Tool for Hand removal and installing

[lanikai]

I am very tentative to attempt the removal and reinstalling of hands..

this tool looks "idiot proof".. well sort of..

thoughts from experienced members and those who learned the "hard way".. is it really that difficult.. what is the "degree of difficulty"??

thanks in advance

Lani

For removing and installing hand sets

[ryaku]

You're right ...removing hands it's easy but reinstalling is really risky and difficult.

Not sure there's a tool really effective though.

[Logan]

There are much cheaper tools which work on the same principal as this one, They do make the job easier. The Horotech one is about $65 at Ofrei's or Jules Borel.

[xelorrolex]

You're right ...removing hands it's easy but reinstalling is really risky and difficult.

Not sure there's a tool really effective though.

So true A tutorial should be welcome !

Xel

[offshore]

L,

For removing, I have a spring loaded and a wind style hand remover.

Probably use the spring unit more than the screw style.

The "trick" is to have all the hands in the same position, and remove them all in one movement (having first protected the dial)

For installs, I use a Bergeon 7404-1 hand tool (which is just a glorified "empty bic refill")

Someone here showed a method of using a piece of tape to locate the hand, and I have adopted that method, with very good results, combined with the Bergeon "pusher"

Here is one link to these methods, although not the one I remember!

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...855&hl=tape

This is worth a read, and a trip to PMWF

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...mp;hl=hand+tape

Also some great info here!

http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?showto...mp;hl=hand+tape

Offshore

[xelorrolex]

@ Offshore : Thanks

Xel

[freddy333]

To modify Offshore's comments --

There is an old watchmaker's trick of placing 2 small screwdrivers (white & yellow) beneath the hand to be removed (after covering the dial), 180 degrees apart (opposite sides) & then slowly & gently twisting each blade in the opposite direction until the hand slides up & off its pivot. This is the way all watchmakers removed hands in the days before modern spring-loaded tools were commonly available. Most of the parts houses also sell 'swivel' forks, that accomplish a similar action (you slide each fork under the hand & rock the forks backwards. They are curved, so the front edge of the blade that sits below the hand will slide the hand up). But I find myself using 2 screwdrivers most of the time since they are handy & pretty fool-proof.

I use a 2-step process for installing:

Step 1. Place the hand (just barely) onto the pinion using rodico or delrin-tipped tweezers (you can also use standard metal tweezers, but you have to be very careful not to scratch the polished hands).

Step 2. Use either an appropriately sized flat-holed staking bit or a BIC-style hand setter (Bergeon makes a nice set) to press the hand down once you have verified that it is located correctly (verifying that the date changes when the hands read midnight).

Edited June 11, 2008 by freddy333

[onzenuub]

Maybe this will help:

http://www.pmwf.com/Watches/WatchSchool/WS...ace%20hands.htm

[andreww]

My only issue is getting the second hand and subdial hands on. Very difficult to get the pins in the tube!

[ryaku]

My only issue is getting the second hand and subdial hands on. Very difficult to get the pins in the tube!

Exactly, that's the tough part

[lanikai]

Thank you All !!!

First thing would be to get some proper tools.. then practice on some dead reps... can't damage something thats already dead..

thanks again.

R

[ajoesmith]

@Freddy

This may be true about using the screwdrivers but my advice keep screwdrivers well AWAY from dials, its a recipe for disaster! the edge of a screwdriver will mark the dial so easily!

[Toadtorrent]

My only issue is getting the second hand and subdial hands on. Very difficult to get the pins in the tube!

I have a couple cheap hand pulling tools from International Watchman, and they work fine for taking the hands off. I use the Bergeon dial protectors instead of the cheap post-it note route which works fine too.

I have a hand setting station, but if I have the movement in the movement holder, there isn't enough clearance, so I end up just using the chucks (dies or whatever you call them) to press the hands in (similar to the Bergeon empty Bic refill tool). To position the hands, I use a bit of Rodico on the hands...get it in position, and press down with the hand setting bit.

The hours/minutes chronos aren't too bad. The centre second hand is hard if there's no hack, to get lined up precisely for date rollover...I just go for a "close enough for Jazz" alignment...but, with Rodico and a 4x loupe, you can get things lined up reasonably well for pressing down with the handset tool.

[southcoast68]

I use a "presto" type hand removing tool that works great (just make sure to protect the dial). These are pretty cheap and readily available. To install hands, I postion the hand with rodico or tweezers, and then push them down with the eraser end of a pencil (just make sure the eraser is of the soft pink type). The eraser is just firm enough to apply pressure, but soft enough not to scratch. For second hands, I use the tape trick, which works well. Even though I have a hand presser, I usually go this route as it is quicker for me.

I experienced an anomaly just the other night on this very same subject. I am putting together a chrono project and ran into trouble with the small chrono hands. The movement is a ETA7750 (real swiss from Ajoesmith) and I am using hands ordered from Borel specifically for the 7750 (hour 2.00mm, minute 1.20mm, center seconds 0.25mm and subdials 0.17mm). The hour, minute and center seconds went on with no problem, but the subdials are weird. I position them on the posts and push them down into place, a few moments later they pop off on thier own. The last time I was not even touching the movement, and "pop", it bounced off the side of my hand never to be found again. I am assuming that the hands in that set were either the wrong size or poorly made, either way, I'll be ordering more hands and hopefully have better luck in future. Anyone else experience this?

[ajoesmith]

The centre second hand is hard if there's no hack, to get lined up precisely for date rollover...

Your are joking arnt you?

Surely you dont try and get the watch to install the hands so the date changes at precisely 12.00.00am? thats 0 mins and 0 secs?

did i read correctly?

It doesn't matter about the seconds hand, just put it on in any position, its the minute hand and hour hands that are most important

[HauteHippie]

Probably echoing many of the comments already made, but for me:

- Bergeon #1 presto for removal of hour, minute, and center second hands

- Rodico and Bergeon BIC style presser for install

[Toadtorrent]

Your are joking arnt you?

Surely you dont try and get the watch to install the hands so the date changes at precisely 12.00.00am? thats 0 mins and 0 secs?

did i read correctly?

It doesn't matter about the seconds hand, just put it on in any position, its the minute hand and hour hands that are most important

I read somewhere of someone getting this pretty close. I thought it would be fun to try...fun turned to frustration and I gave up. It was fun to see what was possible with my tolerance level.