Basic watchmaking tips - Hand removal and installation

mseamaster · Jun 10, 2024

@Archer Good intro. Thanks!

What's your opinion on these? I am very inexperienced and looking to save myself some hassle not wanting to risk my dials. So I figured to try:

As a funny remark, today while I was practicing opening/closing broken watches, I tried removing the hands with my fingers and putting them back in, all without touching the dial. It worked fine. Obviously I am not planning on doing that for real on non-broken/junk watches(dial stains/etc.), but after watching so many videos I expected that it wasn't possible at all.

Archer · Jun 10, 2024

mseamaster
What's your opinion on these?

Omega actually offers this sort of tool (for around $4,500 US) and they refer to it as "hand remover for delicate dials" and that is when it would be useful. If you are removing hands from fragile dials such as mother of pearl dials, aventurine dials, etc. where putting any pressure on the dial could cause damage, this is the tool to use.

For removing hands on regular dials, it's overkill.

mseamaster · Jun 10, 2024

Archer
Omega actually offers this sort of tool (for around $4,500 US) and they refer to it as "hand remover for delicate dials" and that is when it would be useful. If you are removing hands from fragile dials such as mother of pearl dials, aventurine dials, etc. where putting any pressure on the dial could cause damage, this is the tool to use.

For removing hands on regular dials, it's overkill.

This is a much cheaper clone, but it comes with very good feedback. I will post about it when I get my hands on it.

Deafcon · Jun 13, 2024

I have the Horia “Hand Snatcher” for use on watches with fragile or skeleton type dials, like the Apollo 8. It works well, but not better or with less risk than hand levers when you have a dial you can use levers on.
Normal methods could have been used on this Speedmaster, however I wanted to try the tool out after I got it.

watch_my_six · Feb 5, 2025

@Archer can you please share where to purchase the Speedmaster-specific (321) hand-installation movement holder you use, or a comparable alternative? Also the VOH levers? Thanks!

Edit: NVM for the holder as I found here that you only use Omega, which aren't available without an account (https://omegaforums.net/threads/is-it-hard-to-remove-hands.23047/page-2). But if anyone else has a comparable suggestion, that would be great!

Archer · Feb 6, 2025

watch_my_six
@Archer can you please share where to purchase the Speedmaster-specific (321) hand-installation movement holder you use, or a comparable alternative? Also the VOH levers? Thanks!

Edit: NVM for the holder as I found here that you only use Omega, which aren't available without an account (https://omegaforums.net/threads/is-it-hard-to-remove-hands.23047/page-2). But if anyone else has a comparable suggestion, that would be great!

Here's an Omega one fore sale -not cheap though...

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/25667117688...6822&msclkid=8282de7125f91ed42fd9b9d5c3346675

For the VOH levers, I bought them directly from VOH.

watch_my_six · Feb 6, 2025

Archer
Here's an Omega one fore sale -not cheap though...

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/25667117688...6822&msclkid=8282de7125f91ed42fd9b9d5c3346675

For the VOH levers, I bought them directly from VOH.

Just out of curiosity, does it work for the 321 too, or is there some incompatibility?

Archer · Feb 6, 2025

watch_my_six
Just out of curiosity, does it work for the 321 too, or is there some incompatibility?

Yes. I use it for both.

Basic watchmaking tips - Hand removal and installation

mseamaster

Archer

mseamaster

Deafcon

watch_my_six

Archer

watch_my_six

Archer

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