The Smiths.

[bobbee]

"All men have secrets and here is mine, so let it be known"

I have had a hankering for a nice Smith's De Luxe ever since reading about them over at MWR, and even more so since the epic 'Everest' thread right here on TZ.
After winning and receiving this:







1958 example, I set about cleaning it up after removing the movement and the Bonklip, which was secured to the watch with tight fitting and old but serviceable shoulderless springbars.

"Oh my sacred one"

...was absolutely filthy with crap 'DNA, as some call it, so after removing the filth covering between the lugs, the case back and front, around the crystal and inside the case back:

"The devil will find work for idle hands to do"

...I then started on cleaning up the dial (if possible).
It took a while, but the best I could do to remove the build up of the brownish pink coloured coating from what I believe to be from belonging to a heavy smoker from the smell, the result is below.
It looks a lot better with the naked eye, believe me!

"For we have been through hell and high tide"

"Heavy words are so lightly thrown"

"Because I've only got two hands"

"And you must be looking very old tonight"

"And I'm feeling very sick and ill today"

Next was the Bonklip, and it took a lot of work, copious swearing and several soakings in WD-40, shaking and rubbing the links together, brushing with brass and plastic brushes before I was satisfied.
Below are a couple of sheets of tissue, the first after just two minutes of scraping, the second after rubbing down the bracelet when I thought it was clean enough. If only...
I can't emphasize enough just how hard it was to clean the bloody thing, hindsight and a cheap ultrasonic cleaner would have saved time, energy, kitchen roll and money in the swearbox!

"I'm too tired, I'm so sick and tired"

So much so I forgot to take some f#*¥$¿g photographs of the movement strip down, except for one of the underside...

"So what difference does it make?"

Quite a lot, I hope you'll agree.








And finally, to misquote Polly Styrene and the X-ray Specs:

"BONKLIP, UP YOURS!"

not really, I love it. Just don't want to go through all that trouble again...