offshore Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 Just won this on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270637199654&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:AU:1123 Now whilst the seller is calling it a pressure tester, I think it may actually be, a vacuum tester. Has a built in pump (vacuum?)...I think the red liquid shown actually works like a site gauge in the bottom chamber whilst the watch in the top is subjected to a vacuum. I know the seller, he has sold me a lot of stuff, and he is reasonably knowledgable, and certainly has done some homework on this, and couldn't find any info. I have spent a bit of time searching as well, and don't have much more info. Would be interested to know if anyone has seen anything like this! It will either be a bargain bit of kit, or a giant white elephant, however it is certainly worth the money, (IMHO) for the research into what it actually can do. It comes from around the period of the "Moon watch", and I'm wondering if it may be something built for that testing regime? Offshore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subbiesrock Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 What an interesting gizmo. Definitely a vacuum tester if it involves a pump in that configuration, maybe it's so that any air is released from the watch rather than into the watch, but I assumed most testers worked in that way? Either way, a great buy, let us know if you find out what on Earth it does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 OS, you bought a swiss peepee pump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 You can dress it up all you like mate, but we all know what we are talking about here!!! Let me guess he promised 3inches in a month!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krpster Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 That's not my bag baby.... Looks cool. I am trying to think of the theory behind how this works but I am stumped. Would be fun to play with though. I didn't notice in the listing but does it come with instructions? Good score regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted September 26, 2010 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 That's not my bag baby.... Looks cool. I am trying to think of the theory behind how this works but I am stumped. Would be fun to play with though. I didn't notice in the listing but does it come with instructions? Good score regardless. No, unfortunately there are no instructions. I have posted on a couple of the watchmakers forums, asking if anyone knows what it is, and maybe if there are any instructions around, and also shot off an email to Omega. See what that brings, if anything. I'm sure once i get hold of it, I will be able to work out the theory of its operation, however it may be a bit difficult to work out the calibration, and what actual results are being produced, so an instruction manual would be a real bonus. You would not think something like this was built as a one off. O/S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteM Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 On a serious note if you drop a line to Omega with a pic they will answer your question and may well be able to provide you with a set of instructions. I have contacted them on numerous occasions about historic pieces and they have always been very responsive and informative. Well worth an email. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 OS, you bought a swiss peepee pump? Anyways, that looks like a nice catch OS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanuq Posted September 26, 2010 Report Share Posted September 26, 2010 Remarkable similarity if you ask me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted October 4, 2010 Report Share Posted October 4, 2010 So any updates with this thing OS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted October 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2010 So any updates with this thing OS? Some interesting happenings over this. I'll update in a few days. O/S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted October 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 This jigger has now found its way into the Offshore household. There are a few things we now know about it (and many we still don't) 1. It is a pressure tester, or at least the attached pump, is a pressure pump, not a vacuum pump. 2. It was built by Omega in the late '60's or early '70's. 3. Omega tech division insist it was part of a series of testers bought out for quartz watches, QUOTEThis tester was one part of a testing kit (Alitest, Deltatest, Visotest, Oscilloscope) for Omega quartz products and was introduced in 1972. The air-leak-meter or AL 600 was to "test" water-resistance in the water by means of little air bubbles (indicating a leak). Unfortunately, we do not have any operating instructions available. 4.Someone on one of the watch repair forums thought it was a unit bought out during the NASA/Moonwatch project. 5. It functions, and has no leaks. 6. The red fluid is, I think, glycol. On the face of the tube is an inscription, (next to the graph) pg/min. and looking up Wiki, pg = glycol= antifreeze = brake fluid?? 7. The 2 valves on the back are most certainly to shut off air flow, however the sequence of use is unclear. 8. There is another valve in the base of the top chamber, which looks to be some sort of a safety relief valve, which exits outside the unit. 9. The tube running from the bottom chamber to the top, internally has free access between the two chambers, and its base sits in the glycol which just pools in the bottom of the lower chamber. (and will blow up into the top chamber under differential pressures) 10. The watch holder in the top chamber allows the watch to be raised and lowered, which would indicate that some water, (or other fluid,) is at sometime in the top chamber, and the watch is lowered or immersed into it. 11. On the face of the lower chamber are a series of graduations, seemingly to read the red fluid in the two tubes- the rear tube is captive within the lower chamber, the front tube as stated vents into the top chamber, suggesting some sort of variation between the two which can be somehow correlated as to either a leak, or lack of water resistance. 12. The "thing" is called an "Air Leak meter" 13. there is a timer on the base, which works in conjunction with the pump. and can be set to a maximum of 6 minutes. When it reaches zero, a bell/buzzer sounds. So I am FIIK how this jigger is meant to work, however I was speaking to the president of the local watchmakers assoc, yesterday, and we have a meeting this coming Tuesday. So I am going to take it along for "Show and Tell" The other interesting sidelight, was that Omega showed initially some interest in it for their museum, however when I suggested that it may be worth a gold Seamaster, the silence was deafening! Oh well, always worth a try on! Hopefully Tuesday night reveals the intricacies of this "thing", however I am open to all and any theories as to its operation, and how the results are displayed, or deduced. Offshore PS It doesn't make your penis any bigger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 Offshore PS It doesn't make your penis any bigger! But it could make you go blind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted October 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 But it could make you go blind... You are right, I stood and looked at it for 20 minutes today, and my eyesight certainly started to dim!. O/S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxman Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 You are right, I stood and looked at it for 20 minutes today, and my eyesight certainly started to dim!. O/S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txcollector Posted October 9, 2010 Report Share Posted October 9, 2010 PS It doesn't make your penis any bigger! so you have been busy testing it On a serious note: cool that Omega was interested as a museum piece. Nice find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drulee Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 Hey Offshore, this is your chance to have your name forever associated with Omega history. Just stipulate that a plaque with "Piece donated to Omega Museum by Offshore" be placed under it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jkay Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 If you drop a watch in there, and seal it up ... you pressurize the chamber .. then seal off the pump to make the whole chamber static ... and wait. If the watch leaks, the pressure in the chamber will drop as the watch fills with air. The drop in pressure will make the colored liquid level in the tube rise or fall .. I cant tell just by looking at it. pg/min = picograms per minute of fluid? this is all a guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krpster Posted October 10, 2010 Report Share Posted October 10, 2010 Interesting developments so far. I would agree with Jkay's proposal. Sounds reasonable to me. The only part I can't figure is that the assumption would be that the leak is slow enough to capture as you build up pressure with the pump. If the leak were large enough you may not see it as the pressure would stabilize as you pump-it-up. Keep us posted on what you find our O/S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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