Longines project

Project is to make one watch out of two. One with a decent case and a decent vitreous enamel dial, but a basket case movement, totally worn out, and cosmetically sad. The other, a very badly worn case and sad vitreous enamel dial, but the movement is the same, and in much better condition. End result will be that I will have a Longines watch to add to the collection, with a parts watch to boot. Both are cal. 12.92, and seemingly from circa 1929. The resulting watch will be the white gold filled case which (though worn), is better than the case on the donor watch. Stay tuned.

Getting your pictures from Google Earth?

😉

?

Having a joke mate.

Small pictures taken from a great height (well, a great height for watch photography).

I'm quite interested to see how it comes out.

Call it saving space. I could have chosen larger images. But since there were four to show, I thought I'd save some space. When the job is done, I'll post larger images.

Almost done. Two watches. We are gonna make one watch. Watch A/ is a decent calibre 12.92 movement behind a crappy dial, in a crappy yellow gold filled case. Watch B/ is a crappy calibre 12.92 movement behind a decent vitreous enamel dial, and in a decent white gold filled case. Both watches circa 1928-29. The movement from A will be cleaned up, fitted with the dial from watch B, then this combo will be fitted to the case from watch B.

Before. Two pictures both watches face up and face down.

Next picture, donor movement stripped and ready for cleaning. I used three Bergeon small parts baskets for small parts, balance wheel, and train wheels. Bridges are strung on brass wire. The mainspring will be replaced once I find the correct spring.

Next picture. Watch is in L & R Extra Fine mineral based cleaning solution in an ultrasonic cleaner. Two rinses in L & R # 3 rinse, centrifugal dry in heat.

Next picture show the parts in a material tray, assembly begins.

Next pictures show the finished movement, face up and face down. This movement is about 90 years old and is not cosmetically perfect.

Next two pictures are of the watch, almost finished, face up and face down. I still have some fine tuning to do. Compare what you see with the first pictures in this post.

Question Doug.

Based on your experience, can you use L&R Ultrasonic cleaner and rinse in a manual machine and vice versa?

Or is there some difference in the US v Manual solutions that makes them more suited to single application.

Problem is, I'd like to use L&R (rather than Zenith) for both my US and manual machine but not sure if I can use "US" fluids and was going to order:

L&R Extra Fine Watch Cleaner and
L&R #3 Watch Rinsing Solution

and try them in both machines.

Cheers
Jim

James,

- Regarding Extra fine cleaner. L & R says it is for use in a mechanical machine. (See attached.)
- L & R doesn’t mention using Extra fine in an ultrasonic machine, although they sell these machines.
- L & R doesn’t mention a specific solution for ultrasonic machines.
- I use Extra fine only in an ultrasonic machine and get good results. Have never used it in mechanical units.
- L & R doesn’t specify mechanical or ultrasonic machines when using # 3 rinse.
- I use a mechanical machine for rinsing and drying, but I have used # 3 rinse in an ultrasonic machine.
- I doubt there would be much difference in results between mechanical and US machines, with Extra fine.
- I don’t know about the experience of others. Nor do I know Jack about Zenith solutions.

I have used ultrasonic machines for cleaning for over 40 years. Not that mechanical machines can't do the job, but I wouldn’t use them for cleaning. I use L & R 677 (mineral based) cleaners in an ultrasonic, for clocks.

Actually, I started cleaning watches as a teenager, in the early 1950s, working in my father’s shop. Back then, we used orange wood sticks, sharpened, to “peg” out the bearings, strung the parts on wire, swished them around in mineral based cleaners, scrubbed the parts with a tooth brush, rinsed them in mineral spirits, and air dried them using a air pump from a paint sprayer. Primitive, but we got the job done.