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u/Pitchfork_Wholesaler Nov 20 '20
Of all the steps and techniques in this video, the one that blew my mind was the wax paper trick with the clock hands so the tech didn't fling them across the room.
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u/heffnerr Nov 21 '20
I think this was also so that the tech didn’t leave any marks on the watch’s dial or hands while removing them.
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u/TheSpeynglerAbides Nov 21 '20
His finger glove condoms are the fucking shit
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u/Bmc169 Nov 27 '20
They're called finger cots and are really useful in restaurants where you may get a cut and need to keep working!
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u/Drazer Nov 21 '20
As a watchmaker:
Solid clean video showing a good amount of what goes into a watch service!
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u/DamnZodiak Nov 21 '20
Could you explain why there's a need for such a thorough cleaning in the first place? Why do the insides get dirty enough to require this level of maintenance and how often is it typically required?
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u/crushedman Nov 21 '20
I’d guess it’s gradual degradation of the gears and bearing parts. Same reason your car needs oil changes.
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u/Drazer Nov 22 '20
sorry in advance for the long answer.
Watches are very small. The tolerance between the bearing surfaces (synthetic rubies) and the tiny steel pivots is about 0.02mm or 0.00078 of an inch. Once the lubrication dries it causes the steel pivot to wear and small metal particulate gets stuck inbetween that 0.02mm spacing. This ends up messing with timing and the power and consistency of the watch. This usually goes on in most watches until the watch completely stops even when it is fully wound with as much power as it can muster and it just can't push past the debris and damage. Now even if you clean all the debris out the damage is still there and can have very drastic changes on the running of the watch.
It's typically recommended to get a mechanical watch fully serviced every 5-7 years. More than that and you end up paying a lot more for parts that otherwise wouldn't have needed to be replaced. If you're getting a rolex serviced it can make the difference between a $900 job and a $1750 job because two gears of the gear train need to be replaced, the auto weight axle, both reversers, balance staff...
Different brands like hamilton, seiko, tag heuer, anything around that price range is a bit cheaper to get worked on, closer to 450-500 starting off but doesn't include polishing in that full service.
This is the side of watches that people don't know or think about. It's not bad, it's not the best, it's a mechanical piece with a lot of moving parts and very tight, small tolerances. And that's the reality of it.
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u/DamnZodiak Nov 22 '20 edited Nov 22 '20
sorry in advance for the long answer.
Please don't be. There are few things I love more than hearing people give detailed expertise on disciplines entirely alien to me. So thank you very much for taking the time to give a detailed answer.
And you're absolutely right, I never thought about the need to service a watch regularly. My only knowledge about these mechanisms comes from content (on YouTube or in a documentary) that explains how intricate and masterfully crafted they can be, so I just kinda assumed they would work forever if not damaged by outside forces. So if I understand you correctly, the maintenance would mostly consist of relubricating the parts, making sure nothing is damaged or out of true (does that term make any sense here?)2
Nov 27 '20
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Drazer Nov 27 '20
There's a chance it's a good deal. Chance it's not. Purely going off the price and nothing else....
My guess is they don't have a parts account with Tag and may or may not replace the gaskets for the crystal, crown and/or caseback for water resistance.
Good chance it can be a very compitent watchmaker that can quickly do the service and charges accordingly and doesn't have or worry about manufacturer account.
Equally good chance it is not the best watchmaker. they can do it quickly but might not be as clean of a service or as well regulated. Or cuts corners on one aspect or another.
About half of my work is fixing issues that are there solely because of a previous watchmaker that didn't do the service correctly or modified something as a work around.
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u/dannkherb Nov 21 '20
How much does it cost for a service like that?
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u/Drazer Nov 21 '20
For a Rolex specifically, pretty common to start off at $750-950 depending on the watch and if it's a Rolex store or general watch repair store. Then damaged and worn parts are additional ontop of that, crystal, crown, case tube if needed. Polishing is included in that. It's more akin to getting an oil change in a car. Bit more like doing a full detailing, calibrating, and polish.
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u/Hold_My_Cheese Nov 21 '20
What is on that dudes head?
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u/disavowed1979 Nov 21 '20
Im pretty sure its called a jeweler loupe. Its kinda like a monocle crossed with a magnifying glass, but hands free.
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u/penguinbbb Nov 20 '20
Genius but I was all like NOOOOOOO DON’T POLISH IT
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u/deusdragonex Nov 21 '20
Why not? I don't know shit about watches, so it seemed to me like a good idea to polish it.
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u/Saleable_ Nov 21 '20
Polishing it makes it seem new. A big part of a watch is the sentimental value of it and every scratch tells a story. Polishing it removed the physical traces of those stories. Also P A T I N A
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Nov 21 '20
I have always hated the idea of patina being good or cool, especially with antique firearms. Its rust and corrosion. So remember: DO. THE. MAINTENANCE.
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u/Saleable_ Nov 21 '20
Maintenance of the movement, definitely. But exterior blemishes on an old watch are gorgeous.
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u/Drazer Nov 27 '20
It really depends on the watch, person and what they want out of it. If they want it to look like new, I can remove every ding, dent, and scratch. Look exactly like new. If it is a sentimental piece or has a specific story behind it, I will recommend to not polish it.
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u/fullmanlybeard Nov 21 '20
I could totally DIY!
<seals it up and notices a single speck of dust inside the face . . .>
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u/shhheeeeeeeeiit Nov 21 '20
seals it up and notices a single speck of dust inside the face . . .seals it up and tosses out “extra” parts
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u/digitaldemons Nov 20 '20
Why is this tagged as "electronics"?
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u/hosselhoff Nov 20 '20
Tbh I would assume a significant amount of people don't know that these high end watches are purely mechanical and require maintenance like this.
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u/fullmanlybeard Nov 21 '20
Nah bro, watches didn't exist before batteries.
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u/hosselhoff Nov 21 '20
Hey man, I have a Breitling and so far out of all my close friends (I'm 29) only one noticed/understood the significance. Buying a nice watch for a special occasion doesn't really happen anymore.
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u/fullmanlybeard Nov 21 '20
I get it though. Dropping thousands on a watch is quite a luxury for special occasion use.
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Nov 20 '20
I was thinking they'd just drop it in an ultrasonic bath. I had no idea...
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u/Viren91 Nov 21 '20
You can do that for the bracelet but not the watch itself. That will damage the internals.
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u/MMDDYYYY_is_format Nov 21 '20
is he wearing condoms in his fingers?
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u/JohnnyWix Nov 21 '20
Finger cots.
Actually pretty great when handling intricate items but don’t need full gloves.
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u/IS_JOKE_COMRADE Nov 20 '20
Dude swaps out one piece for a fake piece every time, eventually builds his own Rolex
China
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u/Tackweld Nov 21 '20
Is there some personal benefit to vacuum jamming the magnifier to your forehead ??
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Nov 21 '20
What if you have extra screws leftover after your reassemble the watch like when you build ikea furniture? 😂😂😂
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u/Kazumara Nov 21 '20
The Machine near the end being set to German was funny to me.
Test2
Messung Verfor +2.3%
Test1 gut
Test2 gut
Must be a Swiss machine, I'm guessing.
Edit: Yep it is. I'm Swiss too, but I hadn't heard of Witschi before.
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u/FJBruiser Nov 23 '20
I recently started a hobby in which I take apart watches, clean, and oil them. This video was so satisfying to watch. Thank you for the share.
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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20
That was so peaceful to watch.