Reply With QuoteGood advice. Especially the last point. This can be applied to most jobs outside the watch industry also. A good majority of accidents are caused by complacency.
Ever had that feeling that it's not your day?
Wifey has a nice Omega Constellation, bought a few years ago as a present from my good self. It's stopped and needs a battery. I don't keep a stock of batteries, I buy them from the local jeweller's shop at mates rates.
I had to post a couple of items so I decided to call in and get a battery. Couldn`t remember the number so I decided to whip the back off the watch. Getting the back off is difficult, it's a bloody tight fit and it's fairly small. The bracelet has to have a pin removed to open it out to get to the back, so it's a bit of a faff. I was in a hurry, so decided to try getting the back off without removing the bracelet using my trusty case knife. As a rule I always wrap a cloth around my hand and the watch, but didn`t do so this time. The inevitable happened, back wouldn`t come off, case knife slipped and caught my thumb and finger. Apart from a slight nick on one finger I thought I`d got away with it. Tried to open the watch again but the watch was now covered in a significant amount of red stuff which didn`t tie in with the tiny nick to one finger.
Next step was to wash the watch whilst the back was still on and get the blood off. I stuck it under a running tap then winced.......turns out the knife had caught my thumb and caused a deepish cut which was the obvious source of the blood. Mystery solved,expletives were uttered, first aid administered, coffee brewed. I removed a link from the bracelet and eventually got the back off using a somewhat cumbersome jig that's made for these jobs.
I should've rushed off to the shop at this point, but for some inexplicable reason decided to remove the battery in a hurry......I really should know better. Battery's held with a tiny sprung clamp that's secured under a screwhead, I loosened the screw and the clamp made a bid for freedom which I didn`t predict. I`ve dropped parts many times and invariably found them, but this seemed to have vanished into thin air. These things can be replaced for around £6, so after an exhaustive search I gave up. It's always hard to predict the trajectory of a spring leaving the bench and clearly it hadn`t gone where I expected.
Just about to order a replacement and decided to have one last look.....today the Gods have smiled on me, it's turned up and I`m somewhat happier than I was!
Learning points as follows:
1. Don`t rush any watch job, however trivial.
2. Use the best tool for the job, not the one that comes easiest to hand.
3. if springs can escape, put the job inside a plastic bag and make a hole for the tools. It's a bit awkward but it guarantees you can`t lose anything.
4. Any lost part will always turn up in the last place you look. If you haven`t found it you haven`t looked hard enough.
5. Always use a thick cloth for protection when using a case knife.
6. Experience can breed complacency......don`t let it.
The last point is the one I need to take on board!
Paul
Last edited by walkerwek1958; 26th July 2017 at 11:44.
Good advice. Especially the last point. This can be applied to most jobs outside the watch industry also. A good majority of accidents are caused by complacency.
I laughed. It's good to hear others suffer too.....
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The best advice is to leave it to a jeweller. They are 10 times better than you will ever be and why risk an Omega Constellation for the sake of a couple of quid.
@Mick P Mr walkerweks' hobby is repairing/servicing watches in case you didn't know.
When I decided to try servicing my skx009, that whim has now passed you'll be glad to hear, I lost the uber small screw that needs a special screwdriver to remove. I looked bloody everywhere for it and gave up after literally hours of looking. A few months later, even though the area gets vacuumed every week I felt something under my foot under the desk, screw found and now sits in a plastic bag as I'd already ordered a spare.
Not sure it's clicked who the OP is ... I'm sure he's more than capable of replacing a battery. Unless I'm missing something of courseOriginally Posted by Mick P
That's a bit harsh, given Paul's experience Jewellers that are 10 times better are probably few and far between.
Everyone has bad days Paul, I once got a spring bar stuck up my nose if it makes you feel any better
I wish that was always true but sometimes it is not
I have seen some horrendous things done by "so called Jewellers" for example... battery contact snapped off and battery held in by tape!
and blu tak to hold the battery because someone had lost the clip
Last edited by animalone; 26th July 2017 at 12:24.
I wish I'd have used point (3) when taking a bracelet link out of my Seiko - the damn collar from the pin went flying so now I'm one short....
A cautionary tale indeed Paul.
I recognise some of those things happening, some of those tiny parts seem to have a life of their own and must watch the Great Escape every Xmas!
Mitch
Sounds like a trauma Paul, I feel your pain!!!, I lost a grub screw for a rifle scope a few weeks ago, on a wooden floor, took ages to find.
as an aside with regards to point 6, as I tell the new lads in the chamber complacency really does lead to an accident.
mike
An old hanky placed over the hose of a vacuum cleaner will collect all dust, debris.....and hopefully that tiny part you've just dropped! Trust me, it works, it's laborious but effective. This part was big enough to see with the naked eye and that's what made it all the more frustrating, I simply looked in the wrong place.
Have to smile at the spring bar up the nose episode!
Anyone who works on watches will drop the odd part occasionally; it's easy to be ultra-careful with stuff like end cap jewels which are easy to lose but it's also easy to be complacent with the bigger stuff and that's where I made my mistake. Anything under spring tension has potential to travel a significant distance and that's not good, this battery clamp travelled approx 8 feet and my attempt to predict it's trajectory (based on how it was mounted) proved completely wrong!
Like I said, they always turn up in the last place you look
Paul
Sorry I did not realise who Paul was, so apologies there.
However for the great unwashed, myself included, leave it to the professional jeweller with a good reputation.
Taking a bracelet off and it slipped way from the tool and went straight in, brought a tear to the eye.An old hanky placed over the hose of a vacuum cleaner will collect all dust, debris.....and hopefully that tiny part you've just dropped! Trust me, it works, it's laborious but effective. This part was big enough to see with the naked eye and that's what made it all the more frustrating, I simply looked in the wrong place.
Have to smile at the spring bar up the nose episode!
Anyone who works on watches will drop the odd part occasionally; it's easy to be ultra-careful with stuff like end cap jewels which are easy to lose but it's also easy to be complacent with the bigger stuff and that's where I made my mistake. Anything under spring tension has potential to travel a significant distance and that's not good, this battery clamp travelled approx 8 feet and my attempt to predict it's trajectory (based on how it was mounted) proved completely wrong!
Like I said, they always turn up in the last place you look
Paul
I once lost a small screw, spent ages looking for it on the bench and around the floor with no luck turned up about 4 hours later in my shoe!
Maybe it's time for that bottle i owe you paul....
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
A plastic bag is a bloomin' genius idea!!! Thank you.
I thought it was a barrel you owe me
Another one of those sentences that no one ever expected to see!
Now, pics, please, or it didn't happen
Ouch - and glad there wasn't a wrist - or rather, thumb - shot!
ATB
Jon
Easily done.
I was removing a bracelet once and the pusher slipped and went right into my opposing thumb. Very sore!
Cheers,
Neil.
That must have been some party.
At least the coil is still intact.
Thanks for sharing Paul and for it eliciting the spring bar nose story.
I am absolutely hopeless at DIY when everything is normal sized and I still lose things, so no way would I ever contemplate doing any watch repairs.
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Oh dear
Glad to hear it turned up Paul
Thanks Guy, your visit yesterday evening inspired me to look again this morning
Paul
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