Watch Repair

[Jamie Pillers]

Chris… CRAZY coincidence!! I have a Seiko Automatic (looks very similar to yours, but likely newer… I bought mine new just a few years ago). Like you, I love the watch, the way it looks, and the self-winding feature. Sometime in the past month, I noticed that the watch was gaining roughly 20 minutes every eight hours. Yesterday I took it to a repairman who ‘rebalanced’ it and now it’s back to perfect. 😄 I’m impressed that you would attempt the repair yourself!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Chris… CRAZY coincidence!! I have a Seiko Automatic (looks very similar to yours, but likely newer… I bought mine new just a few years ago). Like you, I love the watch, the way it looks, and the self-winding feature. Sometime in the past month, I noticed that the watch was gaining roughly 20 minutes every eight hours. Yesterday I took it to a repairman who ‘rebalanced’ it and now it’s back to perfect. 😄 I’m impressed that you would attempt the repair yourself!

If your watch was running that fast, it was almost certainly magnetized. I don't think a watch can be so far out of adjustment that it would be that far off! If the hairspring in a watch gets magnetized, the coils can stick together, shortening the effective length of the hairspring (adjusting the hairspring's effective length is how you adjust a watch's timing rate. Shorter spring = faster running). Magnetized hairsprings can cause EXTREME errors like you had with your watch. Its a simple fix; there are demagnetizers you can buy for about $30 to do this. That's probably all your guy did to the watch.

Watches get magnetized often now because there are so many strong magnetic fields they are exposed to, like the emissions from cell phones, computer tablets like the iPad, microwave ovens, etc. If a watch is held close to one of these sources of magnetic fields, it can get magnetized after a few minutes. I've had it happen from holding my Microsoft Surface Pro tablet with my left hand (the arm I wear my watch on) and from holding my cell phone in my left hand for a long time.

The hairspring is the thin coiled spring on the watch's balance wheel (the wheel that oscillates back and forth). On most watches, this is made of steel. On some higher-end watches made now, the hairspring is made of a synthetic, non-metal material that makes it immune to magnetic fields.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I just finished repairing this beautiful Benrus watch. I serviced the movement, cleaned the case, replaced the scratched up crystal, and gave it a nice new strap. This one is going to be worn a lot!

I know it was made in the 1960s, because it has an ETA 1281 movement; that movement was introduced in 1960.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I've worked on several more watches, and added them to my collection, in the last couple months!




Bulova President, made in 1960. I've been wearing this one a LOTl the design is incredibly beautiful.





HMT watches were made in India using Citizen movements made under license in India. I got this one cheap on Ebay and it gave me the opportunity to work on a vintage Citizen designed movement without spending the money that a vintage Citizen watch costs. The movement in this was designed in the 1960s and used by Citizen into the late 70s. HMT used it in the 70s and 80s.





Benrus Sea Lord Locke. This is from the late 1960s. I love the design of the dial. I've seen watches made by a lot of companies in the late 60s and early 70s with similar dials. This one came with the original box and original Benrus bracelet, which was broken; so I replaced it with a leather strap.





Another Benrus Sea Lord from the late 60s. I don't know the model name for this one. Benrus made a lot of watch models under the Sea Lord brand. it was their water resistant line, made at a time when most watches had no water sealing at all. I just finished work on this one today! The bracelet is not original, and I hate those expanable bracelets; so I replaced it with a black leather strap.

All of these watches got a full service. I disassembled the movements, cleaned the parts, installed new mainsprings, reassembled and relubricated the movements, and adjusted them for accurate timekeeping. I also cleaned the cases and replaced the crystals on all of them. The Bulova's crystal was cracked and the others were badly scratched.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I just finished servicing this 1952 Benrus Sir Preston watch last night. I'm wearing it now, and it'll get a lot of wrist time in my collection.

I serviced the movement, replaced the scratched-up crystal and gave it a nicer strap to replace the crappy one the ebay seller included with it.

The photo really doesn't do justice to the beauty of the dial on this 73 year old watch.

 

[KoNickon]

Impressive work, Chris! Can I send you my busted Vostok Komandirskie? 🙂

Interesting how the Bulova (#144) and this Benrus and the earlier one (#143) all have identical sub-second dials. Were Benrus and Bulova different lines of the same maker at one point?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Impressive work, Chris! Can I send you my busted Vostok Komandirskie? 🙂

Interesting how the Bulova (#144) and this Benrus and the earlier one (#143) all have identical sub-second dials. Were Benrus and Bulova different lines of the same maker at one point?

No; both were American companies that used Swiss made movements and assembled their watches in the US; but they were completely independent of each other. That sort of sub-seconds dial was common in that time period; most watch companies back then made some of their watches with that sub-seconds dial design.

I sent you a PM about repairing your Vostok watch.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Before restoration




After Restoration


This project took me a while to source all the parts for, but it is one I am proud of.

My parents bought this Seiko Chronograph for me as a high school graduation gift in 1994, 31 years ago. Over the years, the stopwatch function timed the processing of thousands of rolls of film. It was the beginning of my watch collection; my first really high-quality watch.

After 31 years, the case needed restored. The crystal was badly scratched up, the rotating bezel would no longer turn, and the seals that made it water resistant were dried out. I just finished restoring it to its former glory. I completely disassembled the case; cleaned the case, the bezel mechanism, and the pushers (buttons); replaced all eight of the gaskets with factory original Seiko parts; and installed a new crystal.

I just finished it this morning.

 

[KoNickon]

View attachment 4884147

Before restoration


View attachment 4884148

After Restoration


This project took me a while to source all the parts for, but it is one I am proud of.

My parents bought this Seiko Chronograph for me as a high school graduation gift in 1994, 31 years ago. Over the years, the stopwatch function timed the processing of thousands of rolls of film. It was the beginning of my watch collection; my first really high-quality watch.

After 31 years, the case needed restored. The crystal was badly scratched up, the rotating bezel would no longer turn, and the seals that made it water resistant were dried out. I just finished restoring it to its former glory. I completely disassembled the case; cleaned the case, the bezel mechanism, and the pushers (buttons); replaced all eight of the gaskets with factory original Seiko parts; and installed a new crystal.

I just finished it this morning.

Good for another 31 years! How is the lume holding up?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Good for another 31 years! How is the lume holding up?

Not as bright as when it was new but it'll still glow

 

[Bill Blackwell]

Mine is an Omega Seamaster America's Cup I bought new 25 years ago, which needs a CLA about once every five years (two years ago). It currently runs about 5 minutes slow in a month. A CLA runs $400-500, so cost of ownership is around $100/year, but it's worth it.

Today these retail for around four or five times what I paid. I guess this is a direct result of fewer people wearing mechanical watches.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Mine is an Omega Seamaster America's Cup I bought new 25 years ago, which needs a CLA about once every five years (two years ago). It currently runs about 5 minutes slow in a month. A CLA runs $400-500, so cost of ownership is around $100/year, but it's worth it.

Today these retail for around four or five times what I paid. I guess this is a direct result of fewer people wearing mechanical watches.
View attachment 4884160

That's about -10 seconds per day. Not really bad for a mechanical watch; though one as expensive as an Omega should be better. I think Omega's standard is to be less than plus or minus 5 seconds a day. Most other manufacturers have wider tolerances; I think Seiko's standard for mechanical watches is something like -15 to plus 30 seconds a day. Anything within that range they consider acceptable.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

That's about -10 seconds per day. Not really bad for a mechanical watch; though one as expensive as an Omega should be better. I think Omega's standard is to be less than plus or minus 5 seconds a day. Most other manufacturers have wider tolerances; I think Seiko's standard for mechanical watches is something like -15 to plus 30 seconds a day. Anything within that range they consider acceptable.

Thanks, Chris. When it was new it seemed almost as accurate as a quartz watch. When I last had it overhauled - exactly two years ago this month - it was about where it is now (~-5 minutes a month); the guy that did the last CLA told me that actually isn't bad. I have three or four other watches, including a quartz watch, but I have no desire to wear any of them over this one even though it bugs me to reset it by a minute or two every other week or so. I won't have it overhauled again for at least another 24 months. Maybe I'll send it to you. 😁

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Thanks, Chris. When it was new it seemed almost as accurate as a quartz watch. When I last had it overhauled - exactly two years ago this month - it was about where it is now (~-5 minutes a month); the guy that did the last CLA told me that actually isn't bad. I have three or four other watches, including a quartz watch, but I have no desire to wear any of them over this one even though it bugs me to reset it by a minute or two every other week or so. I won't have it overhauled again for at least another 24 months. Maybe I'll send it to you. 😁

It would be easy to adjust it for more accuracy now without having to do a full service on it.

 

[Bill Blackwell]

It would be easy to adjust it for more accuracy now without having to do a full service on it.

Really? I'll look into that. Thanks again, Chris.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Really? I'll look into that. Thanks again, Chris.

When a watch is serviced, the watchmaker completely disassembles it so the parts can be cleaned. Its then reassembled, and usually a new mainspring is installed since they can lose strength over time and mainsprings are usually inexpensive. When it is being assembled, the parts are lubricated with the right lubricants. Most have four different lubricants in them. A light oil for fast moving parts, a heavier oil for slow moving parts, an escapement oil for the escape wheel and pallet fork, and a grease for the keyless works (the stuff the switches between winding mode and time-setting mode when you pull the stem in and out).

After all that is done, the watch needs to be adjusted for accuracy since cleaning it and relubricating it will affect the speed at which the escapement moves and thus affects the watch's rate. Getting a mechanical watch to perfect accuracy is near impossible, so a watchmaker has to decide what amount of deviation to settle on as he's adjusting it. Its a trial and error process. Move the regulator arm a little, then put it on the timegrapher and see what the rate is; then adjust again until you get it close enough.I can get most modern watches to within +/- 3 or 4 seconds per day, and antique watches usually within +/- 10 to 15 sec/day. Wear on parts can make it harder to get more accuracy and old watches were not as precisely made as newer ones. Your watchmaker probably decided that -10 sec/day was acceptable and left it at that, but it can be made better. The watch isn't that old, and Omegas are high-end watches that are made to high standards so they can be made more accurate than most with enough time spent on it.

My best watch is the Seiko I just finished working on. It gains about 10 seconds a month. I have a Bulova that has a Citizen Eco-Drive (solar powered quartz) movement, and its disappointing for a quartz watch. It gains about 30 seconds a month. My best mechanical watch is a Tissot 1938 Heritage Chronometer. Its a modern reissue of a Tissot design from the 1930s. Surprisingly for a relatively inexpensive watch, it has a COSC certified Chronometer movement and it gains 1 second per day; about the same as the Bulova Quartz.

 

[Wenge]

Chris, your watches inspired me to find a Benrus, I like the simple design and self-wind. Thanks for the ideas, I like this one while not too many $$, needs a good band tho.

 

[kshapero]

 

[kshapero]

 

[kshapero]