`Twill Soon Be Home..........

One of the first things which I want to do is to create my version of Sherline's sensitive drilling attachment for my mill. Already have everything ready to be machined when I get back. Will be taking plenty of photos of how I'm doing it. I also picked up a USB microscope 

(slightly used) with 25X to 136X power to help me in various ways in the shop. Will start blogging regularly in two more weeks when I return. Thanks for dropping by!

Watchmaking by George Daniels

Received in the mail yesterday my copy of George Daniels' classic book, "Watchmaking". I ordered it from Amazon, under their "Used Book" category, for $59.98, shipping included. Listing indicated it was a new book, never read. After opening the package it came in, it was shrink wrapped, with very minor damage to the top right and bottom left corners as you can see above, and one small little finger smudge at the edge of the pages. Other than that, which I consider inconsequential, it IS in new condition, and is the revised 2011, 2013 printing of the book. It made me quite happy to receive this, as I have desired to get this book for at least 3-4 years now. It is a birthday present from my wife to me, I shall be 62 on the last day of this month. 

Next on my list are some books by Steffen Pahlow, "Tourbillion, My Passion", and "Casemaking", and one of Henry Fried's book, "The Watch Repairer's Manual". Thanks for stopping by!

You are always welcome and encouraged to leave comments if you like. I reserve the right to delete or edit if there is foul or offensive language.

This is the polisher kit that I received from Rio Grande Supply a little over two weeks ago. It was $22.50 plus postage, which I think was a good deal. It came with fifty 2.0 mm. craytex sticks, from coarse to fine. The holder is only 2 inches long, but I have some ideas how I will use it in a small jig I would like to build. Below you can see the holder and the packages of sticks. I intend to use this for perlage work on the movement. Thanks for stopping by!........................gf

What I am doing................

I have not done any more work on the watch for the moment as I am trying to tidy up unfinished work in my shop. Once these little matters are finished up, I plan to devote more time to this watch, and get something done with it.

I had stopped in Livingston, MT this past fall and visited with Jeffrey Nashun, owner of Montana Watch Company ( http://www.montanawatch.com ) on his techniques for doing perlage and cote de geneve work for watch movements. He was very helpful and informative, and took some of the mystique away for me, giving some helpful hints, and showing me where he got his tool for doing that work. After the purchase of this watch, I ordered some 2 mm. abrasive sticks and a holder from Rio Grande Jewelry Supply out of Albuquerque, NM, and will be using it for my watch. I'll try including some pics of that tool later today.   gf

A Quick Assessment During and After Teardown

The gong rods were easily moveable, and not at all what they should be. I spoke at length with a watchmaker I've gotten to know, and he told me what they should be, i.e., glass hard, highly polished and touching nothing else in the movement. Where the rods join their respective block, it looks like someone soldered them in, not good, but I believe they are salvageable. Right now they just 'thunk' when struck by the hammers.

Mainspring barrel has a broken spring, not a problem to replace I think.

Balance has a wobble to it, not sure yet if it is due to a bent pivot or in the wheel itself. Will be looked at soon again.

Almost negligible wear anywhere on the wheels and their shafts. I am confident a run through the ultrasonic cleaner and smooth broaching of the brass pivot holes will be fine. No broken or cracked jewels.

All springs are good, none broken.

The fine-toothed chronograph wheel that runs the hand is in excellent shape, no broken or damaged teeth; that goes as well for the rest of the wheels.

Some things I would like to do when I get ready to re-assemble it.

Perlage on the main plates; high polishing, if not black polishing of the flat springs and flat steel surfaces within the movement.

Possible replacement of the balance wheel, with a Breuget overcoil and adjusting for more positions.

The case will be made of flat brass bar stock. The back of the movement will be visible to view internal workings of the chronograph mechanism and the balance wheel. Front and rear bezels will most likely screw on for access.

Winding stem will be shortened, not sure how much yet.

That's some of my ideas, we will see how it all will go when I get closer to doing the work. Thanks for reading!...............................gfields

Got a surprise in the mail this morning, my swiss-made Baltic pocket watch movement! I noticed the extra weight of it when I took it out of the envelope, not like the regular pocket watch movements I've worked on.

Couldn't wait to get it to the bench and really see what I have! Above you can see the hands are removed in this pic.

I tried winding the mainspring, and it went so far, then slipped. Broken mainspring, but winds enough I can check to see how the watch part runs. And, the balance took off and we have a heartbeat! The balance has a little wobble to it, so I put it on the timegrapher and was impressed with the time track; even spacing and all the good stuff, except it was running fast. On the pic above, the winding stem is at 3:00; the second hand is in the black hole in the plate to the right of the hour wheel. The chronograph hand is in the center of the hour wheel, and is in good shape.



After playing with it for awhile, I found that the chronograph works just fine, which is an old style one button type, i.e., press once, wheels engage, press second time, wheels disengage, press a third time and chrono wheel returns to original position (via the heart-shaped piece on the wheel under the cock). The button is missing, so I'll have to make one I guess for the chronograph function. The gong rods just 'thunk', temper seems to be gone. They're both free and not touching anything when I tried them out. The upper one of the two seems to move too easily for something that should have some temper to it.The slider is missing to activate the repeater function.

All in all I'm quite pleased with it. I see lots of work ahead, areas that should have a jewel, lots of cleaning, checking tolerances, etc. Needs a new mainspring, shouldn't be too hard to find I'd think. I'm thinking of making a case for it, not sure whether a wrist watch or pocket watch case. If I make it into a wrist watch, its heavy enough to maybe give me carpal tunnel :)! But I will go one step at a time. Please check back often, I don't plan to let this one just lay gathering dust. Thanks for looking!..................................gfields

I just purchased on Ebay this Baltic pocket watch movement of which I was very excited about to get. I immediately noticed it was either a chronometer or chronograph by the wheels on the back, but seeing the two gong rods and one hammer visible between the balance cock and main bridge made me quite excited. I won the auction at a VERY cheap price for a movement like this, and I am looking forward to receiving it in the mail here next week to begin work on it. That's why I created this blog so you can see how this is going to be restored. Thank you for stopping by!

This blog is dedicated first to my Creator and Redeemer, Christ Jesus.

 "...and I have given to all able men ability, that they may make all that I have commanded you." Exodus 31:6

And secondly to Steffen Pahlow, from whose videos on watch repair and restoration on Youtube have been such an inspiration.