On My Bench - Smiths De Luxe

[JimInOz]

Caseback was also cleaned up to remove wear marks and scratches.



So now all parts of the case are ready.

 

[JimInOz]

Time to get moving with the last steps.

The dial (after a light clean) was fitted to the movement.



Hands were next, Starting with sub-seconds, and then hour hand.



minute hand was then correctly fitted and checked for alignment.



Just need to press on the crystal and the caseback.



and there we have it.

 

[JimInOz]

Can't close without a couple of shots.

On the wrist



and a goodbye shot, on my bench, Smiths De Luxe.

 

[LuckyLes]

Wow, Great writeup and photographic journey Jim.
Thanks
Les

 

[SmithSJ]

JimInOz

😡

That was fun. All apart and adjusted and while putting it back in the balance cock slipped of the tweezers and pulled the balance out of the movement with it, stretching the hairspring in the process.

So two more episodes of this.

Balance removed and laid on a soft surface so I could undo the stud screw (silver one) and turn the boot so I could lift the balance wheel/hairspring off the cock.



Then the balance wheel was inverted on a brass block and a shaped pivot wire is used to rotate the collet. This moves the position of the stud in relation to the impulse jewel, and when it's back on the movement, hopefully the impulse jewel will be closer to a theoretical centre where beat error does not exist.



Note that the hole the balance wheel is sitting in is 4mm diameter.

After getting it back together, things started looking OK again. Beat error is much lower and I could go all day trying to get it better so I'm happy with this.



Another trick question. What is wrong with this picture?

😉

Lift angle at 52 degrees??

 

[JimInOz]

Well done.
👍
It should be 47º as per advice from an earlier post by @ChrisN, but it only affects amplitude and in this case I was chasing beat error, so not really an issue.

 

[ghce]

Would be interested to see your real world running accuracy after a week.
Just for background my very determined WM spent a huge amount of time on mine, rebuilding parts which he couldn't find locally here in NZ and had to rebuild the balance wheel staff and rebalance it but the result was fantastic with accuracy that rivals many higher end watches, literally out only a few seconds a day which for a fifties 15 jewel movement to me seems crazy!

 

[jaguar11]

Wow!!!! A good read and a super looking watch!!!!!

 

[watchyouwant]

Wow, Jim..... That is extraordinary. what a wonderful photographic journey . Newer members should follow that and see, what mechanical watches really are and can be. kind regards. Achim

 

[STANDY]

@JimInOz did I give you this watch or send it in for service ?? 😉

Great job mate and hope you enjoy the present more now.
Was a present to me from our beagle loving friend @Alpha and shows how good this forum is…..

 

[davidswiss]

Very impressive, thanks for that.

 

[JimInOz]

STANDY

@JimInOz did I give you this watch or send it in for service ?? 😉
…..

Hmmmm, maybe it was for a service.
I can send you an invoice if you like. Mates Rates of course, I wouldn't charge you the full service cost of AUD$675, let's make it AUD$600 even.

😁

Or should you decline my kind offer, I'm sure I could put it on the Private Sales forum and make a few bucks just to cover my time.

There's a r̶a̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶c̶l̶u̶n̶k̶e̶r̶, I mean beautifully patinated vintage Seiko diver on there at the moment going for an astronomical price, but when you consider the condition, provenance and history of the watch it's justified.

So, on offer, a pristine almost NOS minty vintage Smiths De Luxe with blued steel hands and enchantingly aged dial in a flawless stainless steel looking case.

To add to the provenance:
+ - Once owned by a renowned Scottish watch connoisseur and Beagle Master!
+ - Subsequently endowed to a well known Australian watch collector/donator and famous big game fishing exponent.
+ - Comes with fully documented service history (mostly scratched inside the caseback, which IS actually Stainless steel).

I think it would be a contender for a quick sale to any smart investor who wanted to get in on the ground floor of the growing market for vintage English watches.

Priced at AUD$15,725.00 (not negotiable) plus shipping and insurance, this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for any keen collector.



Now where's my special lens filters and image enhancement software.

 

[STANDY]

JimInOz

Hmmmm, maybe it was for a service.
I can send you an invoice if you like. Mates Rates of course, I wouldn't charge you the full service cost of AUD$675, let's make it AUD$600 even.

😁

Or should you decline my kind offer, I'm sure I could put it on the Private Sales forum and make a few bucks just to cover my time.

There's a r̶a̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶c̶l̶u̶n̶k̶e̶r̶, I mean beautifully patinated vintage Seiko diver on there at the moment going for an astronomical price, but when you consider the condition, provenance and history of the watch it's justified.

So, on offer, a pristine almost NOS minty vintage Smiths De Luxe with blued steel hands and enchantingly aged dial in a flawless stainless steel looking case.

To add to the provenance:
+ - Once owned by a renowned Scottish watch connoisseur and Beagle Master!
+ - Subsequently endowed to a well known Australian watch collector/donator and famous big game fishing exponent.
+ - Comes with fully documented service history (mostly scratched inside the caseback, which IS actually Stainless steel).

I think it would be a contender for a quick sale to any smart investor who wanted to get in on the ground floor of the growing market for vintage English watches.

Priced at AUD$15,725.00 (not negotiable) plus shipping and insurance, this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity for any keen collector.



Now where's my special lens filters and image enhancement software.

Only $15k....... pretty sure I would/could work my mate Sir Edmund into any sales advertising 😉

Or

We could go all Bremont and add a story about being hidden in your garage after a Vespa chase to evade some bikies in the gang wars


When are you going to do the other watch I gave you.........😝

Edited: Jul 6, 2021

 

[JimInOz]

STANDY

........................
We could go all Bremont and add a story about being hidden in your garage after a Vespa chase to evade some bikies in the gang wars.........😝

It'd probably sound better if it "was unintentionally misplaced in the bottom of a bait bucket during asset investigations by my ex's lawyer and only recently discovered by accident upon hearing of her disbarment from the profession".

Oh, hang on, that was another watch 😁.

STANDY

..........When are you going to do the other watch I gave you.........😝

😕

My memory is terrible. Remind me again?

And it wasn't a Patek or a Rolex by any chance was it?

😗

 

[STANDY]

JimInOz

😕

My memory is terrible. Remind me again?

A Pierce IIRC or something like that.....

 

[JimInOz]

STANDY

A Pierce IIRC or something like that.....

I'll check, but it doesn't ring a bell.

 

[STANDY]

JimInOz

I'll check, but it doesn't ring a bell.

I just checked a PM from a while back

Para ?

 

[Engee]

Seeing the intricacy of that job I now understand why chimpanzees don't wear mechanical watches: they don't have opposable thumbs which is clearly a requirement for mechanical watch maintenance.

 

[JimInOz]

STANDY

I just checked a PM from a while back

Para ?

👍

I'll check tomorrow. Busy watching Dr Who ATM.

 

[ghce]

Engee

Seeing the intricacy of that job I now understand why chimpanzees don't wear mechanical watches: they don't have opposable thumbs which is clearly a requirement for mechanical watch maintenance.

I dont think this Watch Maker would agree https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/my-watchmaker-an-inspiration.622318/