In vintage watch collecting, I have learned that it pays to throw a low bid out there sometimes. I always try to set aside a little cash just on the off chance I stumble across a crazy deal, so I like to put in 8-10 low bids a week. 95% of the time I g…
Continue readingBorgel Cushion Case Watches
For a long time, I've been interested in a 1930s cushion case watch in precious or semi-precious metal, and in particular I really like the Borgel-cased models produced by J.W. Benson. I'm thinking about the threaded bezel type like this one,…
Continue readingEnicar Haul Inbound!
In Japan, Enicars are extremely common and surprisingly cheap, with the main downside being that most of them were in chromed and plated cases, which aged terribly. Stainless cases are quite rare and command a significantly higher price, and water resi…
Continue readingLosing Spring Bars
Eveen though my wheelhouse is more dress/sport watches than tool/military style, I still come across posts in watch social media of people showing how their NATO straps protected their watch from a fall after losing a spring bar.
The funny thing is, I …
The Hairspring Adventures Continue..
I don't know if it's my bad luck or just an inevitability of vintage watch repair, but I always seem to end up with watches suffering from various hairspring problems. Since most of this is being done on practice watches bought cheaply, I…
Continue readingLoose Regulator Pin
So, I have this late 40s Seiko cal. 10B "Chronometer" watch that I received in what was described as running condition, and with a supplied photo of a relatively clean-looking movement. I have another Chronometer Seiko (identical movement) fr…
Continue readingDo I need a Jeweling Tool?
So I wore the Seiko Lord matic I serviced myself for about a week and a half with no problems; the daily rate was a very consistent -20 secs/day with amplitude between 240-270 across all positions. Unfortunately, it suddenly stopped dead in it's t…
Continue readingI Guess I’m “That Guy” Now..
As someone who drinks maybe once or twice a year, I have always been suspicious when people say they bought a watch because they were drinking. It always felt like a cop-out to me- of all the things you would be doing while drinking, I can't imagi…
Continue readingCleaning a VERY Dirty Hairspring
I have a late 1940s Seiko that I just got in yesterday, and I'm pretty sure somebody tried to oil it (liberally) with olive oil about 50 years ago. The whole movement side was covered in a thick layer of a dark neon green substance that had basica…
Continue readingAligning Hairspring Collet to Jewel
So this watch showed up with a pretty jacked up hairspring- two significant bends out of flat, with several smaller bends out of round, and a couple coils touching. I have worked it into flat and what I believe is a good enough roundness to run, except…
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