DIY winter clock repair

So, we went through the first part. A little bit of tools. The places where the instrument grows was explored. We have prepared a workplace for ourselves. And in general - while they were doing all this - they walked well in the air and got to know the hot spots and surroundings better. The first part involved quite a lot of movement and attentiveness during the campaigns - it was necessary to SEARCH. What to look for - FSE! Everything that is interesting and, in our not yet trained view, is something that might be useful to us and that is unusual. It is somewhat reminiscent of plushness. What is the result:

Tool. Which ? First, screwdrivers, then tweezers. To them - a binocular magnifying glass, brushes, Petri dishes and needles. We got some oil. Yes, even for sewing machines. Well, there is no other. We believe that we have nothing else. NO. Everything. We get by with this primitive set. But you shouldn't start without it.

Different. The old ones. Wrist. They just recruited mechanisms - for spare parts.

They took indiscriminately, everything that is cheaper than the cost of half a pack of cheap cigarettes. This is their price. Half a pack of Belomor or Prima. Trolleybus fare. They shouldn't cost more. Regardless of the state - whole-broken. There are only two criteria. The first one is mandatory - not rusty. The second - desirable - to be assembled (all parts are in place) - regardless of the intactness. Trash. We will sort. What do we have?

- Star. The old ones. The mechanism is barrel-shaped, caliber 18 mm. Allegedly in prehistoric times, the French brought to us and assembled the LIP plant. So it's all French.

- Zarya - Penza Watch Factory

– Gull - standard small mechanisms, old enough, but tenacious

- Glory - newer mechanisms

- many other names. All Soviet. THE USSR. Looks like the state cared about the working class - it produced watches. So that they are not late for work. Probably.

- Victory... Moscow. Lighthouse. Many watches were produced under these names. We're not talking about watches. About mechanisms.

There are basically 2 types of mechanisms.

- "high" mechanism - for example 1MCHZ - "Moscow". Central second hand. Most of the watches were assembled on its base - up to the famous "Sport". They stopped when the crown was pulled. Erzats stopwatch. Older type of mechanism. We do not name the technical caliber - it makes no sense. It is still impossible to order parts for the caliber.

- the "low" mechanism is more modern. Side second hand.

Both in the first and in the second case, different factories produced a bunch of modifications of mechanisms - with improvements, simplifications, ras. Suggestions. There were also a bunch of exterior finishes. Satisfied the discerning consumer.

In addition, there is a complete rainbow of other watch movements:

- Slava - 2 types of mechanisms, self-winding and non-self-winding. Somewhere on the Internet it was indicated - the prototype of LIP-T-15. Again the French.

Our task is to learn how to disassemble and assemble. Then everyone will go their own way. One will only disassemble. Another will collect 50% and then - as annoyance or peacefully throw it into the trash (usually habits - vodka-dancing will overpower), others - out of anger that it doesn’t work - beat on the anvil with a hammer. Still others will calmly disassemble it again, put it off for a couple of days and try again. This is a normal form of behavior for such an unusual hobby - fine mechanics.

Let's start with a simpler direction - men's wristwatches. They are bigger than women. They can be seen better without a microscope. An example is a "low" Victory. It is the simplest for us. “High” is harder on the first try. The clock circuit is basically identical for all single-platinum watches.Therefore, you just need to understand and remember a few fairly simple schemes once. For the first trainings - just sketch what we are analyzing.

There are several types of back covers. All the difference is in the manner of closing.

- slamming. A distinctive feature - usually, upon close examination, you can find a flat, into which a knife is driven in order to open it with a strong pressure. In modern electronic consumer goods, a similar lid is very often practiced, but with grooves, as it were, for unscrewing - a good joke. If you don't know, then at least shoot yourself - you can't unscrew it.

Flat in the ring of glass. This is not a cover.

A more modern solution is a ledge in the lid.

And a knife just drives in here

- screw, with a screw ring or with a thread on the cover itself.

Or so - along the edge of the lid, you can see the edges.

We unscrew the first option either with the largest tailor's scissors (they are more rigid) or with the sharpened jaws of an old caliper. At flea markets, keys of this kind can often lie in the ruins.

The corporate key (bought in the most ordinary store for modelers - models of steam locomotives, cars, etc. in Germany) looks like this.

- a rather rare option in Soviet watches - bayonet. Turns at a small angle and opens.

So the clock was opened. What we see is dirt.

A lot of dirt. We immediately say that we will not deal with a rusty watch. There is no chance. Nothing can be done - everything must be changed. Putting a new one or sharpening a new one. It's too early for us.

III - mainspring (maybe two - in Glory)

IV - ratchet - they can also be of several types.

What we do first - while the mechanism is in the case - we lower the mainspring. If the head is preserved in the carcass and can be rotated (it is worn to the ground), we try to turn it slightly towards the plant and look at the ratchet. It should turn slightly and slip a couple of teeth. This is what we need - with a needle we support it in the retracted state and without jerking we let the crown turn and dissolve the spring by slightly releasing the crown between the fingers.

Immediately place at least 2 Petri dishes in front of us. Or white plates or flat-bottomed dishes. Diameter 15-20 cm. I use Petri dishes. They are easier to cover during breaks.

We take out the crown. To do this, press the retainer with a needle.

We take out the mechanism from the case. Sometimes this is done towards the back cover. In our case, the opposite is true. The ring with glass is removed and the mechanism is removed to the side of the dial.

Minute is generally simple - yes even with a screwdriver

Hour and second are a bit of an adventure. Tool - a piece of the relay was torn out (there was some kind of electric relay - there the material on the contact groups is exactly what we need - hard and thin. Bent - and there is the tool we need)

We turn off the balance. The size (caliber) of the screwdriver must match the size of the screw.

The screw was unscrewed and how can this whole assembly be lifted? - and it usually has special grooves into which you can stick a screwdriver and separate the balance plate from the base.

We put everything gradually into Petri dishes.

We unscrew the screws of the mainspring block. There is one trick in the watch - if the screw has many grooves, then it has a left-hand thread.

Under the dial there is a wheel assembly for the hands (I) and the assembly for winding and moving the head from the winding position to the position of moving the hands (II) (scientifically called remontuar). We disassemble.

We remove the minute tribe. This is the only node in a watch where effort is required. We pull hard enough. If you jumped off - we will repeat. It always comes off with effort. The main thing is not to be afraid.

When disassembling the switch-overhead assembly (remontuar) - special attention to the spring.

She has the opposite property - to click and fly away in an indefinite direction.Against this, a simple technique - cover (press) all of it slightly just with your finger and carefully with a needle from under your finger, "snap out"

We put everything in a Petri dish

Now for the longest and most accurate. Washing.

We take a shallow bowl. We pour gasoline there. And mine. With a brush and toothpicks. To shine. So that no dirt remains.

For small mechanisms - a squirrel brush. Harder. For large mechanisms - alarm clocks, pocket watches - you can try soft art brushes for oil paints.

Dry: first put on a paper towel after the gasoline. I usually take a heavy piece of cardboard and put a piece of paper towel on top of it. To avoid jumping and jumping. Choose napkins and towels according to the criterion - the fewer lint, the better.

Let the gasoline soak in. Let's just put it. Then we take the parts with tweezers and blow air from a rubber bulb (enema) to blow gasoline out of the holes. And so consistently all the elements of the clock that lie in a Petri dish or on an impromptu "dryer". Node by node. This is what I mean: if you unscrew the platinum and with it - 3 screws - put them together. We consider - "this is our node". In order not to confuse screws and parts. We put them in the same places in the Petri dish. Or better in a clean cup. Old - then wash and wipe. This is if we do not intend to collect quickly. Or we collect "from the sheet" - from a napkin. But this is with a certain experience, skill and speed of work. Balance. While there is no great experience, we do not analyze it. So we shove the platinum-spiral-balance block into a bath with gasoline and just rinse it for a long time in gasoline. This is clearly wrong. It is necessary to disassemble everything, etc. - WE HAVE NO EXPERIENCE YET. We'll gut it for 5-10 hours, and then we'll look at the balance. How he understands. Read books. And do it according to wise books (if it is described in detail there).

Some note about the mainspring. We do nothing. Just wipe the outside with a napkin. We brush the teeth with a brush. We don't do anything else yet. We will have fun with disassembly, lubrication, assembly and replacement of the spring next time. No experience yet. This is difficult.

And now for more intellectual work - to collect the resulting puzzle

Everything is done in the following order:

- wheel system. Let's have some fun too. We placed the gears in the lower stones. They covered it with platinum, and then we need to wiggle the upper plate with tweezers in all directions until the upper axles of the gears hit the stones. A bit dreary but doable. Sometimes you can try to help the process with a thin needle to wiggle the gears that you can reach. The basic rule is NO VIOLENCE. Everything should be done without any effort. Over time, everything by itself "clicks" into place and the plate noticeably "falls" down. The clockwork is a rather delicate thing, the efforts are very small, the losses of efforts during operation are also very small, accordingly - it cannot be assembled on tight landings - BY DEFINITION, THERE CANNOT BE. If the top plate does not sit in place, the pinion has not sat in the stones. Or while we were all stirring it, I jumped out of the bottom stone. We repeat once again - EFFORTS CANNOT BE! The criterion for correct assembly can be the following: slightly turn the barrel of the mainspring. LIGHT ONLY - All gears should start turning. This is all - almost effortlessly on the barrel.

- put in place the anchor plug

Lubricate the stones from above - from the side of the back cover. For this we use homemade butter dosing.

We turn the mechanism over, grease all the stones from the side of the dial. Assembling the crown mechanism.

Spring. Another adventure. We press it all over with a wide screwdriver. We put the needle in place. Springs are probably the worst thing about all this work. They are jumping. And we will suffer with them a) until we train our hands and b) until we collect the carcasses of the watches from which we will carry spare parts without a twinge of conscience.

They put it in place. We don't breathe. And suddenly it pops up.

We collect the wheels of arrows.The minute tribbe is strongly pushed onto the pinion axle. How ? Yes, what comes to hand is approximately suitable. How we shot and set. We are resting. You will have to firmly press the tribe until it clicks.

Lubricate. What is there to lubricate - if you have assembled this puzzle - figured out - then you will also have to think about lubrication and lubricate it yourself. The basic rule is to lubricate only with oil dosage and to a minimum. All rubbing parts are lubricated. Platinum must be dry. That is why it is a notch in the stones - so that the oil does not spread beyond its limits. Do not grease the stones of the anchor fork. It's early. A microscope is needed.

Pressing the crown lock, put it in place. We start. We enjoy. MADE . YOURSELF.

Further - to taste. We are engaged in polishing glass, cases, in short - we have fun, we are looking for a new object of research.

I found this wonderful mechanism produced by ZIM at a flea market.
which is written on it.

I personally see a certain charm in the simplicity of the design of this watch, which, alas, does not exist anymore.

and I decided to keep it for my collection.

determined that issue 1972-1975
if you take the middle, somewhere in 1974, the year in which I was born myself. this is another reason

the clock did not run, of course. but who would give them to me for 100 rubles?

so, let's disassemble.
the dial is in excellent condition for its age.
we remove the arrows with a puller and pack them so as not to damage.

we will pack the dial so that God forbid

then we remove everything, leave the bare platinum:

and all this - in an ultrasonic wash in a solution for washing mechanisms.
but the screws are not there, they are in a separate pile.
why? some kind people climbed in with their crooked hands and tore off the edges on the screws. so we clean them up, polish them:
(it was - after stripping - it was after polishing)

In addition, we slightly polish the dog, the drum wheel and the clockwork to freshen up the shine, but not to "hobble" the details, removing the factory finish and turning it into a disgusting mirror look.

in the meantime, the washing has already been completed, so we put all the parts in isopropyl alcohol, with a brush we go over the stones so that there is no hint of old grease on them:

after rinsing - dry it all!

all. can be collected.
I start by installing the overhead balance stone on platinum, we give it a little oil:

then we collect the balance node. everything is so small. the screwdriver looks like a crowbar!

we straighten the hair so that it is in the middle between the pins, so that there is a “play” of the hair when the clock is running. this should be over the entire range of the thermometer's travel.

in addition, we immediately move the hair block so that the ellipse - the stone on the balance - is strictly between the pins of the anchor fork.
(where is it all in my head.)

it is important to check the balance as it works separately.
To do this, we put it on platinum, on which there is nothing but an overlay stone for balance.

blowing from pear to balance.
voila! more than 45 vibrations in any position!

remove the balance bridge and set it aside.
we start assembling.

put the drum bridge, clockwork wheel, dog

we install the angrenage bridge, we have to tinker, not all the axles of the angrenage wheels enter their stones at once. the main rule here is no effort.
personally, I put them in order from the minute, ending with the escape wheel.
to check, we blow from a pear - the wheels are spinning from a light blow!

immediately lubricate the stones.

we turn the mechanism over and assemble the remontuar, neatly with a spring, she loves to make "bzyn" and the process of crawling on the floor begins:

we give lubricant to the units of the remontory, and close it with a spring.

there is a slope of the wheels, the balance is normal, then we put the anchor fork:

... and put her bridge, the screw is also polished, plays.

it remains to throw in the balance knot, wind the spring for a couple of turns and the move has begun! Hooray!

here is a video to understand that the move is very good!

install the dial, holding it with a stretch film so as not to touch it with our hands, fix the dial with 2 side screws:

We press the arrows on the pot, since the choice of punches is excellent, where did I get them from? oh yes, bought on ebay)))

we install the mechanism in a pre-polished case with polished glass, for the last time let's take a look at the play of light on the screws, which are also polished!

or rather, not quite, I will later replace the balance wheel with my own, with screws.
and someone put it in the 80s.

if there are those who have read this far, advise, what color strap is more appropriate here?

A little of the history of such watches - they were produced at the Maslennikov Plant (ZiM), which worked from 1911 to 1990. The movements of these watches, like all the others, had their own caliber, the most widespread was “2602”, created in the mid-70s. The movements with this caliber had a separate second hand under the minute and hour.

An acquaintance watchmaker gave away several dead mechanisms with dials, so I decided to make some changes.
Who knew that without experience, and having watched only one video on youtube, the experience would be successful.

Let's start. This is what the dial looks like:

We remove all arrows, unscrew from the mechanism

Since I cannot restore this mechanism, I will take another one, in which I only need to put the balance spring:

Inserts the dial into the movement:

We tighten the mounting bolts:

Insert the hands: second, then hour and minute:

insert into the case, taking into account the location of the crown hole

snap on the lid, insert the glass, put on the bracelet and voila - the watch has been given a second life

Well, and lastly, a gift from the tankman's grandfather - a commander's watch

Thanks for watching)
If this topic is of interest to the public, there will be a continuation)

Not seriously? Polish or replace glasses. Well, the bracelet is in size.

The first ZiM mechanism, aka Pobeda, was licked off by the Swiss, like most of our Soviet mechanics. I happened to repair the original, which was attended by shockproof bushons. Ours also did so at first, but later refused, I think, in favor of reducing the cost. Budget hours all the same. From here and the weak point - they do not like to fall, the balance axis breaks, it was necessary to repress. In these, I would also check the work hardening. When the watch is often laid on the table, work hardening forms on the lower axis and the accuracy of the movement begins to depend on the position of the watch. And in general, it is possible to say about a successful repair only after a test at the NPP-2m or something similar. Their predecessors, Zvezda, were similar in layout.

The second is the east. Weak points: spring (the spot welding of the burr breaks, it is treated by releasing the end of the spring and bending with the insertion of a broken piece into it), the second hand (more precisely, the spring that presses it, sensitive to contamination with solidified oil), the thread of the key and the key itself (the thread is cut off and etches the water , or an overheated key breaks), a half-barrel and a barrel of a remontuar (often fall apart).

And for ZIM glass can be made. You heat up 0.5 mm of glass to the softness of a cloth, put it on the case without a mechanism, press with a pre-prepared and matched convex watch back cover, and after cooling down you file it with nardfil. The glass is inserted without glue, snapping into the groove. Well, or polish with Pearls toothpaste and a linen rag.

And yes, the balance bushes are unscrewed, washed with hexane, lubricated, and put back, otherwise there will be no kin, or there will be a short film.

Good day. I cry for the help of the ZiM watch guru. I have such a charm on my hands. They work properly, only the body has been beaten and worn out by time. I want to acquire a Chinese corps from an alik. Surprisingly, there are high quality and beautiful ones. What sizes and measurements are needed for selection and purchase? I wanted to write in a personal, but suddenly I found out that there is no such thing. I expect and thank you in advance for your reply.

The fittings are selected according to the diameter and thickness of the mechanism. The case usually comes with a dial and hands.The dial is mounted on pins and if their location is not suitable, then they are cut off and put on glue (not superglue) in the areas of the board where there are no ruby ​​bearings. If the fur is thinner than the body, it doesn't matter, a plastic pressure ring is inserted (usually from a donor, but more often, “do it yourself”). Pay attention to the length of the key. It can be either long or short. If it is long, remove the lamb and shorten the key and the lamb bushing, as far as the thread allows, and if it does not allow, we cut a new one to the desired one. If it is short, we remove the lamb and go to the watchmaker's shop for an elongated universal new one. Something like this.

I remember I bought such commander's clothes for myself in a stall for 50r in the 90s (then snickers cost 25). They were almost by weight then they were hoarded. The water was not allowed to pass through, but due to condensation they rusted after 2 years.

I have a Slava automatic watch (export version). So, they stop every day at about 11 pm (when the calendar starts to translate). Can someone tell me how to fix it?

And what is this gradation on the commander's hours from 0 to 60 and why is part of it highlighted in red?

I found this wonderful mechanism produced by ZIM at a flea market.
which is written on it.

I personally see a certain charm in the simplicity of the design of this watch, which, alas, does not exist anymore.

and I decided to keep it for my collection.

determined that issue 1972-1975

the clock did not run, of course. but who would give them to me for 100 rubles?

so, let's disassemble.
the dial is in excellent condition for its age.
we remove the arrows with a puller and pack them so as not to damage.

we will pack the dial so that God forbid 🙂

then we remove everything, leave the bare platinum:

and all this - in an ultrasonic wash in a solution for washing mechanisms.
but the screws are not there, they are in a separate pile.
why? some kind people climbed in with their crooked hands and tore off the edges on the screws. so we clean them up, polish them:
(it was - after stripping - it was after polishing)

In addition, we slightly polish the dog, the drum wheel and the clockwork to freshen up the shine, but not to "hobble" the details, removing the factory finish and turning it into a disgusting mirror look.

in the meantime, the washing has already been completed, so we put all the parts in isopropyl alcohol, with a brush we go over the stones so that there is no hint of old grease on them:

after rinsing - dry it all!

all. can be collected.
I start by installing the overhead balance stone on platinum, we give it a little oil:

then we collect the balance node. everything is so small. the screwdriver looks like a crowbar!

we straighten the hair so that it is in the middle between the pins, so that there is a “play” of the hair when the clock is running. this should be over the entire range of the thermometer's travel.

in addition, we immediately move the hair block so that the ellipse - the stone on the balance - is strictly between the pins of the anchor fork.
(where is it all in my head.)

it is important to check the balance as it works separately.
To do this, we put it on platinum, on which there is nothing but an overlay stone for balance.

blowing from pear to balance.
voila! more than 45 vibrations in any position!

remove the balance bridge and set it aside.
we start assembling.

put the drum bridge, clockwork wheel, dog

we install the angrenage bridge, we have to tinker, not all the axles of the angrenage wheels enter their stones at once. the main rule here is no effort.
personally, I put them in order from the minute, ending with the escape wheel.
to check, we blow from a pear - the wheels are spinning from a light blow!

immediately lubricate the stones.

we turn the mechanism over and assemble the remontuar, neatly with a spring, she loves to make "bzyn" and the process of crawling on the floor begins:

we give lubricant to the units of the remontory, and close it with a spring.

there is a slope of the wheels (when, from a light touch of the drum, the wheels turn in one direction, then after stopping in the opposite direction they make several turns, the balance is normal, then we put the anchor fork:

Hello, friends! Received a pocket watch ZIM for repair. A watch with history, award and was presented for the capture of a border violator in the Far East. For a long time, the watch did not work and was restored only in the 90s, but since the master could not find the details, the accuracy could not be achieved and they were in a great hurry.

It is required to carry out preventive maintenance of the clockwork, repair and adjustment of some units of the mechanism, replace the glass.

I take the mechanism out of the case, remove the hands and the dial.

I install the mechanism on a stand and proceed to disassembly

I remove the balance, the balance column just fell off from the hair, since it was not fixed properly. The balance screws used to adjust the balance and weight of the blade are shamelessly worn down, no wonder they are in a hurry.

I remove the drum axle, anchor fork and wheel system.

The mechanism can be sent for washing.

I'll fix the column by a thread

And for this column I will attach a hair to the balance bridge.

The escape wheel is installed separately.

Assembling the winding mechanism and setting the clock.

Installing the anchor fork.

As I expected, the escapement fork needs adjustment, since it missed the teeth of the escape wheel, thereby turning the wheels more than necessary, the course is naturally not stable. Another reason for the rush of the clock.

The worn-out balance screws should be replaced, since the mass of the balance does not correspond to the hair and the watch is shamelessly in a hurry, you cannot even catch the amplitude on the device.

I set the screws in balance and adjust the weight and balance of the balance, for this I drill the screw from the end, making it a little lighter. The photo of the tuning on the overweight typewriter was lost without a trace, deleted by accident. In short, the balance is placed with its trunnions on the parallel knives and the heavy part of the pendulum is turned downwards, and is made easier by drilling. Almost like balancing the wheels on a car.

After the operations, the watch runs very well for its age!

When assembling and installing the hands, I discovered a large play in the watch wheel, the hole in it needs to be pulled off, I will do it using a tightening punch.

The punch has a chamfer on the inner diameter and when hitting it, the foot of the wheel is compressed and the hole is reduced.

I set the dial and hands.

I will replace the old plastic glass with mineral glass. The old one is completely ugly.

The watch is ready and I'm sending it for verification!

Thank you for your attention, see you!

Believe it or not, looked at your work like magic. This is probably the best time in the life of an old watch that has a glorious military history. You have restored a particle of memory of a glorious and dear person for me. Thank you very much!
V.P. Romanenko

Let's say you have a watch in your hands. It could be the watch of your grandfather, friend, acquaintance, or even your own watch, which you forgot a long time ago. They once stopped and stopped showing the time. In search of the necessary tools, you turned the apartment upside down and, with the help of available tools, managed to open them.

But is it worth the rush? Perhaps this watch can still be repaired.

If you are a beginner and have never dealt with the repair of a watch movement before, then you should familiarize yourself with a few rules that any watchmaker adheres to.

1. The clockwork is the most complex "organism" in which all its elements work as a single whole. Therefore, watch repair must be careful and careful. You must understand how they work, because some parts of the watch mechanism are so small that it will not be difficult to damage them.

2.Remember that proper specialized tools are needed to gently remove the component parts of the mechanism. Otherwise, your repair will lead to an inversely proportional result.

It is also worth noting that even if in some miraculous way these tools are at your fingertips, but you do not have the slightest idea about the mechanism of the watch, they will not help you. If you are not confident in your abilities and do not have sufficient experience, it is better to give your watch to the workshop. Professionals in their field will repair them properly.

3. Watch mechanisms from the times of the Soviet Union are not inferior to their more eminent and expensive counterparts from Switzerland in terms of the complexity of repair.

4. Like most other movements, the watch needs lubrication. They won't work without it. Remember that by the word lubricant we mean a specialized substance designed specifically for watch movements, and not petroleum jelly or, even better, sunflower oil. The last two options are not even suitable as a temporary solution to the problem. The lubricant should be applied to the parts of the mechanism that require it, with exact observance of the quantitative proportions of the substance. If you think that the watchmaker, when carrying out repairs, abundantly waters the entire mechanism from a huge oiler, then you are greatly mistaken.

5. If for some reason you still do not want to give your watch to a professional workshop and cannot get rid of the desire to carry out the appropriate repairs yourself by purchasing specialized tools, you should know that a watch set for 600 rubles, which can be bought on most Internet stores won't be enough. This is a waste of money. A high-quality watch tool is expensive, and purchasing it for a one-time repair is not the most rational act.

6. Before starting work, read the relevant literature. For a beginner, we recommend the book "Construction and assembly technology of mechanical watches" by S.М. Tagirova. It is distinguished by the clarity and utmost brevity of the material presented in it. After reading it, most of your questions will be answered. Agree, there is nothing worse than a beginner who does not even understand the basics of the business that he decided to take on, and even showered you with constant questions: "what, but how?".

7. Remember - do not touch the components of the clockwork with your hands. For these purposes, you must use tweezers, gloves, fingertips or, at worst, a toothpick.

8. Are you going to make watch repair your hobby? Be prepared for high financial costs.

Entry-level watch tools, designed primarily for assembling watches, cost about ten thousand rubles, for minimal repairs - from one hundred thousand. In any case, you won't be able to buy everything at once. Assembling a complete set of tools can take a lifetime. The same rule applies to repair training.

Patience is an essential character trait of any watchmaker. Without him, in this case, nowhere. First of all, you should honestly answer to yourself one simple question: "Do you need all this?"

Let's assume that you have nevertheless acquired the necessary tools and equipped your workspace. Where to begin? Do not know? We will give you a hint.

Determine the breakdown or malfunction of the clock mechanism, which led to its malfunctioning or stopping. In 80% of cases, this is dirt and dried grease on the parts of the mechanism. This kind of malfunction of the mechanism can be determined by eye. Their main features are black tribes and dried oilers. The solution to this problem is to disassemble the clockwork, clean all its parts from dirt and lubricate.

Remember the patience we described above? Well, it is at such moments that you need it. Haste is your greatest enemy.

The most important part of this craft that you will need to learn is the disassembly and assembly of the watch mechanism.An old, irreparable watch is suitable for training - this is the best option. You are not immune from mistakes, like any other person, and with such training they cannot be avoided. We consider the Slava alarm clock to be the most optimal option for learning. Its movement is similar to most mechanical wristwatches, and the details are not so small.

Let's look at it using the example of the above-mentioned alarm clock.

The first is to remove the back cover. Unscrew the factory keys, remove the buttons for shifting the hour hands, and then unscrew the fastening screws. In wristwatches, the back cover of the watch can be attached to their case, either with screws or with the help of special latches.

The second is to remove the mechanism. Look carefully and study the method by which the fastener was carried out. Unscrew the fixing screws. If you have a wristwatch in your hands, before removing the mechanism, take out the winding shaft, putting it in the eyeliner mode, and slightly press down on the suppressor, then take it out. At the end of the procedure for removing the mechanism, the winding shaft must be reinstalled.

The third is to remove the hands and dial. The first ones are removed quite easily - you just need to pry them slightly. To do this, use corners (tweezers, nippers). Thanks to this tool, you can avoid the appearance of mechanical damage (scratches, microcracks), both on the hands and on the dial. In cases where the watch model that you are repairing is not equipped with a calendar or chiming, it is possible to remove the dial, hour wheel and hands as a whole. Loosen all fixing screws carefully. In most cases, they are located on the front side of the mechanism opposite each other. All actions related to disassembly and assembly must be performed on a specialized stand that prevents dust from entering your workspace from the rest of the surface on which the stand is installed.

The fourth is the release of the spring. We apologize for the professional slang. Descent is a weakening of the spring winding. Take a pair of tweezers in your hand, the other - wind the spring by half a turn and in this state, use tweezers to move the dog. After that, slowly, without sudden movements, begin to release the winding shaft and wait for the moment when the spring is fully unwound.

Fifth - removing the balance bridge. Unscrew the fixing screws. Next, pry the bridge with tweezers and carefully, lifting it together with the balance, remove it from the clockwork. Be careful. Do not allow the balance spring to cling to the wheels. Remember that if you put the bridge down with a balance, you can damage the axle. Don't let this happen.

Sixth - removal of the anchor fork bridge. Unscrew the fixing screws. Next, remove the bridge, and then remove the plug itself.

Seventh - removing the spring bridge. This operation is performed in a similar way to the sixth stage.

Eighth - removal of the axle of the wheel system. First, remove the minute tribe located on the center wheel. If you practice with the alarm clock, which we talked about just above, then you do not need to shoot the minute trib. In addition, it is worth noting that in the mechanism of this alarm clock, the axles of the wheel system and the springs are one whole. After you unscrew the mounting screws and remove the axle, take out the wheels. Take your time and take out the wheels one at a time - this will allow you to avoid damaging adjacent wheels.

That's all. You have disassembled your first movement. However, it still needs to be collected. To do this, follow all the same steps in reverse order.

The first time is the most difficult. Therefore, we advise you not to try to piece everything together from memory. This will come later - with experience. It is best to run your eyes through the sequence described by us, only in reverse order and, only after that, perform the appropriate action.This way you can quickly and efficiently assemble your first movement, which has just been safely disassembled.

Good luck in your endeavors!
After writing this article, we have a new one, we invite you to get acquainted:
How to repair a mechanical wristwatch yourself. Instructions for beginners.

Friends, if you have any questions, as far as possible, I will try to answer everyone.
Write, call and come by contact information,
posted here (link CONTACTS AIRCRAFT shopping center)
We kindly ask you to pay attention that our workshop is located in Samara.

We hope that after reading this article, you have discovered something new and interesting for yourself.
And remember, if you are the owner of one of the watches that we talk about on our website and feel that they need repairs or maintenance, or you just want to get professional advice from highly qualified watchmakers in the city of Samara, feel free to contact us.
Our experts will help you
to repair the following types of watches for you:

- old mechanical (the possibility of repair is determined by the master at the time of inspection);
- wall-mounted (the possibility of repair is determined by the master at the time of inspection);
- floor;
- desktop;
- Pocket;
- wrist;
- and even electronic-mechanical and quartz.

We will be sincerely glad for all your thoughts that you leave in the comments under this article.

I found this wonderful mechanism produced by ZIM at a flea market.
which is written on it.

I personally see a certain charm in the simplicity of the design of this watch, which, alas, does not exist anymore.

and I decided to keep it for my collection.

determined that issue 1972-1975

the clock did not run, of course. but who would give them to me for 100 rubles?

so, let's disassemble.
the dial is in excellent condition for its age.
we remove the arrows with a puller and pack them so as not to damage.

we will pack the dial so that God forbid 🙂

then we remove everything, leave the bare platinum:

and all this - in an ultrasonic wash in a solution for washing mechanisms.
but the screws are not there, they are in a separate pile.
why? some kind people climbed in with their crooked hands and tore off the edges on the screws. so we clean them up, polish them:
(it was - after stripping - it was after polishing)

In addition, we slightly polish the dog, the drum wheel and the clockwork to freshen up the shine, but not to "hobble" the details, removing the factory finish and turning it into a disgusting mirror look.

in the meantime, the washing has already been completed, so we put all the parts in isopropyl alcohol, with a brush we go over the stones so that there is no hint of old grease on them:

after rinsing - dry it all!

all. can be collected.
I start by installing the overhead balance stone on platinum, we give it a little oil:

then we collect the balance node. everything is so small. the screwdriver looks like a crowbar!

we straighten the hair so that it is in the middle between the pins, so that there is a “play” of the hair when the clock is running. this should be over the entire range of the thermometer's travel.

in addition, we immediately move the hair block so that the ellipse - the stone on the balance - is strictly between the pins of the anchor fork.
(where is it all in my head.)

it is important to check the balance as it works separately.
To do this, we put it on platinum, on which there is nothing but an overlay stone for balance.

blowing from pear to balance.
voila! more than 45 vibrations in any position!

remove the balance bridge and set it aside.
we start assembling.

put the drum bridge, clockwork wheel, dog

we install the angrenage bridge, we have to tinker, not all the axles of the angrenage wheels enter their stones at once. the main rule here is no effort.
personally, I put them in order from the minute, ending with the escape wheel.
to check, we blow from a pear - the wheels are spinning from a light blow!

immediately lubricate the stones.

we turn the mechanism over and assemble the remontuar, neatly with a spring, she loves to make "bzyn" and the process of crawling on the floor begins:

we give lubricant to the units of the remontory, and close it with a spring.

There is a slope of the wheels (when, from a light touch of the drum, the wheels turn in one direction, then after stopping in the opposite direction they make several turns, the balance is normal, then we put the anchor fork:

the fork is in place, we put its bridge, the screw is also polished, it plays.

it remains to throw in the balance knot, wind the spring for a couple of turns and the move has begun! Hooray!

we install the dial, holding it with a stretch film so as not to touch it with our hands, fix the dial with 2 side screws:

We press the arrows on the pot, since the choice of punches is excellent, where did I get them from? oh yes, bought on ebay)))

we install the mechanism in a pre-polished case with polished glass, for the last time let's take a look at the play of light on the screws, which are also polished!

or rather, not quite, I will later replace the balance wheel with my own, with screws.
and someone put it in the 80s.