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Other Watchmaking

Six O Two

(Marco)
Yeah, watchmaking is on a whole other level. I'm cautiously dipping my toes into that world and predictably, my first effort has been a bit of mess. I'm definitely not used to working at this scale, and not sure I want to, ha.

I've got a watch case I wanted to modify so that I could fit a different band to the watch, so I was milling chamfers into it to give more clearance to the springbars. I didn't tighten the vise quite enough though, and just as I finished the cut, the case slipped :rolleyes:. Oh well, at least it's on the backside.

Working on the case feels so small, but it's still a whole order of magnitude less small and fiddly than working on the mechanism would be...

1677612911895.png
 

trevj

Ultra Member
Precision machining at a whole smaller scale than many are used to dealing with!

As yet another rabbit hole I went down, over the years, I pursued an interest in watch and clock repair, pretty much until I had educated myself up to a level where I understood how little I knew! But I still have a pretty good collection of books and periodicals that relate, and the stuff is pretty damned cool!
 

Mcgyver

Ultra Member
I love that dividing mechanism. And the electron microscope lol.

Here's a photo I took to give sense of scale, the large one is a 1/4-20 cap head screw. I think someone with good machining knowledge has a huge edge on most amateur watch and clock guys....but there is of course still lots to learn and new skills to develop. Handling those small parts is very different....and as a relative beginner you get the all to frequent ping as some minuscule part shoots out of the tweezers and you know its then hands and knees on the floor until you find it. Great motivation to improve one's skills!

DSC_2103-1300x870.JPG
 
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historicalarms

Ultra Member
and as a relative beginner you get the all to frequent ping as some minuscule part shoots out of the tweezers and you know its then hands and knees on the floor until you find it.
One of the first gunsmith "how too" books I read suggested a handy item that would work just as well for you I think. The author suggested before even starting a career in smithing, that the first thing you build for yourself is a big open top box that can sit in front of you on your bench , cut two holes in one side that your arms will fit through and cover the open top with glass...you now have a work environ that will contain all those miniscule "sproingy" things that will inevitably launch themselves to places never to be found again....that was almost 40 yrs ago that I read that but still havent built my own tho....the "boss" still has good eyes and can still get down on her knees fairly easy to look for my stuff :):)
 

trevj

Ultra Member
I make extras, because I have yet to perfect tweezer skills for holding them :)
I have spent my fair share of time crawling across the floor, chasing after yet another little wee screw that the cheap tweezers have ejected!

A strip of the magnet that usually gets used on old school metal White Boards, is a REALLY handy tool. And chasing screws across the floor, makes you really appreciate why a top quality set of tweezers is actually worth what they cost, too!

I REALLY like my Dumont Tweezers!
 

trevj

Ultra Member
Do they make one with a closer clamp so you can let go and keep the screw (or whatever) in the tweezers?
I do believe that they do.

I have at least one in my collection that has that ability.

The last, truly "Watchmaker" related catalog I had received, had well over 40 pages of tweezers alone, in it. And, I'll be damned if I can recall the name of the outfit! Thye used to have a branch in Vancouver.

A good place to start is Gesswein https://www.gessweincanada.com/category-s/54.htm

Their cross lock tweezers are spring loaded to hold the part. But I have, had a few pair of tweezers that had a button to lock them shut on a small part!
 

Chicken lights

Forum Pony Express Driver
One of the first gunsmith "how too" books I read suggested a handy item that would work just as well for you I think. The author suggested before even starting a career in smithing, that the first thing you build for yourself is a big open top box that can sit in front of you on your bench , cut two holes in one side that your arms will fit through and cover the open top with glass...you now have a work environ that will contain all those miniscule "sproingy" things that will inevitably launch themselves to places never to be found again....that was almost 40 yrs ago that I read that but still havent built my own tho....the "boss" still has good eyes and can still get down on her knees fairly easy to look for my stuff :):)
The “boss” is overworked, undervalued and under paid :p

and, yes, I know which side of my toast is going to get buttered so I’m leaning towards the most favourable odds
 

Mcgyver

Ultra Member
Do they make one with a closer clamp so you can let go and keep the screw (or whatever) in the tweezers?

Negative action - https://www.dumonttweezers.com/Tweezer/TweezerStyleList/34

start looking under standard tips on the left see how many different Dumount tweezers there are.

The negative ones however are of little use for watch things imo, its hard to explain, but you are not clamping on to the screw, you're using the tweezers like finger tip extensions. You have to feel, and you vary pressure depending what you are clamping, weight size and geometry, (to much: ping! to little and the part slips out or out of position). You also have to often let up just a tad to push the part into something to position it, rotate it a bit, etc.

I don't mean to make it sound more than it is, but its deceptively difficult at first to pick up, position and place small parts. Things improve with practice, but you are scuppered without good tweezers. High quality screw drivers and tweezers are high on the list of first tools to buy, probably in the top five along with a loupe, case opener and hand removing levers....you need them before you service your first watch

Trev, I believe the biggest in Canada is Perrin. Even if not into horology, they have unique tools that would be hard to find elsewhere....where else are going go to pick up #6 Swiss cut file? (better take along a week's worth of lunch money though lol)
 
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Susquatch

Ultra Member
Administrator
Moderator
Premium Member
start looking under standard tips on the left see how many different Dumount tweezers there are.

Wow.......

Perrin. Even if not into horology, they have unique tools that would be hard to find elsewhere....where else are going go to pick up #6 Swiss cut file?

Wow again......

Not sure this is the one you meant, but here is a link to Perrin for others.

 
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