552 cleaned nicely

Removed the main plate of the 552 from the Alum to remove the dial screw. Ran it through the watch cleaner. Lots of pegwood removing the gunk.

Lower cap jewel spring also dissipated. The screw was broken. By chance when I needed some upper springs some time back, I got a package of lower springs. Found a screw that fits in one of the assortments.

Odd parts like this are easy to come by. It is the common stuff that seems to belay expectations.

Still annoyed at the vanished pallet fork. I do not think a 550 sized fork will fit in place of a 470/500. The bridges are of a slightly different height.

I also do not like having 3 nice watches disassembled at the same time. (12 of 19 landerons is different as those were never really complete watches.)

It ticks!

Some rando sweep hand for contrast. Not really pressed onto the arbor.

Sadly the hands sold as 565 hands are too loose on the arbors. I still need to locate a proper sweep hand.

Stem and crown are also from the parts department. Too awkward trying to test with the split stem.

Have not clean the automatic action yet. The rotor rubs, which is what tore up the upper plates.

Amazing I had another inky spring for the lower cap jewel, And a lower ratchet wheel. Probably paid too much for the movement, but at least I had most of the replacement parts.

The watch was really dirty. Not sure it it was dried oil or cheese.


Now I have to put the 550 back together (after cleaning it.) I borrowed the sweep and cannon pinons from that. Have a 560 set which is too long but will work as a placeholder - and these parts are easy to get to.


The 505 is stalled out till I find the missing pallet fork, Or locate a new one. Annoying as that would probably run as well.