You know those YouTube videos about making a watch from eBay parts?

[benrapp]

This was not as easy as they make it seem. I had a number of issues on my first attempt - overlength hour hand that caught on the seconds pinion and bent irreparably; overlength minute hand that caught on the case; cannon pinion coming off with the pre-fitted minute hand (and then my failing properly to stake it back); buggering up the keyless works by taking the crown in and out 46 million times; losing part 435 (a lever in the keyless works) when trying to fix them - because the spring that goes ping went ping and part 435 disappeared into the ether; trying to insert the movement clamps and failing again and again and again (and then putting them in the wrong way up). Oh it was fun. But it provided an excuse to buy some more tools: better screwdrivers, a mat, Rodico, peg wood and, crucially, a big anglepoise illuminated magnifying glass which makes everything so much easier than using a loupe.

Movement number two, and set of hands number two, went much easier. I used movement one to get the stem length right and adjust for the new crown, so as to minimise faffing around with movement two. Everything went together fairly smoothly with the exception of the seconds hand, which also went ping, so this is the seconds hand from set of hands number one - which were blued and completely invisible against the skeleton movement, so the need to change hand set was a blessing in disguise. Even the case clamps were easy once I figured out that you drop the clamp in with tweezers but position the clamp screw with Rodico and pegwood.

The crown should probably be a closer fit, which will mean filing the stem some more, but I'd rather that than have it too close and rubbing. The strap is a Morellato I had lying around; I don't love it and might look for something else. The movement is, I think, quite nice but I'm going to experiment with applying some perlage to the hour wheel from movement 1 and see if I can learn how to do that; if so, then I might try to properly ruin my life and take the whole thing apart to decorate other bits.

Either way, it's passed some time and hasn't cost the Earth - I've spent far more on tools than the watch itself, and I now have a spare movement that I can (and will) take to bits properly and see if I can put it together again, once I've ordered a replacement part 435 (weirdly, I found the spring that goes ping). I should probably get some solvent, oils and grease before I do that, although there is zero danger of my taking any of my existing actual watches to bits. Except the Xeric, which has a fairly generic Miyota and runs like crap. Warranty, you say? Other side of the Atlantic, say I. So on the grounds that a replacement Miyota movement is about £25 I might chance my arm. Although the wandering hour hand arrangement probably needs some careful thought - I imagine you don't just have at it with the hand removers willy-nilly.

[Scottishtrunkmonkey]

Some of that sounds familiar but top marks for persevering and finding the spring!

I hear you re the tools but it's worth it if you do a few, very rewarding