seiko 6139, that came out in 1969. Lemania had been left out of the race, and had to react quickly. In a little over one year (a very brief time) they turned the Lemania 1873 into an automatic movement, but they had to compromise to do that. In industrial design, you need time to make things simpler. Having a little more time, they made the 5100, that came out in 1975. Same functions and apt for mass production.
Excellent content, amazing movement. One thing, the chronograph hour counter did not reset to 0. I went back and tried to see how it works, I see the series of levers off the reset pusher and a cam on the backside of the chronograph hour gear. Is that not the reset? The first time testing the reset at 44 min I believe I saw the hour counter move but it definately did not, right at the end of the video. Anyway, good day sir.
You're right, my hand was at a somewhat awkward angle due to the camera so I didn't press the pusher fully in... The pusher works as it should if it is pushed all the way in :)
You are a true master craftsman. Really enjoy your info accurate or not none the less like hearing them. How do you remember where each screw and part goes. Is there a technique when disassembling it?
Thanks so much! With some experience you will recognize the function of most of the parts, but some of the screws can still be confusing, especially for chronographs. I typically put the chronograph screws back in place so I don't have to guess which one fits later :)
@@VintageWatchServices I was thinking about this cracked crystal. There are polymer (plastic) repair adhesives on the market if thin enough could be used to flood the crack and fill the void made by it. This will make the crack disappear and then allow for the regular reconditioning of the crystal you showed.
That's exactly the point, I don't think cats have much of a conscience, so it's certainly clean 😂 To me, cats are the creatures who have most profoundly figured out the mysteries of life. I wish to be re-born as a cat when I die.
@@VintageWatchServices . I'm with you on that, my friend. To be reincarnated as a kitty. I love my cats & they are so awesome to watch. Between wrist watches & cats, I'm happy & satisfied... so far.
What a beautiful watch, day and night after the work you had done on it, shame that the crystals are hard to find for it. its so manifico watch. Hope it can find a good gold bracelet to match the bling it possess. Thanks Stian! for all the good commentary and work that you do for us. Am glad that you have already figured out your next career line in the Car Industry - Looking forward to a Rolex/Omega in Cars -:)
I picked up a used Breguet Type XX 3820 off Ebay for a song. It was in great condition, except it didn't quite reset to zero. I got itchy and sold it, and I've kicked myself ever since. Wish I'd known more about Lemania. I thought that it was a "lesser" brand. Darn! Hey, would you explain the functions on your Time Grapher and what they mean to the mechanical operation of a watch?
Hello Larry, Lemania was indeed not a lesser brand :) I explain the timegrapher functions in a few different videos, I cannot recall which ones so you'll have to watch all of them 😂
It's a strange story, they didn't actually make their chronograph in 1963, but a couple of years later. And no, a couple of plastic parts do not disqualify the movement as luxury, but a lot of people would frown a bit upon it indeed.
It would seem to me that you apply a bit more Moebius 9415 grease to the pallet stones than many other watchmakers on YT. It would be interesting to know if there is a particular reason for that. Thanks!
Repairing a seriously corroded 1341 ..hobbyist .. this video has been invaluable .. lots of videos on RU-vid of this type..for me Stian you are one of the best.
It was interesting to see the timegrapher before and after maintenance, to see the differences afterwards. But it's just my opinion. Thanks for the video.👍
Do you mean as a general lubricant? Teflon has a lot of downsides in production but is used for mainsprings for instance, and Rolex famously coats their purple reverser wheels in teflon. But applying teflon or other dry lubricants in after-sales service is pretty much impossible and the lubrication we use has been designed specifically for uses in watches.
Being the proud owner of a Seiko cal. 6139 'pogue', I was interested to hear your potted summary of the first automatic chronograph. Of course we were all way-out in this. Lemania made a beautiful prototype automatic chrono, fully cased and ready to go, in 1947. I have pictures of the dial and calibre on an old phone which I downloaded off the net a few years back. The movement is engraved in french stating the accomplishment. Apparantly Lemania proudly presented Omega with the fruits of their endeavours, rather like a cat dragging home a particularly stubborn mouse, and getting about the same reaction. So; 22 years later....
@@VintageWatchServices I just googled this minute 'Lemania prototype automatic watch' and then pressed on images and it was about the fifth pic down, you can't miss it. As for links etc. get real! 😂 I'm 65y.o. and analogue bred in the bone; a hopeless case I'm afraid.
Hello Bob, thanks for watching and for your great question! As you might know, the mainspring in an automatic watch slips inside the barrel when the mainspring becomes too tense. That's why we grease the barrel and it is essentially a safety feature. When winding the mainspring with the crown, the mainspring is wound very fast and hence the force against the barrel wall changes accordingly quickly. This makes the mainspring slip more easily. The automatic works winds the watch very slowly, which lets the mainspring tense up more gently and slip a bit later. It will not make a massive difference in the amplitude, but 10-20 degrees can be expected. I'm not sure it's a good analogy, but if you've ever tried to pull a table cloth off a decked table, the table cloth will slip more easily the faster you pull.
@@VintageWatchServices I was about to ask this very question. So, are you basically saying that the auto will wind the mainspring a little more tightly thus imparting more force to the fork giving the ballance a little more impulse?
I am about to service and replace a missing running seconds hand on a Bucherer reference with the same caliber. This is a great refresher preview. Thank you
Hello, thanks for watching and for your sharp eyes! You're right in that the hour counter didn't reset in the video and I didn't catch that until long after uploading it. It's a result of trying to use the reset button on the wrist while taking a video; the button needs to be fully depressed and I didn't do that. It works as it should so I didn't think about checking that in the video before it was too late... As you probably know, RU-vid videos cannot be edited for small updates like this, so I'd have to re-upload an entirely new file for replacing that little clip. Given that it already had quite a few views when I was made aware of this by another viewer, I decided to leave it :)
Great work, as usual. Between column wheel chronographs and cam are there any superlatives or advantages from one to the other? Is one more prone to wear?
Hello westend, column wheel/pillar wheel chronographs operate a bit smoother since less force is needed to operate it, but the column wheels and the interacting parts are more difficult to manufacture and need finer tolerances. I don't believe there are any real differences in terms of wear, but most chronographs are cam operated for the reason that they are easier and cheaper to manufacture.
very interesting lesson and of course another great job. maybe some speedmaster in the future? 861/321 I would love to see how you make that movments, of course, with great like always substantive a comment
It's great fun and something one can pick up at any age, really. It can be very relaxing as well, getting very much into a zen mode. Thanks for the comment on the crystal, if it hadn't been cracked it would have been perfectly fine for re-use. As it is now I'll try to find a new crystal that fits but it's exceedingly difficult. So in the meantime I'll use the old one :)
I think your question kind of answers itself :) It doesn't, which means that the watch isn't sealed, or at least that there are openings for dirt and debris to enter. And that's the case with watches of all sorts, but especially old watches which have received a lot of use and abuse, making them less tight than when new.
Delrin actually is a pretty suitable material for some uses in a watch, as it has flexibility and also durability. And back in those days, it was considered more of a novel material than a cheap one. Nowadays most people indeed associate plastic parts with cheap watches.
I just bought a Croton Chronograph with the Lemania 1340, a really great peace!! How much do you think I would spend if I decided to service it? (I open the case back and needs a service) Thank you, Keep up the great work!
Hello Jaime, thanks for your comment and congrats with your watch! That sounds like a fantastic piece indeed :) Servicing it will probably be quite expensive, I'm afraid. If you can find a vintage specialist in the local area that would probably be ideal, but I think you would spend at least $400 or similar.
Of all your feats of dexterity I admire most, I can't decide between the tilting of screws into their holes, or the turning over of cap jewels with a single flick of the tweezers! Oh, and by the way, I'm going to switch to black finger cots. My wife finds the pink ones somehow disturbing...
Just finished restoring two Wakmann Regate. This video would really have helped if it came out three months ago ;-) Oh well, thanks any way!!!! Great video as usual! Thanks.
Then I don't think you have watched a lot of RU-vid videos... 🤔 This video has way fewer ads than most videos. I removed half of the ads RU-vid wanted to place in it.
Love seeing a professional at work, love your sense of humour. How did they make the screws and the thread where they go? Very intricate (machinery) Greetings from Victoria Australia 🇦🇺
Thanks a lot, Peter! Tiny screws are made with special rollers on a piece of steel on a lathe, and the screw holes in the plate are made with taps. Small taps :)
Fascinating how the advent of technology transforms the perception of commonplace. Years ago, people rode horses and carried mechanical pocket watches. Today, the internal combustion engine and battery-driven Quartz movements have elevated previously common horses and mechanical watches into the rarefied atmosphere of luxury status.
Hi Caledon, indeed, that's a good observation :) It's probably also related to the rarity of things; once something becomes rare it also becomes more valuable. A 5 cent football card can all of a sudden be worth thousands once there aren't many of it...
Thanks for another excellent post. I find it interesting that, regardless of maker and complications, the base movements are very similar - the hallmark of a classic engineering solution.
Surprised to see a couple of plastic parts on a movement this old. This video seemed to have more than the usual number of annoying commercials interrupting your dulcet tones. But if that helps to get you paid, I can live with it.
Hi Frank, thanks for watching and for your comment! The video indeed had a ton of ads. The process is basically that RU-vid insert ads every few minutes where there is a pause in the audio, and I have to remove about half of them manually. This video was uploaded late last night and as the old man I am I fell asleep while waiting for it to finish uploading and checking 😂 I've removed half the ads now so it should be a better viewer experience and I'll try not to fall asleep next time (scout's honor).
Thanks Jaime! ☺️ Depending on how deep the scratches are I might start out with 280 grit or 400 grit and then 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000. I use Polywatch for the last step but you can even use toothpaste!
Hello Heinrich, jewels in this context are synthetic rubies. In watches, there is so little power available, so the tiniest amount of friction is enough to cause issues. To minimize friction, the wheels rotate in jewel bearings, which are very smooth and extremely hard, so that they do not degrade over time and thus cause friction. In high quality modern watches, all wheels run in jewel bearings. In older watches there will frequently be fewer jewels and thus more wear.
Watching your excellent videos is always an education as well as entertaining. I'm sure though that the pesky cats who visit my garden have no conscience.
Thanks Ben! Yes, Lemania mostly provided movements to Omega and Tissot, but you do find Lemania branded watches every now and then. Very cool to have in your collection :)
Please tell me where you got your curved brass tweezers from.. Mine are SS but to blunt for the delicate work so i use them as a screwdriver steady when near the ballance
Hello Carl, my curved brass tweezers are from Regine Horology and I buy them through Beco-technic.com. You can also find them on eBay but they cost a lot there.. if you're based in the US, you might find them somewhere there also.
Thanks Kaz! I use Bontech from Boley. I don't think there's a huge difference between the various brands tbh, but I'll try another brand next time I replenish to find out :)
Really great job with the watch! I have been watching (pun intended) almost all of your videos and you're very impressive; your jokes while working included! Just a heads-up that I have noticed you keep saying the word "fiddly" in your videos. I think you are meaning "finicky." I look forward to seeing more videos. I would especially like to see you work on a Petek Philippe. Cheers
Thanks Cliff! I would also like to see myself working on a Patek 😉 I'll probably get my hands on one one day, but not quite yet. And I believe fiddly and finicky are pretty much synonyms?
@@VintageWatchServices My apologies, I was not familiar with the word and apparently, it's a British term that does mean the same thing. You are indeed a great Master Watchmaker. Cheers
I've come back to this edition of your series just to marvel at the complexity of this movement and hear again, the history/ chronology of the watch industry at that time. Do you think you could (or have you already?) feature the tuning-fork watches and their place in the evolution of the industry, at some point? Many thanks for your very informative and humorous guide to the watchmaking galaxy.
Hello Ian, thanks for watching my videos! I'm not really into electric or quartz watches, I'm afraid :) There are so many mechanical watches still to cover so I'll be busy with that!
@@VintageWatchServices Thank you for your reply Stian, and for responding to my previous email about the Longines and Zenith watches I own. In my ignorance, I've always thought of the tuning fork design as a kind of hybrid between mechanical and quartz. To be honest I'm not sure how they work, hence my interest in seeing you take one apart, simply to illustrate and explain what they're about.
Hello Thomas, thanks for watching and for your comment! Yes, both the case and the crystal are Omega branded. Omega, Tissot and Lemania merged into an organization called SSIH and worked very tightly together.
Thank Pablo, thanks so much for watching and that's very nice to hear :) It's a grateful job working on watches, with instant gratification when you get things right.
Thanks Bojidar! It certainly hasn't been kept as well as it deserved. It's a huge watch, so it's likely to receive more than its fair share of bumping into things, but still...
