"Watch Repair for Beginners"?

[PreacherCain]

As I have started to get more "into" watches generally, the invitable idiot-savant desire to understand what makes 'em go has started to rear its ugly head. Is there such a thing as a "watch repair for beginners" type resource anywhere out there on the web? Google has so far only sent me to places which assume a basic degree of understanding, which rather overestimates my current state of education.

[tixntox]

I would suggest you buy a very large magnifying glass and one of those big, cheap, skeleton pocket watches, wind it very slowly and watch what happens. Read a few bits, think about it and a huge penny will suddenly drop with an almighty bang. Prepare to spend a fortune on tools, parts etc., then enjoy. By the way, you will also lose all contact with your loved ones for long periods of time, you may also stop eating, drinking and smoking and utter phrases like " Ah! I wonder if it's ............. No! It can't be that!................ I'll just go and check .................. There's something I just need to look up....." etc.!
:lol:

[MattMoore]

I have just read through 'Beginning Watchmaking' by Tim Swike on the kindle app on my tablet. I would highly recommend it.
It cost £7.15 and I feel it is worth every penny. It talks through all of the parts and functions of each piece of a watch, and also how to install new hands, dial, glass etc.

[PreacherCain]

Thanks for the advice - I will have a look for that book as a starter, and then find a suitable subject for dissection...! :)

[catflem]

If you fancy having a go at an eta movement - http://www.eta.ch/swisslab/2892a2/2892a2.html

[lantis]

If you fancy having a go at an eta movement - http://www.eta.ch/swisslab/2892a2/2892a2.html

I would go for the very basic one:

http://www.eta.ch/swisslab/6497/6947.html

cheaper too, makes you more daring ;)

[needmorewatches]

I have just read through 'Beginning Watchmaking' by Tim Swike on the kindle app on my tablet. I would highly recommend it.
It cost £7.15 and I feel it is worth every penny. It talks through all of the parts and functions of each piece of a watch, and also how to install new hands, dial, glass etc.

does it have pictures as well as words on the kindle? I'm more of a visual learner, yes, I can read as well !

Nick

[lysanderxiii]

Go to Timezone and read all the articles in "Resources and Tools", News and Features" and "Community"

You will leave with a very good understanding of watches.

Also, read TM 9-1575, you can find it on line.

Googling "watchrepair" "watchmaking" and other associated topics will uncover a wealth of free information.

[jnash123]

Donald De Carle - Practical Watchmaking is good, im still a beginner so its a bit of a heavy read......

TZ Watch school is worth a punt too....

I remember reading the "beginning Watchmaking" eBook on my tablet too, it gave me a very VERY full sense of alluded confidence in the dis assembly and assembly of a watch..........oh how i was wrong....

im getting there now, would advise playing with Pocket watches as there less fiddly and practice, practice, practice... i also keep my iPhone handy for taking pictures of the removing steps so i can refer to them once the watch is completely dismantled.

Hope the above helps, good luck

Jonathan

[serdal22]

There is also a very informative and well done, section by section, watch repair tutorial on SCWF (The watch site) for some time. Here is the link:

http://www.thewatchsite.com/index.php/board,51.0.html

Since, it is basically Seiko and Citizen (Also Pulsar, Orient, and Casio; Japanese timepieces) watch forum, this particular tutorial is based on 6309 movements. It gives very good info on how to change crystals, crowns, bezels and inserts, remove the movements, parts etc . . .

I hope it will be useful to you, too.

Very Happy New Year To All Of You . . .

Capt. Serdal

[walkerwek1958]

I took early retirement/redundancy from work a couple of years back. I managed to wangle some training at the BHI headquarters in Newark as part of my redundancy package. This consisted of three residential seminars lasting 5 days each.

There's no substitute for 'hands on' tuition and these courses were excellent. After a delay last year fr various reasons, I`m now consolidating on the training and getting really into it. Just spent 7hrs today on a watch and loved every minute of it (almost).

Unfortunately the BHI courses aren`t cheao and they do take up time. BHI membership is around £80/year and each course was around £550. I was very lucky to get it for free.

The first of the courses is titled 'Basic Mechanical Watches' and that's the key one to do. The second and third covered day/date automatics and chronographs respectively. The chrono course was beyond me and I struggled, but the day/date autos was brilliant.

For an outlay of around £1200 I`d recommend the first 2 courses. However, I reckon I`ve spent afurther £1200 on tools, a workbench (custom-made), lubricants and cleaning fluids.

If anyone wants further advice I`m happy to try and help.

Paul

[tokdok]

There are Plenty of cheap movements to be had ( and bundles of watches too) in the watch parts section on jewellery & watches / ebay, before you make an attempt at servicing/repairing any watches of value..

[andamanen]

I recently came across this one: http://www.clockmaker.com.au/diy_seiko_7s26/
A guide for the disassembly and assembly of a Seiko 7s26.

[dickbrowne]

I recently came across this one: http://www.clockmaker.com.au/diy_seiko_7s26/
A guide for the disassembly and assembly of a Seiko 7s26.

I was just about to paste that exact link - the 7s26 may not be a bad starting point, cheap enough, simple and it's quite forgiving to mistakes.

If you buy one or two, I'd also advise buying a couple of spare escape wheels (there's a dutch dealer on eBay who sells packs of them cheaply enough). If you're going to knacker anything on your first attempts, the escape wheel pivots are easy to snap, and the hairspring is also easy to configure "outside of operating parameters" :-)

Above all, enjoy the journey