freddy333

As luck would have it, I am dealing with that right now. So I get the point. Over the years, I have lost only 2 or 3 parts, but I have lost the same spring 3 times this week (I just ordered 4 more & fortunately they are not expensive).

Why not make lemonade out of your lemons? You can pickup a basic set of watchmaking tools (screwdrivers, tweezers, movement stand, rubber ball caseback opener & 3x loupe) for about 100 quid. Find a youtube overhaul video for 1 of your rep movements (most are either ETA or Asian clones of same) & take a shot at watch repair. There are a number of watch repair forums, including RWG, where you can ask questions & receive guidance along the way. If you fail, worst case, you are out 100 quid & still have watches with issues. But if you succeed, you have begun to learn an enviable new skill & have pride of having done it yourself. More importantly, once you gain a bit of experience, you may find that you enjoy repairing (and wearing) those mechanical watches -- that no longer have issues.

After removing/replacing the auto-wind module (for cleaning) on an ETA 7750 clone in my Daytona, the balance (watch) stops as soon as I start the chrono. The oscillating pinion IS running when the chrono is OFF & it DOES move into contact with the center (chrono) 30-minute counting wheel (center wheel that drives the chrono seconds hand) when the chrono start pusher is pressed. So I know that much is working. The problem is that as soon as the (running) oscillating pinion comes into contact with the 30-minute counting wheel, the balance stops. If I press the chrono start pusher again (to stop the chrono (which moves the oscillating pinion AWAY from the 30-minute counting wheel), the balance starts right up. But if I restart the chrono, the balance stops. I cannot figure out why the oscillating pinion is stopping the balance?? Can any of you watchsmiths spot the problem? I am in process of relocating & have alot of clutter all over & space is very limited my workspace, so I do not want to do a full disassembly (too much risk of parts getting lost). Since the chrono was working fine prior to my r&r'ing the auto-wind module, I think I must have disturbed something related to the chrono that is directly beneath the auto-wind module. I have had the automatic device bridge off at least a dozen times looking for a chrono pinion, clutch, wheel or hammer that is not properly installed &/or aligning with a jewel in the bridge, but everything appears correct.

A few random thoughts -- Rolex's previous dalliance with quartz was a failure & they tend not to make the same mistake twice. So I cannot see them producing an OysterSub or similar in the future. Having said that, considering the popularity (though now beginning to wane) of "smart" watches (1 reason for the recently empty AD shelves is because of the vast numbers of nouveau riche who're now turning off their computer watches & turning on to Rolex "investments"), I am surprised they never released an OysterSmart watch. (But I am glad they did not) As far as your quartz Sub goes, if you swapped the rep dial/handset/crown for gens (a relatively simple, albeit costly, operation), I doubt anyone -- well, save for the most neurotic watch savant -- would even have cause to time the movement of the sweep seconds hand.

This does not look familiar, but because of the decorated cock & uncommon balance wheel, I do not think it is ETA. Your best bet is to search google for similar designs, or post the pic on nawcc's website to see if another collector recognizes it.

Neither have I. All of my radium dials look like some variation of this -- Geiger Counter.MP4

Then, unfortunately, you may have a broken mainspring or, in rare cases, a wheel with missing teeth (the mainspring winds until the broken gear/wheel hits the missing teeth & slips). I cannot think of anything else that would cause the crown to feel like it is slipping when winding.

Click me

I have always loved the rose Tudor Subs (I think they are more attractive than Rolex's own Subs), but the shield dials always look like homage watches for some reason.

I am more familiar with vintage Subs & it is difficult to tell based on this pic, but I think it is genuine. The tells are the sharp 90 degree drops from the center section of the endlink to either of the 2 side faces of the endlink (reps always round this angle) & the cyclops that appears to be properly anti-reflective coated (inside) which all but eliminates the reflections you see all over the crystal except in the date window. AR'ing a cyclops is a relatively expensive process for a rep & I have not seen any reps that came with an AR'd cyclops. Unless this has changed in the past 10 or so years, you would need to source a gen Rolex crystal (which comes with an AR'd cyclops) & swap the rep crystal for the gen to get that look. The gen crystal, if you can source 1, would likely cost as much or more than the rep watch. But, to be sure, you would need to open the case & verify the calibre. A couple of good, clear macros of the movement, with the rotor 180 degrees apart would help.

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?

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.