Technical question: chrono hand 281

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Mark020

·Sep 26, 2022·not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer

My watchmaker sent me the attached pics. The tube of the chrono hand has broken. Basically 2 solutions:
- sourcing a new hand but I can't find one
- replacing the tube

My question: anyone knows whether this tube is the same format on all UG chrono movements? Anyone who knows?

 

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olivierw

·Sep 26, 2022

No they are not. Took me years to find one for my 481. The tube must be 2.85mm. Other calibers like the 285 is shorter. Better to make a new tube in my opinion.

 

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Mark020

·Sep 26, 2022·not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer

Ok. Make one. That sounds not easy

 

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olivierw

·Sep 26, 2022

Mark020

Ok. Make one. That sounds not easy

No it is not indeed. A specialist watchmaker made one for me. He succeeded but it's very difficult job

 

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Oku

·Sep 26, 2022

For a skilled watchmaker, it is no problem, but it takes time and is not cheap.
Maybe it is better to buy a donor movement (you posted one 😉) and take the parts

 

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Mark020

·Sep 26, 2022·not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer

A donor may indeed be the way to go.

 

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bgrisso

·Sep 26, 2022

281 hands are hard to find. I would try to replace just the tube.
I can't remember the tube diameter and length across the calibers, do we have that documented anywhere? Would be very useful to have for both the chrono sweep and the sub dial hands.
the Ranfft database has the hour and minute hand length and hole size but not the others

 

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Mark020

·Sep 27, 2022·not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer

Should be somewhere and would indeed be very valuable

 

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Mark020

·Oct 4, 2022·not the sharpest pencil in the ΩF drawer

Found this in Sala