crystalcranium Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 We have a hard core group of modders here and the one and only Ziggy. My question is where would you rate yourself on the following scale #1. Never attempted to work on or want to know anything about how to service a watch. Pulling out the crown and setting the time or advancing the date is somewhat challenging. #2. I've opened a caseback and looked inside. Several times I've actually taken the initiative to change the battery in a quartz watch but the works in a mechanical look intimidating. #3. I've worked on the insides to a very minimum extent. I've regulated a watch, attached a rotor that has fallen off, replaced or greased a gasket etc.....and I'd love to know more and do more. #4. All the skills of #3 and I've changed a movement/dial which means I've removed a crown and stem, removed and remounted a movement from a case, pulled and remounted hands and dials. #5. #4 level skills and I have done some serious modifications to watch cases. Grinding, re-shaping cases and drilling doesnt intimidate me. Crown swaps, re-tapping of cases for new oem case tubes etc are all a part of my resume. I'll also include in this date wheel repairs/replacements and overlays. #6. Zigmeister status. Full teardowns and rebuilds. I considermyself a watchmaker/craftsman. Personally, to quote a Woody Allen film Bananas, I'm a #4...with an explaination. I've changed dials and swapped out movements but without a loop. I'd hate to get a close up of my LV's hands at 25X Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #5... But, I will add that I absolutely despise doing lug hole drilling, and crown tubes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionsandtigers Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #5, but like ubi said, the crown/tube fitting is really not to my liking. love to reshape the cases though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonthebhoy Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #2 for me. I know my place and it ain't screwing around with watches. Polishing - yes. Straps and bracelets - yes. Fiddly-diddly hand replacements, movement work, luming etc. - no way Jose. Besides I just don't have the time. I have a very good watchsmith a few miles away who is my main man when it comes to "serious" work. JTB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Everythingape Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #4 but successfully #3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #2 for me. I know my place and it ain't screwing around with watches. Polishing - yes. Straps and bracelets - yes. Fiddly-diddly hand replacements, movement work, luming etc. - no way Jose. Besides I just don't have the time. I have a very good watchsmith a few miles away who is my main man when it comes to "serious" work. JTB Great!!!! I love the fact that not all of us here are hard core but love watches none the less! I guess I should have included springbar work and bracelet modification on the list somewhere. How about #2.5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #4 but successfully #3 I should have included that disclaimer to my #4 claim as well. I have one watch sitting in a drawer that I can't press the second hand back onto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbchubb Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #4 with the strong urge to take this further.... it is very time consuming though.... maybe when I'm an old fart one day... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #3. I've worked on the insides to a very minimum extent. I've regulated a watch, attached a rotor that has fallen off, replaced or greased a gasket etc.....and I'd love to know more and do more. #4. All the skills of #3 and I've changed a movement/dial which means I've removed a crown and stem, removed and remounted a movement from a case, pulled and remounted hands and dials. I'm 3.5 with a hankering to get to 4. I've pulled movements but not hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomtofa Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #4 . . .but not very well. I've done enough to appreciate how good Zig, Palp, Finepics, Enzo, etc., are. After trying some more advanced things myself, I'm happier about paying someone else - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shultz Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #5 but unfortunately I am "out of operation" due to an old compound fracture of my right hand.... But now Rob takes care for me from time to time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris5264 Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I would say a four,,,,but some of it depends on the movement itself. The 6497 is pretty simple, but I'm not sure I would feel as comfortable doing the same level of work on a 7750. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard lawton Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I would say #5 would like to advance further but time restriction I have stripped down & serviced simple movements but chronographs are beyond my skill level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I would say #5 would like to advance further but time restriction I have stripped down & serviced simple movements but chronographs are beyond my skill level. Then I'd consider you a 5+ or a 6-. Anyone who has gotten into the guts of a movement, no matter how simple, and reassembled a watch that lived to talk about it, is in rarified 6ish range to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigpops Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #4. I've installed genuine hands on one of my Omegas, re-pressed a few Rolex crystals (to align the cyclops). One thing i am, is handy. And i'll have a go at most things if theres enough to read on the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djtimodj Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 1!!!! i need to learn!! hahaha. tim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 4, with a bit of success, but not always lol, got a few bita and bobs in the bits box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalcranium Posted December 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 1!!!! i need to learn!! hahaha. tim. No shame in being a one. After I posted the original scale, it occurred to me "Hey moron, no one is going to admit to being a novice". Thanks for being honest. You can still be a watch lover and not want to be a watch craftsman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OiRogers Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 a #4 here.... done a few minor repairs inside of simple movements, can tear down and rebuild hand wound movements thanks to TZ watchschool....Auto-ETA's are my next target... mebee someday I'll even try a chrono. But a bit of a stepback last week... I killed my P/O 4th gen re-inserting my stem, dang lume dot at 0100 fell off and needed to be reglued... "No Problem" I thinks to myself... upon stem reseating I heard a soft "sproing" and then the hack let loose and the movement was running with no stem installed... Installed the stem and no bite anywhere.... out of my league... So off to Vacum it went for a service/repair and a few gen part installs... I can't fix that one yet. =( I am learning though. TZ watchschool and a few of the books from amazon that have been on the ad-bars have moved me pretty rapidly from #2 to #4... I'm aiming higher though... Not The Zigmeister high, but I'd like to be able to service my own movements (beyond the handwounds that I can do now) and be self sufficient in my rep-care. Oh and yee olde irratable admin... see people do click the ad-bars... I bought three books from amazon that were on my ad-bar about two weeks ago... I hope the forum got credit/paid for it... I prolly did the old *right click, "open in new tab"* thingy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gioarmani Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I guess I'm a 5--no drilling, per se, but have reassembled a 2836 movement for oiling (via pictures I took from each stage of the disassembly). Still can't do a damn 2671 though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melvin.x Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I am kind of #3, but if we go beyond that I don´t have the skills... Repaustria ( Oliver ) is so friendly and helping me out - I tried to do more than level #3 - and failed... Greetings DJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 #2 with sights set on #4 status but no time to put in. I'm one of those people that's wants to do everything.. make my own straps.. build my own watches, start 3 new businesses and then fails to do any of it. Need to focus morgan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usil Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 I am a solid 3 but I have also pulled the crown out and pulled some movements out to clean the inside of the crystal when they have been hazed by oil vapor. Thankfully no problems but I sweat it every time I do it. Usil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherrington Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 5.5 I have serviced 2836's and 1 DW movement, plus all the usual mods. CG work I hate!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aclaimsman Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Probably a friggen 2.5, if that high. Does anyone want to finish this Frakenwatch project, I am about to screw up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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