chris5264

u can try motor city watch works.....pretty cheap....just had my vintage seiko worked on...had some issues since it was 40 years old...but they were super cool about it....probably cost them 5 times what I paid in time,,,but they stuck to their estimate...I think they are in detroit... not sure about reps..but can always ask....

looks great,,,,can you fade and vintage the insert so you can't tell as much it was trimmed?

I doublt it would work,,,but I wonder if you put some strong glue on the end of a screw driver...just a super small drop so it was only on the head of the screw....waiting till it dried...then ..perhaps it would give you at least a little pull so you could unscrew it?

Well,,,its a bit extreme....but I had one of these...I just bent the lugs out till I could get the strap to fit then bent them back....not the kind of thing you want to do more than a few times....

thanks pete....not sure what the boxwood dowel is but will check it out......I've also thought about the wire brush,,,,lots to play with...thanks for the offer on the asian 6497 but I have too many left overs from other experiments that have gone bad....There is a movement from Tourby that is all perlage....might try to see how that goes...but not sure I can start with the bland unitas,,,seems that when I got to polish it,,,just goes down to the brass... I also might do a dial....start with larger circles...then work into smaller...I have the day off so perhaps I'll have some more to share....

thanks,,,,if this looks good to anyone would do this service for free....just enjoy doing the work so much.....probably stick to the winding gears for now....just ordered a bunch more from otto frey...might put them up at cost to see if anyone is interested..

Ok,,,not too many responses on this....but sure someone out there is a perlage freak like myself....the trick,,,as I'm learning is to use a small rubber tip....it does burn off after a while...but the smaller circles look much better...plus...did a pallet bridge...but pushed too hard and went to the brass...and started a watch case....the watch case was done super fast...just to test it out..but obviously the eye catches the uneven spaces...so I need to work on that..but the best winding wheels so far turned out on my invicta...of course..

I have yet to run into anyone with an interesting watch in person...MD...PH.D...PSY.D...M.S..P.M.S......not a single lawyer, educated person or even just someone rich...Just doesn't happen...still the first thing I check out...since,,as Andy said "hope is a good thing"....My MD has a terrible tiny movado...quartz...just terrible...but he's a good MD...so I let it slide..

after researching a few options...seems that perlage is the way to go....the trick is finding the right tip for the dremel and getting it steady....so I invested 50 (usd) in a drill press....and then searched pretty hard for the right tip...some people said that pegwood works,,,but I found it was too soft...then ...tonight I found a rubber tip that was made to polish...and ....I like it....yes I need some work...but I can see some improvement even on my second set.... here's the drill...great for the money and offers lots of control.. Here's my first set.... Here is a before and after.... next,,,the whole movement is going...perlage everywhere....I know you might think this isn't pro work,,,,but I really enjoy giving a personal touch to a piece...

thanks.....reminds me of when I first took a watch apart......really helps you appreciate what goes into it.....tried some perlage but I need a smaller tip...still a great way to spend a sunday morning..

The unitas is by far my favorite movement, but even some decent swiss versions have the more boring winding wheels....So, with only a few tools I found a way to improve on this. No, its no Benzinger, but Benzinger winding wheels will cost you around 200 (USD). This is next to nothing. Here it is step by step but the pictures pretty much tell the story. Remember (as I always forget) the crown wheel (smaller one) is backwards to unscrew....ahh...I always forget that and messed up the nice blue screw...but there are some mistakes we are domed to make over and over again.. just a tooth pic holding it...again..something that would make Benzinger faint...but works well... as I get the wheel spinning flat and even....use another dremmel with a light touch clean and oil if you can....a big improvement imo for the cost of about...nothing.. a few others easy to do versions

just picked this up....finding all kinds of variability in price from 100-1000 USD. this one is keeping good time but needs a crystal and cleaned up....any idea at all what I'm looking at in terms of USD? I NEVER buy and sell for money,,,but this one was fun....and so made an exception. Can't find one example out there without a 3 and 9???? seconds hand is blue...and its a Powermatic? so has working power reserve.

how ever it turns out....I think its an easy fix....at least so that it doesn't stand out much...hard to get perfect,,,but can make it so almost no one would see it unless they are looking for it...

One watch that has had me on the fence for a long time....I almost sold off most of my collection just to have this one piece,,,,then something stopped me.....I didn't like some of the reviews of the inhouse movement....rusted screws...timing issues and worst,,,panerai didn't seem to want to service these even when it looked like it was design issues or part issues. However,,,one of those pieces you can buy at a good price...keep for a few months and sell without much loss....so..still on my list if I suddenly fall into money.

really wierd....its amazing how much size exists only in perception....having this on a few days...obvious that it is the same size my 300t vintage pro was....just got all sized up on 48mm+ ....so after a few days..now it seems normal again....actually had this up for sale to flip it... now the doxa bug is on again....damn it!

ok,,been on the market for a vintage doxa...miss my 300t pro. Picked up a searambler from wus...actually great piece..just back from Jack at iww with a 400 bill...totally redone but still has vintage dial...So,,,have it one the wrist today...but its way smaller than my other 300t...Not sure I can handle the size...but I can't find how there were different sizes on these....from the doxa review page..looks like all were generally similar in size..so is it just that the orange looks bigger? need to find an orange I think

on fakebook...i would post any watch i mean..my "friends" wouldnt mind.

Cool..thanks guys..all I can say is this place is amazing..yes..time sq at night is a trip like no other..

Cool...will check that right now

as far as I know I'm staying in a pretty central area...times square...Its for work,,,so I should and PLENTY of time for other things. I know nothing about this city so...open to any watch related suggestions..tight budget so...will have to keep it pretty cheap unless there is a must do sort of thing...

nice!

I just picked up the same case, different dial, from dsn....nothing but good stuff to say....I had a similar one from river and think dsn's has a better quality feel to it...I've always thought that dsn,,,may not be the more accurate...but the quality is worth it. I've left it as is...but just begg'n for some vintage mods..

I'm not making any general statements...but personally, for me...I would be happy with a refund even if I got stuck with return shipping....I always do refunds and I usually get stuck with the shipping....AND....for at least the last few years I've bought new gen watches...they get here and are on my watch table....bad timing...fuzz under the crystal...and all I ever get is...I'll send you 20 so you can take it to a local watch person....even here with one of our sellers....got two watches...both sucked,,,stem too short..non working movement...and all I got was a 30 refund on 500 (usd) of watches that I eventually sold for 200 and I did all the work on them... scratches....and then an offer of a refund...wow...I would enjoy such a situation....but...that is just my view....

ok,,,been super long since I worked on any pams...but the 44mm unitas versions...can't seem to find the flat gasket that goes in the crown. Picked up a few projects and seems like the best way to tighten up the crown guard lever.....Any thoughts on where I can get a nice selection...different thicknessnes etc...

most watches suck....I've spent $3,000 and got a new POS with dust under the dial...running 2 mins slow per day.......and had $200 reps that were fine. There are a few brands that hold QC very high....but these are few are far between....mostly Its a business and people will get away with the most they can....I think it you want very high quality...you have to deal with a person who has pride in their work....doesn't matter if its a 200 rep or a 3,000 gen....if it all just to make money...price doesn't matter...can spend thousands and get crap.