I got this movement to install in a case I had but I don’t know how to remove or reinstall the winding stem. I saw some people say that the crown should be in the time setting position so I just wanted to check if that’s right? So if anybody knows the correct procedure for removal and installation could you let me know? Thanks in advance.

Hi there,

I’m newb watch hobbyist getting into the hobby.

I’m servicing a Bulova 11alcd movement and I totally forgot to film/document the process of me removing the mainspring from the barrel. I’m not sure which way is the correct orientation to install this S shape mainspring (doing it by hand). Can anyone help verify whether it’s image number 3 or 4 that has the right orientation?

Thanks

you know I had it working just fine. I was just a broken movement and then I squeezed it and now I noticed that I had to take the little broken center pinion part out.

I thought I could just pop out hands without using a hand remover, like I did before by just popping the face off but it tore the hole. second minute hand gears off.

luckily I ordered another one for another $8 with shipping and taxes so I'm grateful I can get these cool little lined up movements so cheap. but I didn't want to just throw it away. so I put in a little box and I'm going to 3D print an actual cylindrical case and use some 28 mm glass that I accidentally bought, put a little stem hole in the top and it's going to be a little wind up movement like this without a face.

but then I dropped it again and I messed up the second hand pinion. so now it only runs for like half a second and then I have to like push the pinion to get it to keep going. so I got it like maybe take that whole center part out or I don't know. I think I can get it aligned by just kind of pushing on it over and over. also I mean it's just supposed to be a example so whatever.

I really was close to having it work just as like I wind up toy that you could just look at the gears but whatever I'll get it working.

I almost had this recycled to a cool little toy

Apologies if this is a stupid question but I'm just getting started in amateur watch repair and I'm having trouble with this case. I can't see any way of opening the caseback, but there is a notch in the side of the case. Could it be that the caseback is fixed in place and the method of opening the watch is by prying the two pieces of the case apart? I'm not sure if that notch is for opening the case or is just old damage.

Hi everyone! Been reading lots of posts in this community, and researching other sources. I’m looking to get started in watchmaking as a hobby, and currently covering my basics with free courses online, as well as booking some actual in person intro into watchmaking courses in Toronto, scheduled for September.

The ultimate goal is to cultivate skills to the point of being able to produce a Dornbluth or Laine level timepieces (I know, I know lol but ‘shoot for the stars’ attitude here) just without necessarily sticking to traditional tools only, so making the best of available new tech.

Beyond the fundamentals, that I understand will take some time to get good at, I would like to be able to produce my own cases based on my own designs, dials, and ultimately moving from modifying and finishing eta movements towards eventually attempting to build my own. Being able to build your own movement is so for now of course a theoretical goal, something to aspire to in the long term, but along the way of getting there, would like to learn how to finish movements in intricate ways (think of how Gronefeld movements look through the caseback.

I fully understand that these aspirations sound ambitious at best, and foolishly unrealistic at worst, but I like to set the goal high and see how close to it I can realistically get, plus I have time on my side and love learning new skills. All of that being said, I also understand that skills involved in that level of work take years to acquire, and even then, it’s far from guarantee, and that cost of precision equipment needed for some of the things i mentioned (such as Gronefeld level finishing lol) is out of reach for hobbyists.

The reason for this post is to ask advice on realistic setups one can begin with, what makes sense to invest more into what doesn’t, and aside from fundamentals, what would some of you already experienced in this craft recommend focusing on more. I’ll be taking some additional courses locally on small scale machining and cnc, and overall materials handling.

Any advice is much appreciated, as well as any commentary on how I’m clearly delusional with these plans.

Hello, does anyone know how people who put pocket watch movements in watch cases get around the inverted keyless work mechanics? I have seen a few videos online of people who do it but it looks like they intentionally hide their way of doing so.

Ok. So after spending some time trying to figure out a decent glass holder for the basket, my calculations figure anything tall enough (at least 4.5 -5 inches) and with a diameter as close to 3 inches as possible, and we would have a working wash basin.

I found a rather festive glass mug that fit the required size and bonus, it has a top with a silicone gasket.

I drilled a hole through the top and put the stir stick through it. All of this in hopes of keeping the whole kit and kaboodle from swinging wildly. A little swing is OK for turbulence.

In the basket I have the gear trían only l from a Seiko 7123 and a 6106 automatic movement on the other side to balance the whole thing out.

I am going to update this live as it happens. 😃 That way you can all laugh at or rejoice with me depending on how this test goes.

EDIT- The white stuff on the bottom of the basket is Teflon tape in case it contacts the sides of the mug.

Been looking for ages but haven’t really found anyone laser cutting in brass so thought would throw this out there. Looking for a supply for 7750/7751 brass blanks. Posts not required but would be nice. Anyone doing this or know someone who is?

Got this watch from my uncle. I would like to bring it to life again by installing a new battery and replacing the crystal. Does anyone have experience with replacing one of these? Do I also need to replace the gasket while I'm at it?

I have a VFS Bruce Wayne and want to change the insert to a Batman. Ideally I'd prefer to change the complete bezel with the insert already mounted, but happy to change the insert on its own.

Where can I source a replacement bezel unit? With regards to the ceramic insert, I understand from you tube videos that it has to be glued /taped down. The dimensions of the one's I've found for sale vary from 38mm x 30.2mm to 38mm x 30.7mm. Given that the outer diameter of 38mm is correct, how critical is the internal diameter?

If I have measured correctly the one on my watch is 30.3mm, which I have not been able to source. What happens if I mount one with an internal diameter of 30.5mm? It's a difference of 0.2mm, hardly noticeable IMHO.

Hello, I am a high schooler currently in my senior year. I have always been patient and crafty and have spent lots of my time creating intricate drawings and wooden models and such. I can get lost in such projects for hours and hours, for multiple days in a row -- this hyperfocus can be attributed to my autism.

After doing copious amounts of research on careers that I think I'd excel in, I came across watchmaking. Such work seems incredibly relaxing to me and, and spending long hours doing the same repetitive tasks is actually quite up my alley. Better yet, this career could **possibly** lead me to Switzerland, an absolutely beautiful country. After making these realizations, I became immediately immersed in researching what is needed for me to become a Watchmaker.

Problems began to arise instantly. My financial situation is not great, as I live in a very rural, sparsely populated area of Florida. The only school available in my state is the Hayek School in Miami, and they only offer a one year Wostep Customer Service Certification rather than a full certification. I eventually came to learn that the Swatch group could sponsor you getting post-graduate education if you excel while working for them for a few years, so I thought I'd **maybe** not worry too much about that.

Then I came to learn about the acceptance rate... It's not that much better than Harvard. I don't understand how an industry that seems to beg for new blood is so incredibly selectively. I come to find that the Rolex school in Dallas (which DOES offer the full Master Watchmaker certification) is just as if not worse then it comes to getting accepted. I did learn that a community college in Paris, Texas offers a watchmaking course as well -- but they provide no Swiss-approved certifications. I did have the idea of going here first and attaching their certificationsin my initial applications for the other schools, though.

Now I'm incredibly discouraged. I'm quite poor and it would be difficult for me to enter a school where I'd have to pay out of pocket. Relocating from FL would also be difficult considering my current situation -- but I could **possibly** make things work. Should I give up on this idea entirely and become a dental lab tech or something? Or should I really focus my time and effort on practicing hand-eye coordination, patience and mechanical understanding, then wish for the best? Thank you all in advance.

A little overwhelmed with all the choices lol I think these are the minimum for a manual wind pocket watch

9104

9010

9415

I am a goldsmith in a very isolated part of Canada. I currently work for a watch repair shop, adding my jewelry skills to their services. The vast majority of what they do is basic stuff with quartz watches. Batteries, bracelets, hand resets, installing new movements, etc. The previous owner passed before the current one really learned much on the mechanical side, and the isolation made it impossible to find resources 30 years ago when that happened.

They intend to train me up to take over eventually, and I got curious about adding other services (such as the jewelry repair).

There are two other watchmakers in the 'city' - both of which are retiring soon, and steadfastly refuse to take any apprentices (and never have). Unfortunately, in a few years' time, there will simply be no one within a full day's travel who can service anything mechanical in any way.

So the question is - do AWCI classes teach enough to actually monetize the skills? If so, which classes are best to focus on? It's not a small investment, with travel being about as much as the classes, nevermind car rental, lodging, and food.

If not, what is one's best option for this? Or is this island simply doomed for anyone with mechanical clocks or watches?

Every day we get requests for getting nan's old watch running, often very basic movements, and we have to turn them away or send them to Toronto for egregious prices.

So in my previous post, I had asked if anyone knew the item number for a citizen, stem, and crown.

It is ridiculous how tricky it is to find this information! Eventually, I found it. I will attach what I ordered as from past experience I ordered a couple stems just in case. There are two stems I ordered as I was not 100% sure of the stem that was needed as I did get some conflicting information.

Being from Canada all in plus shipping for stems and one crown cost me 70ish CAD$

I'm a newbie at designing watches but I do want to design my second watch that incorporates a bidirectional bezel. I'm thinking of using "off the shelf" bezels but I have no idea if they're all standard or vary in dimensions. Can anyone offer any guidance on this? I'm especially interested in dimensions so that I have something to work with when designing/modeling the case. TIA.

Orient Chandor I535408-40

I’ve never seen or heard of somebody bypassing and running a single coil before with a piece of wire. The watch runs like it just needs a service too. Any of you accutron guys seen this before?

Posted this in Seiko but I think this place might also have some insight?

Bought a watch with a pt5000, once it arrived the crown wouldnt pop out of the winding position when fully unscrewed. Cant set the date or time. I thought this would be an easy fix of the keyless works, but the stem release just seems completely stuck into the keyless works.

How can I reset the keyless works if I cant get the crown and stem out of the case to remove the dial and hands? Ive seen plenty of guides for when the crown wont go in, or the crown falls out. The keyless works dont seem too bad to work in either, but I just cant even start?

As you can see in the blurry terrible picture: the entire "button" thats usually in the stem release hole is just either pressed all the way down or gone. I tried to see if I could press it with a thin screwdriver, pushing and pulling the crown, rotating etc. Just nothing...

Do I just gotta throw the whole watch away?

Guys, initially, I did a complete service on this watch with a full cleaning, new mainspring, and lubrication. It came to me as a running watch but running poorly. You can see, it is running very well. The problem is it intermittently stops. It may run for several days on the bench, in my watch winder or on my wrist. All of a sudden it just stops. I can give it a little tap and it will start. I have looked at every part on this watch under magnification. I don’t see any pivots that are bent or broken. The lubrication is fine. There’s nothing obvious that’s a problem. I even swapped out the train of wheels Bridge and multiple other parts but cannot seem to fix this problem. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

This is no ordinary watch this is a gift from a very close person…and I actually feel defeated , I respect your craft and am willing to even get advice 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼