Learn about watchmaking - for non-watchmakers

Olhenry56

Where do you all typically buy mainsprings? I tried buying on the cheap from eBay, but the dimensions and quality are inconsistent.

I'm troubleshooting a very low amplitude (~45 deg) on a cal. 342 I've rebuilt. With the palette fork removed, the escape wheel spins very freely when I just nudge the crown, so I don't think there is a problem with the train of wheels. And I can get the amplitude up to about 180 by firmly and gently applying torque to the center wheel with wooden tweezers (with palette fork in place of course, ratchet wheel and barrel removed). So long story short, I suspect that the new mainspring just doesn't have enough power. I've already purchased mainsprings for this watch twice from eBay (I failed to get the first one in because it was almost too large for the barrel, and it was my first attempt ever. It was definitely longer than the second one I purchased). I've learned my lesson that I'm probably just going to have to pay twice as much for reliable quality. I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions you all have.

Oh, full embarrassing disclosure, as this is my first time working on an automatic movement, I made an extreme bonehead mistake that could also be the culprit here. When I put the current mainspring in, I stupidly used the wrong grease on the walls of the barrel instead of braking grease. I could only wind it about 7 times before I could feel the spring suddenly slip and unwind. So I had to take it out, clean off the barrel and spring, apply braking grease, and wind the mainspring (using cheap mainspring winders and my gloved thumb to turn the barrel arbor in the spring instead of using the crank arbor that NEVER catches) back into the barrel. It could be that I didn't clean the barrel or mainspring enough and it is still slipping. I don't think that's the case because I don't feel it slipping like before, but maybe it's slipping very slowly. I will have to put it through the barrel and spring through some cleaning solution to see if that helps. But even if this is the cause of my low amplitude, I'd still like to know where you source mainsprings.

Olhenry56

Bummer. I suppose I'll try this one more thing and set it aside for a while if this doesn't work.


I'm in the US, in Texas. I was considering Otto Frei before I decided to ask here.

kaplan

Here comes a confession to get it off my chest

Had a spare dial I bought for around $50-60, not perfect, just a bit dirty but looking good, it was staying inside a ziplock on top of protective plastic boxes of other dials I have - and last night, an old bulky case opener that I no longer used dropped from my tool storage, and either that dial was damaged, or I think it touched the dial

Luckily there wasn't any major damage, there's just a micro bump that I can see since I know it's there, maybe it was there before, but I believe I caused it, doesn't matter to be honest, it was possible to happen and it shouldn't have been

So the lesson of the story is, don't be lazy with any part no matter how cheap, they are 50-100 year old artifacts, use protective equipment

I had 10's of jars bought just to store dials / hands etc. individually, should've used one, and now I feel like I've been stabbed

Something like this happened almost a year ago, and I still feel the wound from that event too, it doesn't hurt as much, but the remorse is still going strong, so maybe it's a sign that I shouldn't be this deep in this hobby if it can affect me so much, but at this point I'm in too deep to back out

noless

I have some of those cases that are the flexible films that suspend the parts, but I worry about using those for vintage hands as I wonder if it might stick to the lume. I currently just put them into a small box, but I have no way to stop them from hitting each other other than being careful when picking up that box. Perhaps I need to look for a suitable container specifically for hands like I have for dials.

Archer

Good advice! I see photos of professional watchmaker's benches where things like dials and movements are piled up and exposed to damage, and it makes me cringe. In school we were always taught to minimize exposure for dials to mitigate risks like you describe. I have the plastic containers that movements come in that I use for things like dials and date indicators. I also have specific containers for storing hands during servicing, that keeps each hand separate from the other.

Mistakes happen, so the more you protect these items when they are outside the watch, the less chance that a mistake is going to be costly.

Cheers, Al

Archer

No, but this is a tool list that came from the AWCI many moons ago, for their basic watch repair course (the beginner course). I'll drop it in as a photo that you can click on and download:

Some are required, some not so much, and some purely optional, so here's the breakdown:

R¹: Required
The items in column R¹ are the most important and you should have these for this course, or its exact
equivalent, unless otherwise specified. The brand name & number are given in order to facilitate with your
order.

There are always exceptions to certain items, such as a loupe. Obviously, if you wear spectacles and you
have the type of loupe that attaches to the glass frame and you are comfortable with this setup, you do not
need to buy extra loupes as per the list above.

R²: Recommended,
Any item in column R² implies it is recommended but not absolutely compulsory i.e. it would be preferable
if you possessed them, but if for any reason, they are not available, this should not present a major problem.
Also, it could be that you are more comfortable with a similar tool.

O: Optional
Items in column O are, as mentioned, "Optional", i.e. if you have
them, you may bring them, if not we have some in the classroom to lend, or you may use a substitute.

If you want to do the job properly, the "required" items are sort of the minimum you will need to service a basic movement.

Cheers, Al

Archer

No, but this is a tool list that came from the AWCI many moons ago, for their basic watch repair course (the beginner course). I'll drop it in as a photo that you can click on and download:

Some are required, some not so much, and some purely optional, so here's the breakdown:

R¹: Required
The items in column R¹ are the most important and you should have these for this course, or its exact
equivalent, unless otherwise specified. The brand name & number are given in order to facilitate with your
order.

There are always exceptions to certain items, such as a loupe. Obviously, if you wear spectacles and you
have the type of loupe that attaches to the glass frame and you are comfortable with this setup, you do not
need to buy extra loupes as per the list above.

R²: Recommended,
Any item in column R² implies it is recommended but not absolutely compulsory i.e. it would be preferable
if you possessed them, but if for any reason, they are not available, this should not present a major problem.
Also, it could be that you are more comfortable with a similar tool.

O: Optional
Items in column O are, as mentioned, "Optional", i.e. if you have
them, you may bring them, if not we have some in the classroom to lend, or you may use a substitute.

If you want to do the job properly, the "required" items are sort of the minimum you will need to service a basic movement.

Cheers, Al

RevZMan123

I've been looking around the threads and I see what machine you use (rm90?) but is there some other cleaning machine we should look at for a newbie? I assume at least a small ultrasonic but more what of the larger machines with jars, etc is good for someone starting out.