Hi all,

Noob question of the day..

Is removing hands a complex operation? Not for me, I'm not there yet, but for a competent watchmaker? Is it something I could realistically ask a watchmaker to do while I wait (if I schedule a visit in advance)?

Thanks!

J

 

dont do it yourself - you need the appropriate tools not to ruin either the hands or the dial (or both). a watchmaker needs 2-3 mins.

 

Hand removal is relatively easy with a hand remover and a dial guard.

I have little trouble taking things apart.....

 

Removing hands is relatively straightforward. I use a dial guard and a presto style hand remover (#6 works for most wristwatches).


for small hands (like sub seconds, etc.) is use a bergeon 6016.

 

remember - merken

 

It is far better to use a pair of levers rather than the Presto type tool - much less likely to damage the dial than the two big feet of the Presto. As for the dial guard, I slice open a new, small, press-seal bag and use that over the hands. This serves three purposes; 1. it is guaranteed to have no contaminants that could scratch the dial because it is new and the inside surface of the bag goes against the dial. 2. It prevents any stubbornly attached hand from being launched as it finally releases. 3. it protects the hands from any contact with the tool that might scratch them.

 

Thanks gents for the feedback.

Sounds like I might be able to arrange a quick removal of the hands I need with a watchmaker and since I don't already have the tools, nor any experience (or beaters to experiment on), that's probably the way I'll go.

 

OR





Your results may vary.

 

We need a dislike button!!

 

Could be this "" or this ""

Al, What do you recommend? I use the same pullers as above

 

Yes please tell us why you dislike this? I am dying to hear the right way - the "Archer Way"!
I have tried all methods but prefer the lever tools.
But I am a gorilla, so I don't do it unless desperate

 

Agreed. I need to know. I've tried the other methods with the independent levers as implied by Dennis but get the "DIONK" effect of the second hand whistling past my ear. Then spend an hour looking for the damn thing (then usually find it stuck in my shirt or nestled into my shoe)

 

Okay, I use hand levers almost exclusively. The type of hand lever is important, and of course how you use them and protect the dial and hands is also important.

A reference photo:



The Speedmaster movement is in it's movement holder, the hands are set for removal, and although some are hidden there are 2 sets of hand levers there. In addition you will see several sets of plastic...

For removing the sub-dial hands, I use the smaller/narrower set of levers, and I first place the plastic bag you see there over the hand. The levers are carefully wedged under the sub-dial hands (over the bag), and levered up.

The central chronograph seconds hand is done next using the larger set of levers, and I raise the surface that I lever on with the thicker piece of plastic that has the slot cut in it. This is made of several layers of thick plastic that is used to wrap watches in - it's quite thick and adheres to itself via static cling. You could also use those static sling style crystal protectors for this - stack them and cut with an Exacto knife. I can add or peel layers off to get the correct height. It also protects the dial of course.

Once the central seconds hand is removed, I use the thinner piece of plastic with the slot cut in it, and the larger levers, and I remove the hour and minute hand together unless they are on really tight.

If you have the hands launch away (I tend not to have this - lever the hands off slowly) then you can cover the hand in question with a plastic bag and this will prevent the hand from flying away. I do this on the sub-dial hands, but not typically on larger hands. If you do this on larger hands, make sure the bag does not press down on the ends of the hands and bend the hand.

Of course the design and condition of your hand levers is critical. These are the best hand levers I have ever used, and I have used many brands. These are made by VOH - I know I am a walking advertisement for this company, but they make great tools IMO. You can see that the curve of the tip is very severe, so you get a lot of vertical movement of the tips with a small change in angle of the levers. So I don't have to pry much to get the hands off - it takes surprisingly little movement of the levers compared to levers that have a shallower angle between the tip and handles. Also, as with any tool that comes in contact with hands or dial, when I got these they were checked for burrs and polished, and they are checked for burrs before every single use. Trust me you don't want a burr on the bottom of your hand levers...been there, done that...not fun...

When levering off hands, you need to push inwards to grip on the OD of the hand's tube rather than just lever up under the rivet. This will help prevent tight hands, like on a chronograph, from coming apart while removing them. Still, sometimes no matter what you do the hand comes apart - more so on modern watches than vintage. Doing this will also grip the hand so it doesn't fly away when levering it off.

On a Speedmaster the hand that seems to fail more than any other is the minute recorder hand - it seems to be much tighter than the others for some reason when they are new.

Of course always go slow, think about what you are doing before you do it, and if you get frustrated or tired, walk away and leave it for another day.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Al

 

I tried this on a beater once, and found the minute hand nestled in my hair ... which is really quite amazing, actually, since most of my head is absent of the stuff ... it really should have slid down to land back on the dial!

 

....... removes crystal as well.

 

Thanks Al! Definitely not something I will attempt at this time.

Would it be acceptable, given some warning and scheduling a time, to come in to a shop and have this done while i wait? Does that violate any sortof watch making etiquette?

 

It depends entirely on the shop and the personality of the watchmaker. I have done small jobs with people waiting, but I turned down a recent request for someone who wanted to watch the full service of his 7750 based chronograph so he could "pick up some pointers" while I worked...uh...no thanks.

Cheers, Al

 

Reminds me of a sign in an auto mechanic's shop. "Shop Rates: $100 per hour. $200 per hour if you watch"

In our defense, the best way to learn is to watch a master...............nowadays could just view some youtube stuff.

 

I like that sign. I would like it even more if I could find a mechanic who only charged $100 an hour!

Anyway, it's not that I don't mind teaching someone something (I do it every day on a number of forums), but most people don't understand that watches typically don't get serviced start to finish in one go - at least not the way I manage my workflow. I might be working on 10 different watches in one day...

Also, having someone watch me, and having to explain what I am doing every step of the way - well it would take me 10 times as long to complete the work. Hard to make a living doing it that way.

Cheers, Al