kingkitesurf Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Does anybody know how I can release the mainspring on an ETA 2826. I want to work on the dial but the second hand keeps bugging me... Serious there is supposed to be a button to release the tension and make it stop for disassembly. Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Does anybody know how I can release the mainspring on an ETA 2826. I want to work on the dial but the second hand keeps bugging me... Serious there is supposed to be a button to release the tension and make it stop for disassembly. Anyone? Have you considered just pulling the crown out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingkitesurf Posted August 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Have you considered just pulling the crown out? Pugs I messed that up... Overpushed the stem release button... and pulled the crown from its normal position... (see earlier post of the stupid mistake). So now it keeps running... and there seems to be a little reserve everytime I work on it...It starts running for a few minutes... There is really supposed to be a button and I look for that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted August 14, 2006 Report Share Posted August 14, 2006 Pugs I messed that up... Overpushed the stem release button... and pulled the crown from its normal position... (see earlier post of the stupid mistake). So now it keeps running... and there seems to be a little reserve everytime I work on it...It starts running for a few minutes... There is really supposed to be a button and I look for that.... Oh, ok. To get to the button, you may have to remove the dial. So, what you do is remove the rotor on the back and then it has no way of charging up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marrickvilleboy Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 actually....the correct term is to "release the power". How to release the power is a little difficult to explain. Lets see if i can explain it to you all. There are 2 main "wheels/gears" that move when you manual wind the watch, one is called the crown wheel and the other is called the ratchet wheel. The wheel that has very obvious protruding teeth is the ratchet wheel - it is also the closest to the stem. if you look carefully at the ratchet wheel, you will see there is a component that we watchmakers call "click", the purpose of it is to hold the ratchet wheel and not let it slip - so when you wind the watch up it doesn't just release by itself. Now, if you wind your watch via the crown you will see the ratchet wheel moves anti-clockwise, you will also notice that the "click" will engage then disengage, then engage then disengage, so on, so on as you keep winding. The key to the release of the power is to disengage the click from the ratchet wheel using a small pin/tooth pick and let the power run down by itself. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Some pics to help. Helps to feather the crown while it unwinds especially if its fully wound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKTOWN Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 actually....the correct term is to "release the power". I was taught by my grandfather this is called "letting down the mainspring". Use your finger as a brake when you release the click ,never let down the mainspring down with a jerk , or the centre spring may be injured (most likely). That's how Gramps (GRHS) taught me. JKT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marrickvilleboy Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 @ Jktown hope your grandfather taught you not to use your fingers when doing any work on movements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingkitesurf Posted August 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Super... I found it using a toothpick I could barely see it (and I did brake the weel with my finger slightly...oops) It worked good... The watch stopped. I wound it a few strokes and it started again. Thanks for the tutorial and the excellent pics (what a macro!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazz Posted August 15, 2006 Report Share Posted August 15, 2006 Glad to hear you got it sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Tracy Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Every day.. I'm a amazed at how special this forum is.... You guys are fantastic ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Good stuff! I learned something too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted January 13, 2007 Report Share Posted January 13, 2007 I must be missing something... I have the crown in the wind position, push the click aside... nothing... nothing unwinds, the watch just keeps running... it sounds to simple to be missing a step... any ideas? It seems I can't get the click far enough out fo the way... even when I push it as far as I can it still touchs the tip of the gear... I can crank the crown backwards and teh gear rotates until the tip touchs the click... but that's it... I can then push teh gear with a pin and it will pass the click that one tooth, but the click slips in right after, so at this rate I have to unwind one tooth at a time Am I supposed to press the crown release button first? Any advice appreciated... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 After looking more closesly it seems that the gear the click holds moves... I don't mean rotates on it's axis, it's axis seems to move... Here's what I am doing, I move the click out of the way, nothing unwinds, so I turn the crown in an anti winding direction, the gear actually completely moves towards the click quite a bit (probably 1/8th inch) it gets to the point where the tooth of the gear touches the click evne though I have moved it out of the way and then more reverse winding of the crown simply engages the clutch and slips so the gear does not unwind... Still looking for any help, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRG Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 Dev, Make sure the click is fully engaged...remove the rotor...hold the crown whilst in the winding position...rotate crown to disengage the click...hold the click back with a small screw driver or tweezers...control release the mainspring via the crown... You won't be able to let the mainspring down with the rotor attached. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devedander Posted January 14, 2007 Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 There ya go... the rotor was the step I was missing, thanks! Now I got a bigger problem but that I will put in a new post.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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