...for the 4 pocket watch movements that I recently bought.
First off, I would like to thank Roff for all his help in my endeavor!
Secondly, the reason for this post:
I saved the Longines watch for last, so I could "hone" my skills with the other three before going onto the one watch I was considering actually repairing and restoring. Fortunately I did learn quite a bit and was able to fully take apart the Longines movement and completely put it back together. I actually took the time to clean each piece with naptha (suggested on the internet but it's actually not that effective...), at least getting the chunks of dirt off if anything, and the pieces started to move well when it was all put together (there was no movement before I took it apart). However, since I did not have the crown or stem to wind it (thank you Roff for helping me locate that, though I probably will not buy one), I could not get the watch to run. Also, the hairspring was broken, the balance staff I believe, and I currently don't have the equipment to fix it nor replace it. Because I could not find a balance complete anywhere on the internet, I have to end the restoration here
. Oh, and I did go against Roff's advice of not taking the mainspring out of the barrel. I clean it and examined it, looks pretty cool! And I was able to put it back in the barrel, fitting the notches correctly (not THAT difficult to be honest).
I started this little project of taking apart pocket watch movements to learn more about them, to learn what an escape wheel is or how the power is transmitted through the mainspring all the way to the hairspring. I can now safely say, after taking apart 4 watches, that I have learned an incredible amount about watchmaking. However, I also learned that it takes A LOT of patience and a steady hand to actually put a watch back together. Now, I can't tell you guys how much more I appreciate watchmaking and watchmakers. Though I learned by myself and I'm sure it'd be slightly easier if someone were there to guide me through the process, it's a very difficult thing to accomplish, putting a watch back together, each and every piece. I worked on basic watch movements with the hour, minute, and small seconds. No complications, yet it seemed very complicated to me! Looking at all those catalogs highlighting the clear casebacks of watches, showing off the movements of the extravagant pieces that fit so perfectly together and that move in such harmony, now appeals to me in a different way. I realize the amount of work and effort that goes into putting watches of those magnitudes together, let alone designing one!
Taking part in this project helped me further my passion for watches and my passion for
haute horlogerie . I have done further research and I believe I can make a profit from repairing broken watches found on ebay and reselling them. I will definitely invest in some better tools first, and if I am able to accomplish a profit, I will surely save the money for a real watch that I can one day wear.
Thanks for taking time to read my story (and thanks again to Roff),
crasian1030
PS. Sorry br549 I couldn't get the pictures up! My dads camera couldnt focus on something that small, at least not well enough where it really captures the details of the movement.
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