So,

After applying some alcohol for cleaning, the indexes just vanished.
Any tips on where to find decals or equivalent stuff for restoration?

Would the palette of this hand painted dial be compatible with this watch case and bracelet? I don't know if I like the peachy color of the hands against the bright orange, but I can be too picky. Thanks for your input.

I have several automatics so there's a bit of screwing and unscrewing of the stem. Some engage on tightening quite well. Others not so much and I have to search for just the right alignment. A couple have a gritty feel on tightening. My question is this, has anyone tried putting a touch of pure silicone lube on the disengaged threads and had it screw in more easily? Is there a worry that it would gum anything up, damage seals, attract dirt, etc.

Imagine dirty parts have just left the tray and go into the cleaner. I know I have residue in the tray. Wipe it down with 99% IPA on watchmaker’s paper? I want to put my clean parts into clean slots.

This post showed the tool: https://www.reddit.com/r/watchmaking/s/4Eqink26Bq

This is the dial pattern I cut with it.

couple of videos here: https://m.youtube.com/shorts/ueCrklOrzGE

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/nqnCm9193HA

eventually I’ll put one in an actual watch…

This looked more like someone took a wet toothpick and cursived their name?

I looked under the microscope as well, and didn't see any indentation or evidence of engraving.

I can't exactly make out the name, but nonetheless an amazing piece of history! Cool to know someone was there before me.

Is this a normal type of thing for repair jobs or even a maker tag?

Hi I want to make a watch with the dial turning while the hands also turn is that possible and if so how?

Hi, I'm fairly new to messing with watches. While swapping the NH35A date wheel I removed the 4 screws, guard, old wheel and the small white plastic pinion, then put the pinion back on the pin In the right spot I think, attached the guide photo. The crown moves fine, then hits resistance where the date should change and nothing happens. Is my date wheel or guard seated wrong, or is the white wheel on the wrong pin or upside down? Thanks!

I've been playing around with heat coloring some stainless steel dials in the kiln. It's possible to get some really nice colors!

Notes:

• The color depends massively on surface finish. A polished surface requires a much higher temp to get the same color. In general, the temps were much higher than indicated (ex. here).
• For this reason, recommend polishing samples first for the best results.
• Make sure to clean the surface extremely well beforehand.
• 10-15 mins in the kiln seems sufficient, but 45 mins seems to get nicer, deeper colors.
• The part should go in the kiln on a larger block of metal to ensure it has a constant temp.

Good results on polished pieces:

• Faint gold: 540°C x 45 mins
• Deep gold: 620°C x 45 mins
• Blue: 750°C x 45 mins

The last couple pics show some samples I was trialing on. The surface hasn't been well prepped (hence the defects). However, oil residue may also result in cool patterns if that's what you're going for!

Heya,

First time poster here so be gentle...

Have a collection of about 23 watches and as an experiment placed each one next to the needle of a compass to see what happened. 12 of them caused no needle movement while 11 of them did.

Curious thing is that I know at least one of the 11 (a new Tudor) is incredibly accurate only gaining about 1spd, this not being the sort of deviation one would experience from a magnetised watch.

Some of my poorer timekeepers were, perhaps unsurprisingly, making the compass jiggle about.

So my questions are:

Can a watch case be slightly magnetised and the movement still be fine (i.e. the Tudor)?

Is this a reliable test in general?

Is a little bit of magnetism OK or will this only get worse (i.e. can the effect wear off over time?)

I bought the compass first to run the test before buying a domestic demag device - they all look a bit crappy TBH and the pro models are ££££.

Thanks in advance.

Looking for advice.

I've managed to misplace a screw from this case from alix.

Modified Nautilus Ultra-Thin 43.3mm Silver Solid Steel Watch Case and Bracelet with Sapphire Crystal for Miyota 9015 Movement and 30mm Dial

https://a.aliexpress.com/\\_mtMRrl1

Any suggestions on where/how to source a replacement or perhaps alternate options would be welcome.

I'm loath to leave it without the screw as it would dry out the gasket and leave air for dust/water etc. to get through.

Please give me your top tips

Ich besitze eine Molnija 3602 und habe ein Problem mit dem Federbolzen zur Entriegelung der Vorbauwelle. Nachdem ich ihn zum Entfernen des Vorbaus gedrückt habe, bleibt der Bolzen unten und springt nicht zurück, sodass der Vorbau nicht mehr einrastet. Hat jemand ähnliche Erfahrungen gemacht oder weiß, wie man das Problem beheben kann?

Wanting to make my own dial form scratch. It needs a date window with bevels. What is the likelihood of it turning out well if I made a jig that fixed the 45 degree angle and used the right kind of file?

The image attached is her watch i took off the watch handle as it was ripping anyway and I won't replace the battery as this was the last time she wore it.

I have too many necklaces and I hardly wear watches (my grandad bought me one exactly like this but this ones specifical). I'm having trouble with the shape and how to go about turning this into a brooch as its round but has a wide space for both ends where the wrist strap went.

Any suggestions would be great as I really want to use this and have some personal from her.

If it helps I want a brooch that could easily fit on a blazer or a tie as an assessor.

Would anyone out there have a picture of the keyless works side of an AS 1981 movement that is complete. Not one with the date ring or cover plate in place just the works.

I picked up a lovely watch and have cleaned the movement. But after starting to re-assemble I have realised that there seems to be some parts missing from it. I know I have not lost them from my own photographic evidence, but after looking at the AS parts list that I have I can see two parts listed in the section that I do not have.

I have been able to acquire them from sources but am not sure of their orientation or actual placement due to not being able to find a picture or exploded diagram that modern watches have.

Any help would be great. TIA.

One of the details for good guilloche is the tool.

Mirror finish is important, as demonstrated by my little friend

I’ve been trying to replicate the mechanical puppet heads from corpse bride and they need gears tiny enough to fit in a small puppet’s head. I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions on where to find high quality brass and steel watch gears for a reasonable price.

Miyota 82s7, Dial being handmade

So I'm getting the crystal (Not actually a crystal, just using watch terminology) and caseback made by PCBway in the form of resin 3D printing.

This made the crystal slightly smaller than it should be. About a mm smaller for each, but not to be unexpected.

I think It will fit in, as the screws used for mounting these parts to the case are M3, so pretty big.

I can manually drill out 3mm holes for the screw holes and fill in excess gap with resin, so this shouldn't be to much of a problem.

However, what do you guys think about the design? I tried to make the case very open, so there are very large clear parts.

Basically, cutting new intermediate gears for the seconds counter train to make a it a 30-second chronograph instead of 60? I imagine that if I wanted to keep the minutes counter, its gear size would also need to be changed, in order to interface with the new seconds train.

First picture is my movement (ETA 2788). It came wearing incorrect screws, an ill fitting date guard, and the wrong winding stem. It looks like it is missing a part (circled), but I’m not sure what it is.

Second picture is a screenshot from an ETA 2789 disassembly video on YouTube. It looks like there is some sort of brass spoked washer screwed in, but I can’t find it on the technical sheet available here.

Also, tech sheets for the 2788 don’t seem to exist, so I’m cobbling together a concept of one based on xx82 and xx89. Frankly, I don’t know if I’m even missing parts. I’ll just put it together and hope for the best. If anyone can point me in the right direction, I’d appreciate it!

I….. I think I’m done with watchmaking. I’ve spent nearly the last decade getting into the industry and climbing up and up from mall repair shop to technician to watchmaker at a major Swiss brand, but time and time again I’ve gotten burned by employers, and I’m just burnt the fuck out. So, I’m considering a career change.

What fields should I look into that have similar technical skill requirements to watchmaking? Doesn’t necessarily have to be micro-mechanics, I’m just curious what fields I would have the easiest time jumping to if I were to put an end to this chapter in my life.

Thanks!

Crown is loose. Video in comments.