freddy333

On 10/2/2022 at 9:04 PM, alt.watch.obsessive said:

Hi Freddy,

Do any of the controls/wheels on the back slide? That dome shaped one in particular looks kind of like the [censored] on a Futurematic.

If you are referring to the clock's caseback, the only part that slides is the triangular regulator cover, which is labeled "+ -" &, when slid open, reveals the regulator stem on the balance cock.

You know you are tainted when you have so many nice timepieces that something like this 6536/1 (which was 1 of Nanuq's favs) gets lost in the crowd. Well, it found its way onto my wrist for the 1st time in ages today, so I thought I would shoot a quick pic --

Different movements operate differently & without knowing the specific movement, I can only provide generic recommendations. Most complicated watches have some type of pusher or small button on the side of the case (look for a ball-point pen tip sized button on the side of the case) that you press (with a ball point pen tip) to advance the numbers on the dial. In some cases, this may be accomplished via the crown(s). If whatever control you used to advance the year does not offer a way to turn back the year, then either there may be another control for that or you have to keep advancing the year until you reach the limit of the underlying date wheels (eg, 2222 or 9999) & keep advancing until you reach 2022.

If you just purchased the watch, the seller should know how it operates. I would think that would be the best place to start.

Only the (modded) mid-case is MBW

Since it IS 2022, I do not understand the problem? What year should it be?

1 hour ago, Tribal said:

Which reference?
Maybe you find something here.
https://www.strictlyvintagewatches.com/jaeger-lecoultre-reference-11016-memovox-alarm-travel-clock

Hi Tribal. Good to see you again!

Reference 46.

Before posting here, I did alot of research via watch & clock forums & google. Unfortunately, I only found this page about the 46, but it does not contain what I need -- instructions on how to operate the alarm.

In fact, I found the article you posted above. But the clock in that page contains a JlC pocket watch movement (911). The movement in the 46 is a calibre 219, which is a clock movement. I have the JlC tech papers for the 219, but they are just a parts listing & provide nothing about the function of the clock itself. Ideally, I would like to track down either an owner's manual for the 46 or a JlC book that contains details about it.

Thanks for the help.

The 46 is 1 of a number of folding travel clocks Jaeger-le Coultre sold in the 1950s, most were covered in fine leather. Two years ago, Hodinkee produced a version of these clocks using a small number of the original movements in modern, leather cases. Because of the high price of the Hodinkee clock,it caused quite a ruckus when they released it.

If anyone is interested, you can read more about the Hodinkee clock here. Pricing aside, I think it is a pretty interesting story that anyone with an interest in mechanical timepieces would appreciate.

Anyone know anything about this le Coultre Reference 46 folding alarm clock? Specifically, I'm trying to figure out how to operate the alarm or locate an owner's manual for same.

I just finished overhauling this clock and the alarm works (it goes off when I run the hands through a complete, 12-hour cycle), but I do not know how to enable/disable the alarm? The alarm stop (top button) works, as does the built-in alarm shut-off timer (it automatically stops the alarm after about 20 seconds), but I cannot figure out how to manually enable/disable the alarm?

The clock does not have an alarm switch or control of any kind, so I am thinking that the alarm may get enabled when you run the alarm setting disc (center of dial with painted black arrow) through a complete, 12-hour cycle. But this is just a guess & I would like to know for sure.

Does anyone with experience working on clocks know how to wind small alarm clock mainsprings? Is there a winder or trick to getting springs like these installed back into a clock movement? They are much too large when unwound.

The wheels they are attached to are about 3/4" & 7/8" in diameter, which is about the size the springs are when installed in the movement. They are normally wound with keys that screw onto the arbors and fit through the back cover of the alarm clock.

Admin - 2022 continues to be a year of unpleasantries all around. Sorry to hear of your unfortunate experiences, but you are certainly not alone in those. I wish you much success with your future endeavors. RWG has certainly been a bright spot for many of our lives. Thank you (& Bob) for that.

I cannot tell you which movement will fit your particular case. If you know the source (seller) of the case, check with them. Many, but not all, ETAs will fit many of the better rep cases. But the only other way to find out (other than asking the seller) is to try installing a movement. It has been a few too many years since I built the last ETA-powered Sub, but I seem to recall that the ETA 2846 was the most appropriate overall. I believe that was the movement I used for my Phase 1 6542.

Hopefully, someone with more current experience can chime in with more relevant input.

Good luck.

Another Update --

5 hours later (been running for about 35 hours so far) & the 5G still indicates 25% battery left. So this thing is likely to run Rockbox, which is a power hog compared to the Apple OS, for 50+ hours on a single charge! I was getting 6-7 hours with the 5G running Rockbox with the OEM battery/60G hdd. These results are way beyond my wildest expectations! And because the 5G version of Rockbox now provides for 3,000mAh batteries, I think the modded 5G is my little radio station's new daily driver.

Just fyi -- the sound quality of either of these ipods, whether OEM or modded, is better than the best you will hear out of any smartphone. So if you are an audiophile & want to take your music with you, I would highly recommend these mods. So far -- assuming you do not break something in the process -- other than the cost of the hardware (Rockbox is free) & an hour or 2 of your time, there are 0 downsides.

All of these cap jewel springs are nightmares, whether captive or not. I would rather sort out a box of badly mangled hairsprings than r&r a single cap jewel, because they so frequently pop-off (& fly who-knows-where) when you least expect it. But if you do enough of them, they become more pitfall than nightmare. Good luck & remember -- practice, practice, practice.

Both Ziggy & I (& possibly others) posted tutorials on these back in the day, but alot of those old threads have been relocated, so they may be difficult to locate these days. Pity, there was a wealth of really useful watchmaking guides that used to be a quick search away.

An Unexpected Update --

The 5G's been running for nearly 30 hours & the battery indicator still reads --

Final Update --

5G has been fitted with its 3,000mAh LG battery & 128Gb microSDXC card and all is working well. The blue square bits near the fold at the bottom are rubber spacers that fell out while I was taking the picture. They sit on either side of the docking connector at the bottom of the ipod & were replaced prior to reassembly.

Unfortunately, the CF drive/card would not fit in the case comfortably. At least I was not comfortable with having to apply some modest force to get the caseback to clamp closed. It probably would have been alright, but I was worried about damaging something if/when I had to open the case. Strangely, although the 5G functions much faster than it did with the OEM hdd (it is now similar to the 3Gs with their CF cards), its transfer speed when uploading 4,000 songs from my PC to the 5G slower than its OEM hdd.

On the positive side, Rockbox for the 5G offers battery capacity display options to go up to 3,000mAh, so I am hoping its battery capacity display will be a bit more accurate than the 3Gs, which read 0 charge after about 14 hours even though they have some number of hours of additional run time left.

I finished installing everything Friday afternoon & have been running it & testing features since then. It has not missed a beat or displayed any malfunctions. The 5G has been running on its new 3,000mAh LG battery for about 18 hours & the battery still reads 62%! So, once again, this project looks like a complete success!

I still cannot decide whether the 3G or 5G sounds better. They do sound a bit different, but the difference is not significant enough for me to make the call 1 way or the other solely based on that difference. However, I suspect the 5G is going to run circles around the 3Gs in run-time (pun intended), so that, along with the 5G's improved display, may be the deciding factor. Time will tell.

2 hours ago, Dlf said:

Some people think the mass shootings are probably propaganda also. 

Mass shootings are just crazy.

21 hours ago, JoeyB said:

I don't watch FOX 'news'.

Where do you get your news from?

16 hours ago, JoeyB said:

I disagree. The U.S. networks are independent of each other. There are other sources as well. 

Most of the US media mirrors what New York Times & Washington Post print (FYI -- I am a 40+-year Washpost subscriber).

40 minutes ago, kidcreole said:

Over a million people died of the corona in the US over the last few years

Died 'of', 'with' or were assumed to have?

22 hours ago, JoeyB said:

I've not seen it vanish. COVID-19 is still the 2nd or 3rd story I see in most all newscasts after Ukraine and mass shootings. 

Step away from the propaganda machine.

Minor Update --

After running the 1st (of 2) modded 3rd gen ipod through a few battery cycles, the battery indicator may be becoming accustomed to its larger, 1,700mAh battery, because, instead of reading 0 after 14 hours, it was now reading 39% after 17 hours! I am not sure what caused the change in the display reading, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

Even better, I continued to run this 3G for another 2 hours (total 19 continuous hours) & the battery indicator still displayed 5% left. At that point, although I suspect it still has 2 or 3 hours left, I decided to play it safe & recharge it. Again, that is 19 hours with some amount remaining! In contrast, prior to the drive/battery upgrades, the same ipod ran (Rockbox) for 1.5-2 hours before shutting down completely.

I have also installed the 3,000mAh battery & the MicroSDXC drive in the 5G ipod, which is charging/running well but slow. In fact, when I imaged my music files onto the MicroSD-powered 5G, the transfer speed was about half that of the OEM HDD (ie a very leisurely 7-8megs/sec). So, it goes without saying that the CF format is the way to go. I am still awaiting the 5G's CF drive to complete the upgrade, after which I will conduct new run-time tests. However, I am expecting even better run times with this ipod since it was running (Rockbox) for 6-7 hours in its OEM form.

Frankens were never a sane financial investment for the reasons stated. But for those who either have very deep pockets (to pay a watchsmith to assemble the watch for you) or the skills to do the work themselves, they remain the most cost effective way to the look & feel of the real thing. Of course, alot depends on the percentage of gen parts used & the quality of the work involved in the assembly.

Placing a gen movement into a rep/aftermarket case with a rep/aftermarket dial/handset does not make alot of sense because it will have little effect on the look & feel of the franken. On the other hand, powering a gen dial/handset in a rep/aftermarket case with a gen movement takes the enterprise to a much higher level since what you see & feel is gen.

Of course, when dealing with vintage Rolex components, maintenance is & will be an ongoing dilemma since costs are constantly escalating & supplies -- those that remain available -- are tightly controlled by the mothership.

I think if you have the passion, knowledge, will & cash, frankens are the only affordable way to experience vintage Daytonas, SDs, Subs & GMTs.

David, I am shocked and saddened by this devastating news. Although distance limited our 2 decade long friendship to the virtual world, Bob was an inspiration in the truest sense of the word. His passion for watches was the fire that made RWG burn so brightly & 1 of the things that kept so many of us coming back for so many years. To say that Bob will be missed is an understatement. And that statement itself is an understatement.

I have no idea what, if any, Bob's final wishes were, but I think it goes without saying that his 1st choice would have been to remain with his family & friends. However, a distant second option might have been to be buried behind the wheel of his beloved Land Rover with his Double-Red strapped to his wrist.

It is with great sorrow that I say -- Requiescat In Pace, Bob.
 

Minor Update on CF 3G --

After (more than) successful completion of my testing, I reassembled the CF/1,700mAh-powered 3G & checked to be sure the case closed & closed without crushing or adversely affecting anything. All good!

HOWEVER -- I do not think the thicker 3,000mAh battery will fit inside the 3G's (thick) case. The 1,700mAh battery is 2/3 the thickness of the 3,000mAh battery & the 3G's caseback literally just snaps closed with the battery inside. Unfortunately, because the 3G is designed for its battery to fit into a cut-out in the mainboard (below the HDD), the only place to fit the larger battery (which takes up about 4/5 of the iPod's interior dimensions) was above the drive (between the drive & caseback).

My initial reassembly was intended to be temporary as I had expected the battery to be sufficiently loose that it would end up flopping around in there, which would not be good. But, to my surprise, once the final case latch locked, the unit feels like a single, solid component. Of course, that is a good thing for mechanical stability (none of the internal connections should become disconnected), but there is just no room for anything more. So, case closed, literally.

Update --

Just past the 15-hour mark. For the past hour, the battery indicator on the screen has read 0, but the 3G is still going strong. Since it has run a good deal longer than I expected (or required) it to, I have decided not to risk the lovely battery by running it dead. Were it not for the 2 Rockbox-related crashes, the CF/1,700mAh 3G performed flawlessly. With top quality source material, these things really sound wonderful & I am looking forward to being able to listen all day, literally, without having to stop to recharge every couple of hours.

Next on my list is to replace the headphone jack in the other 3G & retry the MicroSDXC drive. I think the CF drive profile is too tall to fit the 3,000mAh battery. But it has a better chance with the MicroSD setup, so I think it worth taking another shot at it.

Finally, once the other 3,000mAh battery arrives (this battery has a ribbon connector to fit the 5G rather than the 3-wire plug the 3Gs require), I will begin work on the 5G.

More to come --