On The Bench - My Watchmaking Journey

[Endo]

Hey RWI… or more fitting for this section fellow tinkerers

Firstly I’d just like to say I am not a qualified watchmaker and don’t want to take anything away from these professionals and the tuition they have undertaken. I have had an interest in watches for several years, fast forward and this lead me taking up watchmaking as a hobby… probably expedited by covid and the shear amount of free time (but let’s not dwell on the past) this then subsequently lead me to discovering reps and what better movements to work on!

I just wanted to create a thread, which I’ll hopefully keep updated. Partly for myself to keep a track of and for anyone else who is interested and/or is wanting to take up watchmaking as a hobbyist.
I liked spending my time over in the Vintage Section however in recent months find myself spending time in the Tech Section, following other people’s journeys like @pyschotee16 @Oascom and @dogwood, to name a few. Inspiring to also share my journey - sorry I haven’t reached out, merely admired from afar.

For anyone wanting to take it up, there is a plethora of information on many forums including this one, about all things watchmaking, follow the appropriate tech sheets for oiling and if this isn’t available, oiling charts are the next best thing.

My time on this journey I have service a range of different movement for friends, family and myself.
I enjoy servicing your typical Rolex Clone movements and anything vintage I can get my hands on fro eBay.
I look forward to sharing my journey, on the bench at the moment is a 90’s ETA 2840 - some low beat goodness which I have decided to give a service.

Caveat: think it may also be worth mentioning, this is not a post to offer my services or any kind of advertisement. I respect the rules and moderators of this forum and the guys that have become trusted members. Moderators please remove if not allowed.

 

[dogwood]

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to following along with your journey.

 

[Endo]

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to following along with your journey.

Appreciate the kind words @dogwood. I have thorougly enjoyed your thread, apologies I haven't reached out prior!

 

[PsychoTee16]

I love a nice clean bench. Honestly much better than some I've seen!

Welcome and look forward to watching along.

 

[Endo]

I love a nice clean bench. Honestly much better than some I've seen!

Welcome and look forward to watching along.

Apologies I did realise my spelling error, Thank you for the kind words.

Many thanks for sharing your journey too as it has made for some great reading!

 

[Nikz19]

Your bench looks cleaner than most “professionists” I’ve had the chance to see.

 

[Endo]

Your bench looks cleaner than most “professionists” I’ve had the chance to see.

Hey Nikz... Appreiate the kind words from yourself, it means alot.
I couldn't work in cluttered and messy conditions. A tidy desk = a tidy mind

 

[Endo]

Hey RWI,



As promised in my last post, I serviced an ETA 2840 and here is a quick overview of the service.

Maybe not the most interesting movement however these ETA 2840 are excellent movements and very inexpensive especially if you are looking for a low beat movement.

I start by putting the watch on a timegrapher machine, to see how the watch is running. It’s running around 110 seconds/day fast and the amplitude is a little low.



After seeing how it’s running, I get started with the disassembly, through the disassembly I tend to pay close attention to the individual parts, looking for signs of wear and whether this is affecting the performance.

Apologies I have no pictures of the disassembly.

Once the disassembly is complete, I inspect the main plate and also clean all jewels with peg wood, oil often hardens in these areas so it is good to agitate these areas before a clean. I also inspect the jewels on the main plate under a microscope just to check they’re all doing ok and don’t need replacing, as end shake can cause performance issues - in this instance I have nothing to worry about.






Basket all my parts up and give them a thorough cleaning. For me this is a cycle of 1 clean and 2 rinse.

Once cleaned and dried, this is where the fun begins of the reassembly. Starting with the mainspring barrel and train of wheels. Inner barrel walls receive 8213. Barrel arbor receiving some HP1300 to both sides, intermediate wheel and third wheel also receiving HP1300 to the jewel. 9010 to the second wheel and escape wheel jewel.



This is a good example of oiling, if you have to remove excess oil rodico is your friend!



Once these wheels are freely spinning and seated correctly, I screw the bridge down.

Once the train of wheels bridge is securely seated, I then go ahead and place the barrel bridge in position and screw down. The click and crown wheel arbor receives HP1300. Installing the crown wheel and ratchet wheel and screwing down.

Flipped over movement, apologies I didn’t get many photos of this. This movement being a 2840 it is a time only movement - no date wheel on this movement. Start by installing the sliding pinion, winding pinion and stem – these receiving HP1300.

Just a caveat here – I’m following an ETA 2824 Tech sheet here, usually I would use 9504 on these components as they’re metal on metal. However, this is what the ETA Tech sheet suggests and I would say following these are best practices.

Once the above have been installed it’s time for the operating lever, yoke and setting lever, these receive HP1300 in various places, once installed the setting level jumper can be installed. Keyless works complete, it is now time for the Motion works.

Cannon pinion with driving wheel receives 9504 to the underside where this sits on the main plate and HP1300 to the cannon pinion walls. The tech sheet suggests 9501 but I only have 9504. Once installed the minute and hour wheel can be installed. Seated and held into place with the motion works bridge. Different to a 2824 where this is called a minute train bridge this holds the minute and hour wheel.



Onto the flip again and we're back to get this thing running again.

Time for the pallet fork to be installed, the pallet jewels get some 9415. Once seated correctly, a pallet bridge is installed.

Now the moment of truth… Balance installed and this is what makes it satisfying seeing it kick back into action and getting the watch running again.

Note: make sure the watch is wound, you should be able to tell if you gently touch the pallet, it will make a swift move. Probably not explaining it the best here but your pallet fork moves in one direction and back the opposite way. If it only takes a nudge for the pallet to move this means the watch is holding power.



Then it’s time for the watch to be put on the timegrapher again, see how the watch is running and have it regulated. After further tweaking I got this baby down to +1 sec/day and 0.1 beat error.



Time to complete the reassembly with the Automatic works and rotor. It's always easier to install these after the watch has been regulated, I find at least anyway.

Starting with the automatic device framework, installing the reversing wheels these receive 9010 to the openings in the wheel and the reduction wheel and ratchet wheel – ratchet wheel post receives HP1300. Once all seated correctly and in place we install the Automatic bridge, the jewels to this bridge get oiled with HP1300.



Automatic module can then be installed to the movement and the jewels on the correct side up are oiled with HP1300 also.



And to finish off the reassembly the rotor screwed down to complete the automatic works. The ball bearings to the rotor are oiled with 9010.



Voila, reassembly compete and watch is running. This movement will keep in my movement drawer until I use it for a project, no current use for it as of yet.


I have been wanting to make a post here on RWI for a while, however decided against it until I had some material to at least share. I find watchmaking very therapeutic, a methodical process that just never gets old. Personally, I get lost in the process way too much and never think or even remember to take photos of any of the watches I work on. This is what I’m trying to work on now… I want these posts to be informative but also concise. Most of these movements have probably been serviced on YouTube which is probably better if you’re looking for a step-by-step guide.

Didn’t realise it took as long as it did to write this thing up, maybe a little more detailed in text than needed. Since then, I have been working on a SH3132, VR3186 and an VS3135.

 

[dogwood]

Great detailed write up. I especially like the photo overlays with oiling instructions. That would be very helpful to anybody doing this without the service manual!

 

[WatchSmith.US]

Bravo on your informative post!

 

[Endo]

Great detailed write up. I especially like the photo overlays with oiling instructions. That would be very helpful to anybody doing this without the service manual!

Thank you @dogwood its probably been done before but hope I can share and inform some guys maybe wanting to get into it!

 

[Endo]

Bravo on your informative post!

Thank you friend

 

[MJH89]

What a great read, thank you for such a detailed post, I'll look forward to your 3135 edition too.

 

[Endo]

What a great read, thank you for such a detailed post, I'll look forward to your 3135 edition too.

Thank you, I appreciate the kind words.

I look forward to sharing more!

 

[Pinion Minion]

looks great!

How do you like your microscope?

 

[Endo]

looks great!

How do you like your microscope?

It’s ok, does the job. Quality is decent and for the price can’t complain

 

[Endo]

Hey fellow tinkerers,

Just wanted to make a quick post with what's been on the bench since my last post, as I stated in my first post to this thread, I enjoy working on vintage watches, non runners and in dire need of a good clean and oil... however I don't think many would be too interested, these are maybe for another forum, after all this is a community based around reps!

Luckily in my non runner drawer, I had two rep movements, firstly a SH3132 from a JF 114300 and 3186 from a ARF 116710LN (not sure if this one is a VR or SH movement)

I didn't suspect anything sinister on the SH3132 as this had been serviced in the past, but my aim was to get it running again. Luckily I suspect something had dislodged and after a thorough clean it was holding power and keeping time - managed to get this down to 0 sec/day, BE of 0.1 however amplitude was a little low at 259 - now that I can wear this watch again keep an eye on the time keeping and maybe replace the mainspring.













Dial indices and hands needed a little polish using a Bergeon 7971, they're great for stuff like this. As you can see the previous watchmakers marking to the inside of the caseback, I'm taking that as serviced on 13th April 2019 - Thankfully this wasn't a friday!





Now ready to be cased back up and worn. Another watch to the collection!


Now onto the 3136 movement and honestly this was more me familiarising myself with the movement again. It came without a case so no wearing this guy whatever the outcome. I did however come with dial and hands, minus a seconds hand.



As you can see from the first picture, there was defiantly a date issue going on as we were between dates, which didn't want to move at all and was non running. After a service managed to get this running although probably not the best and I think the contributing factor on this one was poor condition of the parts, I wasn't shocked but I think it's good to bear in mind that these are cheaper than genuine for a reason. I'm picking my battles and this on will keep as a donor.








Apologies not as informative as my last post, however working on a VS3135 service which I will do as a full walkthrough similar to my 2840. I've just invested in a camera so hopefully I get better quality pictures.
Have a good day!

 

[dogwood]

Great post. I’ve found that on vr3235 and vr3186 movements if you’re finding the date gets stuck half way, the issue can be that the spring for the date jumper yoke might have been bent. Performance is quite sensitive to the shape of this spring. Here’s an example of one that is bent… the short side should be straight. You can see this one is ever so slightly curved. This was causing my date to not fully jump at midnight.

 

[Endo]

Great post. I’ve found that on vr3235 and vr3186 movements if you’re finding the date gets stuck half way, the issue can be that the spring for the date jumper yoke might have been bent. Performance is quite sensitive to the shape of this spring. Here’s an example of one that is bent… the short side should be straight. You can see this one is ever so slightly curved. This was causing my date to not fully jump at midnight.

@dogwood Absolutely, I did find that when I was reassembling the movement it didn't seem like it sat properly, I wouldn't say it was bent in shape though. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[wisedennis]

great article with wonderfully pictures!

Follow your passion, bro