Problem: Minute hand slipping

[ewing]

After putting the hands back on the movement, I'm having this problem with the minute hand.

It will slip/slide if I shake the watch head ever so slightly...

Is there a cure/fix?

Thanks!

[wheaton26]

i am the farthest thing from an expert, but it sounds like it could be a loose cannon pin. now, how you go about fixing that is another question. i'll leave that up to the experts. best of luck!

[ubiquitous]

Did you remove the dial at all?

Sounds like the minute pinion is shifting up/down; there's usually a small, thin curved washer that sits between the pinion base and dial to keep it from moving.

Either that, or the hand is loose and needs to be tightened up.

[ewing]

the dial washer is in place...

but the minute hand is loose on the pin. How can it be tightened?

thanks!

[ubiquitous]

Give the collar of the hand a very slight squeeze. Ideally, a collet is the tool to use as it applies even pressure along the entire collar, but I know not everyone has one (I know I don't). You can use something like a pair of smooth needle nose pliers, but be very, very careful in doing so. You likely don't need much pressure at all to tighten the hand if it's already fitting the pinion well enough to hold it on...

[ewing]

thanks!

:-)