Do-it-yourself antique watch repair

Where to begin. Some notes from Bogdan J.

This is purely the experience of an amateur who has never been a professional watchmaker. Accordingly, all this is suitable for the amateur. A professional is dear to the school. They will teach everything there.

Start with Pinkin. Or from Troyanovsky. In general, there are books on the topic of clock repair. Download and print. Okay, there is no Internet - everyone will do it for you in any Internet cafe. You must have a book. It can get expensive, but it's worth it. This book is a guide for the layperson who should be able to understand at least something from this book. Almost our case. I have never done anything like that - and here it was.

Let's make some additions with the amendment for today for those who are pinned.

Screwdrivers. Start simple.

Chinese. I use it. I sharpen it. As for Chinese screwdrivers - look where on the streets watch batteries are changed and batteries and watch straps are sold. Or in the most ordinary households. A set of screwdrivers for small jobs.

You take a screwdriver. If it turns out to be too soft and bends when trying to unscrew something, put a candle next to the screwdriver. You heat the blade of a screwdriver and quickly into wax. This is hardening. Then you take a small stone and sharpen it along Pinkin.

More cool - in the machine on a diamond disc. But it will be later. When the tool and machines appear. Stones are well suited for finishing.

Tweezers (for starters - medical eye tweezers will do).

An alternative is to get acquainted with a radio bazaar (if Moscow - it seems Gorbushka - where they sell radio components, radio stations and computer gadgets) - see the boxes where the instrument is sold. You will be greatly surprised by the abundance. Good tools are surprisingly expensive. Tweezers shapes - see Pinkin. I'm not talking about big watch shops. They would rather be beaten than sold at a normal price. They do not want to breed competitors. And if they do, the prices are simply unrealistic. Doesn't fit into any gate.

There is also a radio bazaar - Galosha gasoline. Wash. It is much drier than kerosene and white spirit.

You take sticks (like Chinese) - finger length - to taste. You stick fishing steel 3-4 cm long into the end - it can be thicker and thinner. 0.1 - 0.15 mm. This is for the fishermen. One meter is enough for 10 years of work.

The very tip with one blow of a hammer (through a punch or a hard piece of iron) is splashed on a hard anvil. You get a little spatula. You make 3-4 of these with different blade sizes and different steel diameters. This will replace butter dosing. As anvils, I use either a roller made of a large bearing or carbide plates for a lathe - your way to the flea market or to friends in the workshop.

In approximately the same way - they will come in handy for a start - sticks with ordinary sewing needles - while the hands are frightened and there are no good tweezers - to expose the details (gears in stones, screws, etc.) is an auxiliary tool.

Surgical clamps. Different. Very handy as small and strong pliers. They are usually bought on occasion at a flea market.

Dental spatulas. It is convenient to use in all cases as an auxiliary tool.

Enema. Rubber. From the pharmacy. Big. Blow off dust. The tip must be rubber.

Butter. Or in the workshop (if they don't beat you, although they usually look like rams and pretend that they don't understand what you are talking about at all and are trying to get you off as quickly as possible). Or maybe at a radio store - in the same place where solder and acid are sold. Oil MN-30, MN-45 or watch oil. Although it is not aerobatics, it will go for a start.

It is better to keep it in a dark heavy box - and the sun will not burn and there is less chance that it will turn over.

To open the cases - a large, broken medical tweezers. It is clear that this is not kosher - but it is also possible. Likewise - an old caliper. You just need to correct the edges of the jaws - so that they are more rectangular.

Scalpel - opening of enclosures.

Binocular loupe. It is relatively inexpensive, but without it it is better not even to start. Or photographic goods (classic - where telescopes and binoculars are sold) or a radio bazaar. There are different strengths. If you have money, take two. One is 1.5 times, one is the strongest one sold - it seems up to 2.5 times. They can be sold with an elastic band - you will have to redo them to fit a hard bezel. You can go and talk to the optics workshop - glasses. Maybe they will offer something like pince-nez. Regarding ordinary magnifiers - to my taste - I rarely use them. It turned out to be extremely useful for cutting off the baby's nails - they were not visible at all for the first six months, but it was necessary to cut them off.

Binocular - microscope. Yes. Old. Look. The oldest is MBS-1. It is with a straight image - not upside down - which is what we see. It should cost within $ 50. A very useful thing. In every way. Up to the point that you rip the scrap out of your finger. But this is on occasion and over time. MBS-10 or OGMZ is steeper - the distance from the object to the eyepiece is greater, it is clear that it is more expensive. But all the same, an ordinary screwdriver does not fit under the MBS-10 - it must be shortened. Although on the Site of the Lytkarinsky plant - the manufacturer of MBS-10, there is a link that they sell lenses for MBS-10 with a distance to the object - about 19 cm.This can be a good solution if we got MBS-10. Everything between MBS-1 and MBS-9 is the same. Over time, the lens can be altered by yourself. You take what is cheaper. It's closer to the flea market. The only thing is that it is desirable that there is an illuminator (transformer + light bulb).

All that is further from the instrument - only after evisceration for 4-5 hours.

Where to get a watch - make yourself a fashion to be at a flea market - everything floats there. Often they simply sell mechanisms there. For instance:

When you warm up a little - after buying a binocular microscope - there is also a radio bazaar, shops with tools - they usually sell ultrasonic cleaners. But here is also the question - is it necessary. 50 years before that they did not use them - they took a bath and washed the parts with a brush in gasoline. You can do it, but the weight is not bad. Should cost in the range of $ 50-80. Denatured alcohol and Galosha gasoline were poured into an ultrasound of 30 watts. Working. Does not flash. Washes like a beast, but all the same, sometimes you have to rip something off with a toothpick. At the bazaar, they say that 30-watt sinks - indestructible - work without problems and there is no return due to marriage. If the model is the same as in the figure - what should be done after purchase - disassemble completely (there may be moisture inside, one of the indicators is stylish clicks when working against a background of uniform sound), squeeze the metal tank out of the case and put it back on the Auto Sealant (white , ours, not on transparent silicone). Plumbing does not work - it is highly corrosive. One of the indicators of plumbing is a strong vinegar smell.

Yes, I forgot, a flea market - look for Petri dishes - or maybe in a pharmacy or in a laboratory at a hospital. But you are not their client - there is an expensive flea market - this is the very thing. These are flat round glass or plastic low trays - for details. They are cheap. Take 5 pieces for the current dismantling works. I like glass more - they are heavier, fidget less on the table.

Then, for convenience, in the offices that make business cards, you can sometimes roll up and buy boxes for business cards. Wholesale will cost within $ 0.30 pcs. Transparent ones are also a very convenient thing - but this is for longer storage.

Silica gel. Small bags that are put into new fashionable shoes, equipment, computer components. Absorbs water. It must be dried either in the microwave or at a good temperature - in an electric oven.Gas does not pass - when the gas burns, water is released. After drying, the bag is placed in a box in which small tools and spare parts are stored for a long time so that they do not rust.

Radio bazaar. Snap-on pouches - they sell in the hundreds. Size 4 X 6 cm. Place watches and small items. They are usually packed with small pieces that are sold in the bazaar.

To begin with, the wristwatch can be laid down on the grinder mesh during disassembly. Then you yourself will determine what you need and how it is more convenient for you. The stand can be machined from brass. Should be heavy enough.

Take a coil from any old starter from electricians - try asking for 380 V. If not, by 220 V. You attach the wires - the demagnetizer is ready. Turn on only for a short time - it gets warm.

About a new instrument. It is not always worth the money. Think how to get out with what you have. It is needed if you make a living with this and the customer pays for everything. If this is a hobby, then not first of all. Calculate the costs like this: I quit smoking (and drinking) and all the savings are on the tool. In this case, it is really a hobby and a useful pastime.

Now the steepness has gone. Machine.

Option 2. High-speed car. 10,000 revolutions. We sharpen with a diamond file. It may well be. There are eagles who did something in this way. But as for me - this is not very correct. If sharpen then sharpen.

Considering the above - if you do not sharpen the axes how to fry pies - then for a non-professional watchmaker-turner, it would be more expedient to take a small-sized precision universal machine. I would say that 20% of the work is axle turning (or even less), 80% is the turning of screws and body parts, various secondary milling work.

Examples I would name the following:

Collet chuck, native collets. On top is a milling corner. A part of the caliper is attached to it and we get a "milling cutter".

- new - Proxxon PD-230 / E, including a milling attachment or FF-230 router. Search on There they even have a price list in the power tool section - that is, they really do it.

Regarding the old MD-65. Axes 0.1 sharpens. Doesn't hit. Any additional clarifications are superfluous.

Now for the next topic. Okay. We got a machine. Well kva. We have a type of computer in the form of a processor, monitor and keyboard. But all this locomotive also needs software. Windows-2000 or Windows-XP and for tough peppers Linux will do. So, the fun begins. Software often costs more than hardware. It's the same story with machine tools. We need fixtures and additional tools. I think that an approximate set of additional accessories for the machine will cost no less than the machine costs. We are now talking about turning + milling. I ended up with MD-65 with a milling angle plate - a milling cutter is clamped in the machine chuck, and the support is turned over like a milling table, only a vertical one + milling vise. The arrows on it are milled. Cut the slots in the screws too.

- incisors - at least a hundred. Fits well in old wooden school boxes.

For precise sharpened incisors, old boxes from under grandmother's silver spoons go very well - incisors are more expensive than spoons, they will not break.

- collets and collet chuck. I have 2 sets - one is native to MD-65 (3-13 mm), the second set is Lorsch (hour, 0-6 mm).

It is in the machine, Lorsch in the adapter.

- indicators. 0.01 and 0.001. It is clear that various attachments are needed for them. Often you have to do the fasteners yourself.

- center detectors - 0.01. Without it, there is simply nothing to do on the machine.

- binocular microscope. Without words. We have already talked about this above.

- 4-jaw chuck. With split jaw release.

- sharpener - sharpen the cutters roughly

- diamond wheels - sharpen cutters precisely

- rotary vise (horizontal rotary system) - drill holes in precisely specified places. Screw holes in the rim of the transparent case back. It is hand drilled. It can be seen that the screws are jumping.

- dividing head. Or with discs or vernier.Cutting gears. Or at least make a square.

- I'm not talking about cutters. And end and for gears. The thickness of the disc cutters - from 0.1-0.15 - is the thickness of the "Neva" blade.

- the measuring tool is for rough work

- and for precise ones - only optics

- then you need to look at what is needed already for the work being performed. You will have to do a lot yourself. To invent a lot. Very often, for the manufacture of one part, it takes more time to make a clamp in order to clamp this part into the machine.

Foil trimming - making a "disk" arrow. Materials at hand.

Now the conversation is where and how to organize all this. It should be dry. Dust free. Not on the head of the family - the family should know that it is yours - and no matter what you do there - they have no entrance there. And there is nothing to howl about the noise from the workshop. Their comments are inappropriate (oh, it's dirty, oh, it stinks with gasoline).

One type I saw a German machine - the type of our school. More precisely, only pre-war. He mounted it under the kitchen table. In the center of the table is a shelf with a machine on it. The top board of the table rises - like in old school desks. He lowered the board, put the tablecloth in place and crumble the onion with the sausage. All the same, there will be no big turning works at home - everything is some kind of small piece.

If we are talking about a large workshop or a more serious occupation in the restoration business for the soul, then in addition to the small machine, you need to look towards a larger machine - a school one (I don’t want to name the type - there are many different ones), a horizontal milling NGF-110 and a muffle furnace - this is for more rough work and the manufacture of devices. It is clear that all this also needs a trailer of devices and tools. Photo of the basement in the country.

If you can order or buy somewhere, look towards the rollers. They can be quite expensive. Sometimes they help out a lot. Especially in the manufacture of new parts, arrows and shims for lathe cutters.

As a conclusion, let's put it this way - this process is endless. In one sensible book on choosing a watch lathe, there was a good idea, completely applicable in our case - we are all mortal. All these tools are of interest only to us. Personally. There is no need to expect that someone after us will continue with fire in their eyes what we have begun. The whole instrument must be bought on the basis that after us, our grateful descendants die of all this rubbish and faster. They can also be thrown into the trash. They need a place for a geranium! We need to make sure that they can get more for it, slowly and confidently to all these numerous relatives and posterity, it is necessary to explain that all this is expensive and on this in distant times it will be possible to earn something. And accordingly, if you already buy, then buy a liquid instrument, which will have a price even in 50 years. This is on the one hand. On the other hand, we are all working now. We earn something. This is exactly the right time to prepare for yourself a range of activities for a time when our earnings will decrease, that is, retirement. Good luck.

After the previous post, I got subscribers, so today there will be a continuation of the banquet.

In the summer I bought myself a semi-working pocket watch. Now it's time to gut them.

This is how they look. This is a standard product of the Chelyabinsk Watch Factory of the 70-65 years.

The problem with this watch is that it stops spontaneously and when the watch is wound, the winding shaft turns with an unpleasant “crunch”.

And so, the spontaneous stop of the watch is characteristic of watches that have been stored for a very long time, most often this is due to dust getting into the mechanism or dried lubricant, here you can do with simple prevention of the mechanism. But to treat an unpleasant crunch, you will need to replace parts (spoiler).

Here are the insides of this watch, the red arrow indicates the screw for removing the winding shaft.Around this screw there is a damaged chamfer in the bridge, this indicates that someone tried to unscrew this screw with an oversized screwdriver. On other screws, the same there is a characteristic damage to the splines.

And so, we proceed to disassembly / troubleshooting.

In order for the watch to stop spontaneously stopping, you need to completely disassemble the mechanism and rinse it from dirt and old grease (Specifically, in this case).

There is practically no typical wear on this mechanism.

So we got to the reason for the cranking and crunch of the winding shaft - a pinen with traces of wear.

On a detailed examination of the problematic parts, we see “licked” teeth. The total of the part for replacement. Perhaps someone tried to wind up the clock.

After washing the parts, the mechanism is lubricated and reassembled. I installed the mechanism in a wrist case with a new dial and hands, my own hands, unfortunately, did not fit into the new case.

Two bridges were also replaced, the relatives were in good order, but the new ones were made more accurately than the relatives. The screw heads had to be polished so that the damage to the slots would not be so conspicuous.

I did not have a suitable second hand, I had to farm and cut off the second hand from other watches.

TK now on a pick-up there is a popular heading about mysterious things here is a riddle for you: What is this tool for (on the right)?

Since childhood, I have been repairing something. Most of all - electronic equipment, later - cars. And also furniture, household appliances, computers. Although it was never a mainstream profession, it constantly had to be done. But for a watch, especially an old one, I never took it.

But now, fate gave me a watch, and what kind - Le Roi a Paris, issue - presumably the second half of the nineteenth century before last!

I was first asked to properly install and start this clock after the restoration of the wooden case. Restorers understood wood well, but poorly understood watch mechanics. They made a wonderful case, but they could not even put the mechanism in it correctly. I managed to correct their mistake and the clock went on. But after a while, after the owners tried to slightly change the tone of the fight by bending the drummer, trouble happened - the clock stopped beating altogether, and began to stop. They turned to me again. I, with some trepidation, got down to business ..

Inspection of the mechanism showed that the striker drive foot is broken, which is caught by a special sprocket, forcing the striker to rise and hit. In the foreground of the view is an axis with a fragment of a paw. On the left, at the end of the axis, there is a round part from which the bar goes downwards - this is the striker rod. Behind the axle there is a gear, and next to it, on the right, behind it, is an asterisk, which, while rotating, clings to the foot (which is now broken off), forcing the axle to turn, and the drummer to beat.

The foot has been pressed into the axle. With all our desire, we cannot repeat this now. Therefore, let experienced watchmakers scold me, but I came to the only decision - a new foot should be directed to the axis. solder! Moreover, I own a soldering iron well, and this method allows me to quickly and reliably carry out repairs. Watch parts are brass, but brass can be soldered.

So, the workplace has been prepared. Naturally, a soldering iron, solder, flux in a bottle. I bought a special flux for soldering brass radiators because the watch parts are made of brass. Tweezers, curly pliers. Well, one more thing.

Once upon a time, my eye could easily distinguish the smallest details of electronic circuits. But this is in the past, and today jewelry glasses can help. They are in the photo on the right. I have not been interested in this subject for twenty-five years, since my father had such. It turned out that the device has evolved a lot over the years. Now they have extra lenses and even a built-in flashlight! They are everywhere and are inexpensive.

Well, it will act as a donor for our new paw. brass belt buckle!
We cut off the part of the required size.

The detail is small - the glasses come in handy.Looking ahead, I will tell you that in fact, it has become even two times smaller.

Let's examine the mechanism. To remove the axle to which the foot will be soldered, it would be necessary to disassemble the mechanism completely with the removal of gears, springs, etc. This is undesirable - such a deep disassembly of such an old watch is dangerous, you can break something else, violate the geometry of the parts, but they have worn down for centuries. We decide to solder in place, being careful. All parts of the watch are covered with a centuries-old coating of oxide and dirt.

We remove the hands to dismantle the dial. The latter has a real enamel coating, as on pots and basins. At that time, they could not create a bright white glossy surface that does not crumble and does not turn yellow over the years. Actually, even now there are few coatings that can compete with enamel for these qualities.

First, we tinker our part. Although it is also oxidized, tinning is easy even without mechanical cleaning - the flux works with a bang.

We clean the drummer axis with natfil. We make sure that sawdust does not fall into the mechanism.

At the same time we grind off a fragment of the old paw. We need a smooth surface for soldering!

After stripping, we take a drop of flux with tweezers, like a drawing pen, and apply it to the axis.

And we perform tinning. Of course, we only need to tin the section of the future soldering, and not the entire axis.

Finally, both surfaces are tinned, soldering is done. This is a very difficult task that is performed with jewelry glasses. They are good, but they do not help much here either - after all, you need to orient the part in two planes at once. Any bends and other forceful methods of position correction after soldering are unacceptable - you can break the axis.

After several attempts, the foot can be properly soldered. The photo was taken right through the lens of jewelry glasses. However, even without glasses, you can see that I overdid it when tinning the foot - there is excess solder on it, and just in the place where the cogwheel catches it, which is unacceptable.

You have to unsolder the foot to clean it. At the same time, give it some chamfer to facilitate contact with the gear wheel. What is good about soldering is that you can repeatedly separate and re-attach the part.

Solder the stripped foot again.

For the sake of interest, the photo was taken through an inverted lens. In this mode, it works like a super-macro, one problem is the extremely low depth of field.

We try the mechanism in operation, and then it turns out that the foot is too long. The drummer swings with a huge amplitude, and the mechanism generally does not work properly. This error is expected - I haven't seen the original leg, I don't know its length. The mistake can only be understood by testing.

You have to solder and shorten the foot. In the photo, the foot is brought to the axis as it should be. I will lower it under it, next to the gear, the teeth of the cogwheel protrude, which sets it in motion.

We solder the shortened foot. The photo shows that it stands exactly at the level of the cogwheel.

We put the arrows to scroll the mechanism until the moment of the battle. Checking the swing of the drummer. Everything seems to be correct.

We start the battle. The drummer works as it should. Here it is necessary to make a digression. Why am I paying so much attention to this foot? After all, the cogwheel, catching it, only turns the axis with the drummer, weighing several grams. Is its shape, position, plane really so critical?
Yes, the loads are small here. However, let's count. The clock strikes every hour, beating the time, and every half hour. In 12 hours they do only 1 + 2 + 3. ... +12 = 78 hourly beats, plus 12 beats every half hour, for a total of 90 beats. 180 hits per day. For a year - 65,700. Each blow is the raising of the foot by a gear wheel. In just a year 66 thousand times. But we need the hours to work for more than a year. And preferably a lot more.

However, for the sake of completeness, we need to hear the real chiming of the clock. To do this, I go to the place where the watch case remains and remove the mechanism holder with a melodic element, I don’t know what it’s called correctly, on which the drummer strikes.

The watch case is cramped and uncomfortable.And it's not hanging in my house. And we need to test the watch so that there is access to all the elements of the mechanism, and at the same time that the watch works completely in the normal mode. There is nothing to do - we will make the clock work and for this we will assemble a test bench!

I take the unnecessary shelf from the cabinet and attach the mechanism holder to it in the same way as it is fixed in the watch case.

And on this makeshift stand we assemble a clock with a pendulum.

We put the clock on the windowsill - a suitable place where no one will damage it. We leave to work for a few days. Every half hour, the apartment is filled with a melodic single ringing, and every hour the required number of beats sounds. I've never had a watch like this at home. The sensations are interesting. Especially at night. However, in the case the sound is even more melodic.

And finally, we refer the mechanism to the place where the case hangs. That is, to the joyful owners

I suggest listening to their melodic battle, which sounded again like it did over a hundred years ago.

I sincerely thank Vladimir Afanasyev, my son, for his help in preparing the photo and video materials for this article. & nbsp

If you feel you have enough strength and confidence to repair your watch with your own hands, then before proceeding with it, prepare for the necessary procedures. First, get some special tools. At least a set of screwdrivers.

Of course, you will almost certainly run into Chinese, soft and unworkable. The surface of the screwdriver must be hardened before use. It is enough to dip it into melted candle wax, then cool and sharpen with a regular stone or diamond wheel.

So that do-it-yourself watch repair does not turn into the need to repeat it already in the repair shop, it is necessary:

• understand how the clockwork works;
• have an idea of ​​the general structure of the watch, the main parts and assemblies (so as not to be superfluous);
• to have on hand a diagram of a specific mechanism (often there is no such mechanism for antique and antique watches - it is better to immediately contact the master: he will be able to understand the features of the mechanism);
• have the necessary tool (below is a complete list);
• pre-practice on unnecessary standard mechanisms, having achieved such a level of skill when there are no extra parts left, and the newly assembled watch works no worse than before;
• have the necessary substances for cleaning parts and assemblies;
• remember the main list of clock faults, and typical breakdowns of individual parts;
• be able to recognize this or that detail at a glance;
• start work fresh and vigorous, rested.

To carry out an independent watch repair with your own hands, you will also need tweezers. You can buy an ordinary medical or special watch (you will find it on the radio market, flea, bird, etc. - there are many names, the essence is the same: flea market).

Do-it-yourself watch repair is usually carried out in order to clean the mechanism (for this you need White Spirit, kerosene or Galosha gasoline). May come in handy: sewing needles, surgical clamps, scalpel, vernier calipers. Or a special watch set.

Do-it-yourself watch repair should only be carried out if you are well versed in technology and can understand the structure of the clock mechanism. When carrying out work, use the drawings.

If you plan to repair antique or antique clocks, it is better to go to the repair shop right away. It will come out much cheaper than do-it-yourself repairs. Your watch will definitely not be harmed there.
The repair itself consists of several typical blocks of actions:

• disassembly of the mechanism
• cleaning and washing
• replacement of defective parts
• editing of individual elements, if they are to be restored
• reassembly
• customization
• checking the density of mates, tightness.

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 required to gently remove the machine components. 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 her. 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, 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, switching it to the eyeliner mode, and slightly press 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 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.

Clocks come to people in different ways. Sometimes they cry for help because they are getting old and it is getting harder and harder for them to walk. Finally they stop, which ones to rest and which ones to take forever. Particularly stubborn patiently wait in the wings to walk either through someone's new apartment, or in an antique store, or with a new owner. But one thing in common that unites them is the desire to walk, in fact, for this they were created.

This mechanism came to me from a neighbor in the country, he just threw them away. I am not a watch repair specialist, but I could not pass by them. After examining the mechanism, I came to the conclusion that it could be some very old clock:

The story itself moved for a very long time, although it fits into several lines. I took this mechanism and went to the market. There on weekends there was always an elderly man selling a used table clock. When I showed him the mechanism, he immediately determined that it was a watch from the German brand YUGANS, made around 1900:

He advised me to take this watch to try to restore its former appearance. But I had nothing on this issue, no knowledge, no experience, no familiar watchmakers. Somehow I found an acceptable pendulum for them, repaired the springs, went over the whole mechanism and they went! True, at a very high speed, but they walked. This inspired me to find a suitable case, but really nothing came of it. Then I made the cabinet myself from an old plywood TV. I went to antique shops, wondering how it should look. And then one day on the INTERNET at an auction, I saw a real case from an antique watch. Then it was a matter of technology. Soon I got this corpus:

After examining this case, I found an inscription that this watch was released in 1934. In addition, the diameter of the YUGANSA watch dial was much larger than the window of the watch case. The question arose about finding a suitable dial, or making a new one, which is certainly possible, but not desirable. Here is the information for understanding:

Well, there is such a Soviet, pretty good watch "VESNA". They have one to one the same diameter of the dial with the given case. Why not? For example, these are:

As you can see, their dials are stylized after ancient motives, which gives some chance of success. No, I was not going to put this dial on the YUGANS watch. I just decided to insert this VESNA watch into the case. But for this I had to build such a stand:

Well, the idea is clear, we install the stand inside the case, adjust the position with three screws screwed into the planks and set the VESNA clock on top. At first I just wanted to see how it would look, then it turned out that this is pretty cool, because everything temporary can become permanent:

Clock VESNA in the old case

And to be honest, I would not want to. With all due respect to the VESNA watch, I would like YUGANS to go again, about a hundred years ago, even if in a different building:

Yes, ”The king is dead. Long live the king!" Maybe one of the watchmakers will wander on this page and grin. Or maybe he will help with good advice or offer his services. But Jugens will go, I'm just sure of that.

You can read a similar article about the dressing table. Diy pier glass