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Reference charts for vintage spare parts

Dsplash
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Hi

I was wondering if there were some charts for vintage spare parts available online?
For example, I’m going to have some crystals to change and I’d like to be certain of the references I need before ordering (one for a 2910, one for a 2938, etc).
Same thing with the hands, I need to source golden alpha lume hands for a 2937 but would like to make sure I get the correct ones (or A correct set as there are many variations on those vintage seamasters…)

thanks for the help! 😀
 
BarbVl
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I am also interested to find the answer to this question. Looking forward for the experts.
 
sheepdoll
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The Bestfit catalogs are a good place to start. This will give references for common things like hands, stems, mainsprings and staffs. Ranfft also gives this but with the German indexes.

Most manufactures printed 'data sheets' These follow a set pattern usually with a picture of the eubosh then a disassembled view followed by an index of the parts in several languages. These can be found by diligent searches of the material house websites. There is not one place for all.

Sometimes one has to call or email the materials house.

There is some consistency to the number used for a given part. So a barrel bridge might be #105 a balance #1327. These can vary between the manufacturing groups.

Cases are a completely different story. These vary depending on export country. Often the movements were shipped uncased to avoid tarif laws. Crystals for the most part were sold by metric values of the diameter. Some companies like Omega used custom crystals.

Dials are unique to the watch.

It would be nice to create some sort of AI database for indexing all this. Upload an image and it returns the matching parts. Especially when dealing with watchmaker's estate materials.

Realize billions of watches have been produced in the last 250 years. One or more for every person on this planet, and then some. Some years 100s of millions of watches are produced. Competition can be fierce with questionable business practices and access to spare parts.

Those are large numbers.
 
JimInOz
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Dsplash Dsplash
Hi

I was wondering if there were some charts for vintage spare parts available online?
For example, I’m going to have some crystals to change and I’d like to be certain of the references I need before ordering (one for a 2910, one for a 2938, etc).
Same thing with the hands, I need to source golden alpha lume hands for a 2937 but would like to make sure I get the correct ones (or A correct set as there are many variations on those vintage seamasters…)

thanks for the help! 😀

The internet is your list.

For movement parts, search by maker/caliber, use watch supply houses who often have parts lists for cases (Cousins, Gleave, Boley Ofrie etc).
Crystals can also be found on the internet using your case reference.

"NOS" gold alpha lume hands to suit a 2937?
(actually need to fit a caliber 267)
Practically unobtanium. You may find them but it will take a lot of searching and a lot of time, like finding a lot of vintage parts.
 
Dsplash
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JimInOz JimInOz
The internet is your list.

For movement parts, search by maker/caliber, use watch supply houses who often have parts lists for cases (Cousins, Gleave, Boley Ofrie etc).
Crystals can also be found on the internet using your case reference.

"NOS" gold alpha lume hands to suit a 2937?
(actually need to fit a caliber 267)
Practically unobtanium. You may find them but it will take a lot of searching and a lot of time, like finding a lot of vintage parts.

thanks for all the answers!
Inm not looking for NOS hands though 😀
I’ll guess I’ll have to find a cheap donor watch to salvage the hands 😁
 
SkunkPrince
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Dsplash Dsplash
Hi

I was wondering if there were some charts for vintage spare parts available online?
For example, I’m going to have some crystals to change and I’d like to be certain of the references I need before ordering (one for a 2910, one for a 2938, etc).
Same thing with the hands, I need to source golden alpha lume hands for a 2937 but would like to make sure I get the correct ones (or A correct set as there are many variations on those vintage seamasters…)

thanks for the help! 😀
There is no need for this because your watchmaker should be ordering the parts. If your watchmaker cannot, perhaps you want to change watchmakers?

That said, I have much of this information because I like learning about it, and you can PM me your email address and i will send it, but it's also a good way to pay more for something than you strictly have to.
 
Dsplash
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Actually I strongly intend to start servicing my watches, at least the simple hand wounded ones at first, step by step 😀
 
Dsplash
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By the way, would hands made for a 26.5 movement (omega officer) fit a suveran with a 30T2 (are the syringe hands the same?)
Thanks!
 
A
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Dsplash Dsplash
By the way, would hands made for a 26.5 movement (omega officer) fit a suveran with a 30T2 (are the syringe hands the same?)
Thanks!
You can find the dimensions of the holes in the hands in the ranfft database. The hands for 30t2 also fit 260 and 280 calibres. Hour hands of 26.5 and 30t2 could fit each other but minute hands not according to ranfft

Some parts have always the same number. For example the mainspring is 1208.

For plexi crystals without tension ring i would measure the crystal and order a generic one from cousins or similar place.

I hope it helped you.
Edited:
 
Dsplash
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A alalalalongines
You can find the dimensions of the holes in the hands in the ranfft database. The hands for 30t2 also fit 260 and 280 calibres. Hour hands of 26.5 and 30t2 could fit each other but minute hands not according to ranfft

Some parts have always the same number. For example the mainspring is 1208.

For plexi crystals without tension ring i would measure the crystal and order a generic one from cousins or similar place.

I hope it helped you.


Yes, thanks for the help! From Ranfft, 26.5 and 30T2 are not inter-changeable sadly. But hands from a 267 should be! The hard part is that when I compare syringe hands from a suveran and from a 2639, they differ in thickness…Just how many different types did they make? 😲😁

I’m looking for suveran nos or almost nos hands…And a crystal too by the way, for which I cannot find the reference in any database…
 
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