Movement Service - suggestions for who to do it

[spazthecat]

Hi,

 

Well, I bought a non-working ETA 2846 on eBay. I used it to practice disassembly and cleaning. I've got it all back together and it works. Although, it gains about 6 minutes over 24 hours. I tried regulating it myself and now it's down to 4 minutes fast per 24 hours. Soooo, there isn't much else that I think I'm going to be able to do with it and it's in need of someone more experienced than I.

 

Can anyone recommend someone that services ETA movements at a reasonable price? The few people I've found local to all want $200 or more to just do a basic cleaning. If parts need replaced, it's higher.

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

[GenTLe]

How did you regulated it?

Give a look here: http://www.christopherwardforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2339

[Rolexman]

Hi,

Well, I bought a non-working ETA 2846 on eBay. I used it to practice disassembly and cleaning. I've got it all back together and it works. Although, it gains about 6 minutes over 24 hours. I tried regulating it myself and now it's down to 4 minutes fast per 24 hours. Soooo, there isn't much else that I think I'm going to be able to do with it and it's in need of someone more experienced than I.

Can anyone recommend someone that services ETA movements at a reasonable price? The few people I've found local to all want $200 or more to just do a basic cleaning. If parts need replaced, it's higher.

Thanks,

Andy

$200 is cheap. Just too expensive for you. You get what you pay for. You clearly have no clue how much time, effort and knowledge is needed to perform a good service. Sure you can get a $50 swish-and-dip service. But that is not the same. The time and effort needed does not hold any relationship whether the watch is gen or rep. So justifying such a price is difficult for some.

[spazthecat]

How did you regulated it?

Give a look here: http://www.christopherwardforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=2339

 

Hi,

 

Thanks. Yes, I did read through that thread. There isn't a regulating screw on this movement. So, it's a little different. At present I have the lever that controls the beat (the isochronal lever??) where it was originally. It is farthest away from the center of the watch. The regulating lever is also positioned farthest away from the center of the watch right up next to the lever that controls the beat rate. That should be the slowest setting, correct?

 

At this point, it's my understanding that there is something else that would need addressed, like me doing a poor job of getting the movement clean, it needs de-magnetized (just thought of that this morning), or there is something wrong with another part of the watch like the hairspring itself or the main spring.

 

Thanks,

 

Andy

[spazthecat]

$200 is cheap. Just too expensive for you. You get what you pay for. You clearly have no clue how much time, effort and knowledge is needed to perform a good service. Sure you can get a $50 swish-and-dip service. But that is not the same. The time and effort needed does not hold any relationship whether the watch is gen or rep. So justifying such a price is difficult for some.

 

Hi,

 

Is $200 cheap? I’ve seen plenty of posts on various watch forums that state $200 is excessive and a more reasonable price for such a job is in the $125 range. That’s mostly what I’m basing my question on. If $200 is the acceptable fair market value for such a service, then I'm now properly informed.

 

I’m pretty proud that I was able to take a broken movement, dis-assemble it, clean it, replace the obviously broken parts, lubricate it, re-assemble it and have it actually start up and work (took about 24 hours or so of my time to learn it). All without any formal or prior training. And, I really enjoyed doing it. Does that make a me a professional watch maker? Absolutely not. But, I do think it gives me at least a little appreciation of what it takes to properly perform basic watch service.

 

And, yes, in the situation, $200 plus is too expensive for me. It’s a $25 movement that I spent $10 in parts on to get it working and is at this point not used in any watch that I wear on a regular basis. I could buy a brand new ETA 2824/2836 for the price it will cost me to have this one serviced. So, I was asking here and thought I might find a forum member who does this sort of thing on the side. Or even, just point me in a direction to look and try to fix it myself.

 

—Andy

[Mike on a bike]

A 2824 then $125 sounds about right now if it was A7750 and it was $200 that's a different story PIA movement for sure. Now at the retail level that cat went out and found $200 maybe the going rate  (just send your gen in for service at an AD $200 going to sound cheap) so Rolexman in one sense is right but in our world a bit different.

[GenTLe]

A friend of mine did my pam164 for 70€, in his horological and jewellery shop. But that's cheap. An average is as Mike said.

And congrats to be able to put it together, I'm doing the same and gives a lot of satisfaction (then I'll hope it will not gain like 10min @day

[Tim]

Did you find someone to service your watch?

First thing to look at is your hairspring. Did you damage it at all during your disassembly, reassembly? If you are inexperienced this is probably the first mistake people make — mangling the hairspring. Second is your hairspring sitting in the Etachron regulator correctly? Third, did you damage the pinion on your balance wheel. After that, look at all your end shakes, especially on the balance wheel. Then you have to look at your pallet stones to see if they are hitting the escapement wheel correctly. That would be a good start.

[spazthecat]

Did you find someone to service your watch?

First thing to look at is your hairspring. Did you damage it at all during your disassembly, reassembly? If you are inexperienced this is probably the first mistake people make — mangling the hairspring. Second is your hairspring sitting in the Etachron regulator correctly? Third, did you damage the pinion on your balance wheel. After that, look at all your end shakes, especially on the balance wheel. Then you have to look at your pallet stones to see if they are hitting the escapement wheel correctly. That would be a good start.

I did not. I kind of put it aside and was going to revisit it this winter when I have fewer outdoor projects and things to do. Thanks for the suggestions!

--Andy

[Tim]

I can help you with your service early next year. I'm between things right now and need to set up my bench again.

[spazthecat]

I can help you with your service early next year. I'm between things right now and need to set up my bench again.

 

Hey thanks. That would be awesome!

 

I'll keep that in mind and you might hear from me after the first of the year.

 

Thanks,

 

Andy