I have been getting interested in watch repair for a couple of months now and I have watched a number of your videos. You have taught me a lot. Finally I have something to contribute to you. My background is in metallurgy and I spent my career in the heat treatment of aerospace parts. When you heat the mainspring material red hot with a torch and allow it to cool in air it is not tempering. It is technically Normalizing. It will probably make the material soft enough to cut and file but it may not be the best way to accomplish this. There is a risk of some areas, like the edges, cooling quickly enough to partially re-harden. Heating the spring to a temperature slightly below red hot, if you can do it, would produce a lower hardness and less chance of breaking while cutting and filing. Then when re-hardening the finished tool the steel just has to get barely red hot to allow it to harden on quenching, around 1500 degrees F. In the video it is way overheated. Probably works most of the time but its not necessary. After quenching temper the tool in any oven at about 450 degrees F for an hour or so. This will lower the hardness slightly but increase the toughness greatly. I hope this helps.
Wow. Thanks for that. I am obviously not a metallurgist so I was just showing the way I was taught it it's great to hear from someone with real world experience.
Wow, many thanks for this. One of those 'the more I know, the more I know I don't know' moments for me. I'm not at this stage of my watchmaking journey yet, but so appreciate having resources like this available to inspire me and provide guidance when I'm ready.
And this is why I made the video Amanda. I know there are plenty of people who will not do this because they have no intention of ever trying to make these types of adjustments. But there are some,like yourself, who know the importance of this adjustment and just haven't figured out the how.
Hey Alex woke up this morning to this wonderful video on how to make this tool. Of course now I have to go make this tool. I do have lots of other work to do today, including work. My wife probably wants me to do, but making this too old, seems like a lot more fun. The other thing that you need to do is tell people how to close the regular pins, but that is probably obvious as you just push them with a very fine pair of tweezers and then use your tool to do the final adjustment. I’ve been given a Hamilton 992 pocket, watch to work on and this thing is way out of beat and has some pretty big deltas in all positions. So we’ll see what the gap is for the regular pins as I attempt to get this thing performing better, after cleaning.
@@HRM.H It was for a 1945 Cyma Tavannes 166 movement. I did search around but wound up buying an assortment of regulator pins and replacing it. It did teach me to be careful next time.
Hi Alex! I'm a new watchmaker hobbyist from Finland. I found your videos and started learning from those. And I find them really good. Love your bonus tips :D Keep doing good work for old watches, less get broken when we have good teacher. Thank you!
Thank you again. You are a great master watchmaker! Thanks to your valuable help today I have been able to finish the restoration of my fourth watch, a beautiful Seiko Advan that I will wear with pride. My dream is to one day reach your level so that I can pass on this knowledge to others as well. I will practice hard until then.
Hey Alex! As always... this is awesome! Love little tid bits like this! Keep 'em coming!! Enjoy! Bryan (yeah, that one student who has emailed you a few times now lol)
Your videos are just great and my go to for learning. I have a question. I have perched a hundred or so bulk watch main springs and your videos on selecting main springs are excellent. My question is on the spring washers the plate the springs are coiled into their is a number like 50 or 60. Do these numbers mean the length or something or just a stock number. I'm just getting started. Should I have not perched bulk main springs.
Probably not. Items that are usually sold in bulk are sizes that are very seldom ever used so if you have a way to identify them, then you can catalog them in its possible that you may be able to use one of them one day.. The number on the ring by itself as no significance.
Question about shaky hands- What strategy do you use to work on hairspring adjustments and other sensitive parts? Or can you drink 4 cups of coffee and still have steady hands like a superhero?
Well, I can tell you that working in a comfortable position helps greatly. Working under a microscope also helps with the ability to make very precise movements. No, i'm a two cup of coffee guy. That's it.
My problem with Omega is that I like the idea of getting a co-axial movement but there is nothing in the current catalogue I like, nearly everything has a dial like a ploughed field, some like a badly ploughed field. They used to do some stunning watches years ago so I'm keeping an eye out for a second hand one. To be fair there is nothing in the Rolex catalogue I'd want other than the 36mm Explorer and I've already got the best version of that.
This might be a stupid question, but it seems as the pin bends more (as seen here 07:08 ) than the "fixture" opposite of the pin, can this lead to beat error, since one side is bent more.
Not a stupid question. Beat error occurs when one oscillation is larger than the other. This can be caused by many things but is but is usually corrected by adjusting the hairspring collet right? Adjustments here can't affect the beat error unless the regulator pin was actually loose and moving around. Like I said in the video, these touches are making are exaggerated, and in reality they would not be as aggressive as what you see. They are very small micro adjustments . Where you can run into rate problems in the horizontal positions if the pin is at a large angle.
Every watchmaking tool vid ever. "To make this simple tool go out and buy 5 tools." lol. Great vid but this is always a frustration with this stuff haha.
Many people will already have files. You can always come up with a different method or material to make the tool. It really just depends on what your goals are. Hell a lot of people don't even work on movements with adjustable pins like these.
@@watchrepairtutorials Yeah, i was mostly just trying to be funny and speaking to my current situation (I have nothing you would need in that vid to make this thing or the other tools you've shown that i could use haha.). I also just happen to have a seiko 7006 that was my toughest repair and first vintage watch i fixed from total non runner that just happens to have those pins and it could perform better but I'm afraid to touch the things to lower the delta.
@@watchrepairtutorials Working with metal ive always called it anealing when I heat hardened steel to soften it so I can work it. then after work is complete you heat and quench steel to restore hardness then finish by tempering to straw color. Thats how I was taught as a child. been doing it since I was five.
@@watchrepairtutorials Anealing is softening hardened steel so you can work it. Tempering is re leaving stress in the metal from hardening process but not removing the hardness.
Hi... I'm, right now designing and creating my own watch, including the case... The prototype is being made out of bronze... It's been a bloody night mare, getting things right... On top of that, I'm 70, and have no watch making skills what so ever... I'm using an ETA movement... Now I lay awake at nights, thinking, how am I going to do this or, that, and get it spot on! Iv'e gone though lots of cutters, some 0.5 mm, and wasted materials ! What the hell was I thinking... lol Why did I put myself through this... My wife says Iv'e gone barmy... I think she's right... But, I'm like a dog with a bone... I will soldier on... Frank... PS. Watch case... NO, mental case...
@@watchrepairtutorials Yes, I bought a budget lathe and mill, the mill seems ok, but wish I'd bought a better lathe! Also, I wish I'd bought a mill with DRO fitted... I bought a ETA 7001 movement, to keep the watch as thin as possible, about 8.5 to 10 mm. As I'm making the dial as well I'm finding it really difficult! Wanna move to the UK to give me a hand ... lol Frank...
I can do the basics required to service a mechanical watch and even successfully replaced a balance spring .. after destroying two in the process! Without a decent microscope it’s impossible to work this way. That’s when I lost interest.
I have been getting interested in watch repair for a couple of months now and I have watched a number of your videos. You have taught me a lot. Finally I have something to contribute to you. My background is in metallurgy and I spent my career in the heat treatment of aerospace parts. When you heat the mainspring material red hot with a torch and allow it to cool in air it is not tempering. It is technically Normalizing. It will probably make the material soft enough to cut and file but it may not be the best way to accomplish this. There is a risk of some areas, like the edges, cooling quickly enough to partially re-harden. Heating the spring to a temperature slightly below red hot, if you can do it, would produce a lower hardness and less chance of breaking while cutting and filing. Then when re-hardening the finished tool the steel just has to get barely red hot to allow it to harden on quenching, around 1500 degrees F. In the video it is way overheated. Probably works most of the time but its not necessary. After quenching temper the tool in any oven at about 450 degrees F for an hour or so. This will lower the hardness slightly but increase the toughness greatly. I hope this helps.
Wow. Thanks for that. I am obviously not a metallurgist so I was just showing the way I was taught it it's great to hear from someone with real world experience.
Wow, many thanks for this. One of those 'the more I know, the more I know I don't know' moments for me. I'm not at this stage of my watchmaking journey yet, but so appreciate having resources like this available to inspire me and provide guidance when I'm ready.
You got this!
Perfect timing. Now I get to make another tool I didn’t know how to make.
Make it! Make it. Hehe 🕐⚙️🍸
Timing is everything, yea?
@@watchrepairtutorials Definetely. lol
I've learned a terrific method for adjusting the pin gap; previously, I used a little screw driver for that purpose. Thank you!
I hope it helps you with this delicate adjustment.
amazing...had to replace my first mainspring last week and my teacher showed me this. Thanks for sharing.
That's awesome. Who taught you that?
@@watchrepairtutorials just started a course at a friend who is a professional watchmaker
another fine lesson Alex I have a project to work on tonight as I have broken to many regulator pins Thank you again Alex😍
And this is why I made the video Amanda. I know there are plenty of people who will not do this because they have no intention of ever trying to make these types of adjustments. But there are some,like yourself, who know the importance of this adjustment and just haven't figured out the how.
Hey Alex woke up this morning to this wonderful video on how to make this tool. Of course now I have to go make this tool. I do have lots of other work to do today, including work. My wife probably wants me to do, but making this too old, seems like a lot more fun. The other thing that you need to do is tell people how to close the regular pins, but that is probably obvious as you just push them with a very fine pair of tweezers and then use your tool to do the final adjustment. I’ve been given a Hamilton 992 pocket, watch to work on and this thing is way out of beat and has some pretty big deltas in all positions. So we’ll see what the gap is for the regular pins as I attempt to get this thing performing better, after cleaning.
Isn't it great being retired JD? I have a 992B on the way that's coming in pieces.
@@watchrepairtutorials it is good to have actual time to do your watch work and not worry about having to go to the office
I wish that I had this tool when I broke a regulator pin last year. These pins are very easy to break and difficult to replace. Thanks Alex!
Sorry to hear that but know you know.
Easier to just replace the whole balance assembly.
@@HRM.H It was for a 1945 Cyma Tavannes 166 movement. I did search around but wound up buying an assortment of regulator pins and replacing it. It did teach me to be careful next time.
Hi Alex! I'm a new watchmaker hobbyist from Finland. I found your videos and started learning from those. And I find them really good. Love your bonus tips :D Keep doing good work for old watches, less get broken when we have good teacher. Thank you!
Thank you my friend in Finland. You are absolutely right.😜
Sir, you tend to make the impossible become possible. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your skills. 🕐⚙️🍸
As always, Thank you so much 😀
@@watchrepairtutorials As always, I am the one who has to thank you. :)
Thank you again. You are a great master watchmaker! Thanks to your valuable help today I have been able to finish the restoration of my fourth watch, a beautiful Seiko Advan that I will wear with pride. My dream is to one day reach your level so that I can pass on this knowledge to others as well. I will practice hard until then.
That's a beautiful goal. Keep learning my friend. Never stop learning.
Lol...I was going to ask you to do this very same type of video. Thanks!
Hope you enjoyed it!
Thanks for this home made tool tip.
You are welcome!
Grreat job thank again always great and helpful info that no one tells u 👍
Glad to help glad to be here William.
Awesome video Alex !!!!!
Glad you enjoyed it
Hey Alex!
As always... this is awesome! Love little tid bits like this! Keep 'em coming!!
Enjoy!
Bryan (yeah, that one student who has emailed you a few times now lol)
Cool, thanks! Man. It's all good, keep em coming.
Wow! Alex, just Wow!
Mr Holloway. Nice to see you sir.
Keep up the good work my friend.
nice work with those measurements mate
Thank you! Cheers!
I just use an old piece of broken, flattened mainspring . I keep a few extra widths available, and use them in conjunction with my hairspring tools
Thanks for sharing.
Very good
My pleasure my friend.
Your videos are just great and my go to for learning. I have a question. I have perched a hundred or so bulk watch main springs and your videos on selecting main springs are excellent. My question is on the spring washers the plate the springs are coiled into their is a number like 50 or 60. Do these numbers mean the length or something or just a stock number. I'm just getting started. Should I have not perched bulk main springs.
Probably not. Items that are usually sold in bulk are sizes that are very seldom ever used so if you have a way to identify them, then you can catalog them in its possible that you may be able to use one of them one day..
The number on the ring by itself as no significance.
Question about shaky hands- What strategy do you use to work on hairspring adjustments and other sensitive parts? Or can you drink 4 cups of coffee and still have steady hands like a superhero?
Well, I can tell you that working in a comfortable position helps greatly. Working under a microscope also helps with the ability to make very precise movements.
No, i'm a two cup of coffee guy. That's it.
The secret is to relax as much as you possibly can, mentally and physically. Check and relax your shoulders, then do it again and again.
Millimeters… a fellow 🇨🇦 by chance? 😂. Awesome tool! Thanks for sharing!
Nope.
Very few people use imperial measurements and watchmaking. Even American watch companies used millimeters so it's more natural for sure.
Nice tool! Thanks, Alex. I hate using a screwdriver on them.
Try it out Robert. Screwdrivers are usually to large and it's harder to make small adjustments.
@@watchrepairtutorials I knew that there was a good reason to keep those busted mainsprings.
Just watched a video of yours about lubricating pallet stones. You said you used grease, but it looked like oil. What kind of lubricant did you use?
9415 is a thixotropic grease that is thick until something comes in contact with it which liquifies it and then goes back to a solid.
How do approach the issue of a slightly bent (not compressed) bezel ring, like from a diverse watch?
I guess I don't fully understand the question
👏👏👏
My problem with Omega is that I like the idea of getting a co-axial movement but there is nothing in the current catalogue I like, nearly everything has a dial like a ploughed field, some like a badly ploughed field. They used to do some stunning watches years ago so I'm keeping an eye out for a second hand one. To be fair there is nothing in the Rolex catalogue I'd want other than the 36mm Explorer and I've already got the best version of that.
I hear you on that one.
This might be a stupid question, but it seems as the pin bends more (as seen here 07:08 ) than the "fixture" opposite of the pin, can this lead to beat error, since one side is bent more.
Not a stupid question. Beat error occurs when one oscillation is larger than the other. This can be caused by many things but is but is usually corrected by adjusting the hairspring collet right?
Adjustments here can't affect the beat error unless the regulator pin was actually loose and moving around.
Like I said in the video, these touches are making are exaggerated, and in reality they would not be as aggressive as what you see.
They are very small micro adjustments .
Where you can run into rate problems in the horizontal positions if the pin is at a large angle.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks for the answer:) I clearly have some learning to do.
@TimRobertsen bruh... sign up for his watchmaking course. I signed up and it's a legit course! I'm learning a lot!
Every watchmaking tool vid ever.
"To make this simple tool go out and buy 5 tools." lol. Great vid but this is always a frustration with this stuff haha.
Many people will already have files. You can always come up with a different method or material to make the tool.
It really just depends on what your goals are.
Hell a lot of people don't even work on movements with adjustable pins like these.
@@watchrepairtutorials Yeah, i was mostly just trying to be funny and speaking to my current situation (I have nothing you would need in that vid to make this thing or the other tools you've shown that i could use haha.).
I also just happen to have a seiko 7006 that was my toughest repair and first vintage watch i fixed from total non runner that just happens to have those pins and it could perform better but I'm afraid to touch the things to lower the delta.
@@nunyabusiness9056 we all have to start somewhere brother. The longer you do this the more tools you will accumulate.
You aneal the mainspring ?
Tempering and annealing are basically the same except that tempering is done at a lower temperature with faster cooling.
@@watchrepairtutorials Working with metal ive always called it anealing when I heat hardened steel to soften it so I can work it. then after work is complete you heat and quench steel to restore hardness then finish by tempering to straw color. Thats how I was taught as a child. been doing it since I was five.
@@watchrepairtutorials Anealing is softening hardened steel so you can work it.
Tempering is re leaving stress in the metal from hardening process but not removing the hardness.
@@sonnymoorehouse1941 I am definitely not a metallurgist so I stand corrected. I am just showing the way I was taught to make this.
@@watchrepairtutorials Im only sharing what I was taught. other kids played with toys. I used torches and saws and grinders to make things.
Aprendice Brasil. Restauration.
Thank you.
Hi...
I'm, right now designing and creating my own watch, including the case...
The prototype is being made out of bronze...
It's been a bloody night mare, getting things right...
On top of that, I'm 70, and have no watch making skills what so ever...
I'm using an ETA movement...
Now I lay awake at nights, thinking, how am I going to do this or, that, and get it spot on!
Iv'e gone though lots of cutters, some 0.5 mm, and wasted materials !
What the hell was I thinking... lol
Why did I put myself through this...
My wife says Iv'e gone barmy...
I think she's right...
But, I'm like a dog with a bone... I will soldier on...
Frank...
PS. Watch case... NO, mental case...
I think that's awesome.
I assume you are using a lathe and mill?
@@watchrepairtutorials Yes, I bought a budget lathe and mill, the mill seems ok, but wish I'd bought a better lathe!
Also, I wish I'd bought a mill with DRO fitted...
I bought a ETA 7001 movement, to keep the watch as thin as possible, about 8.5 to 10 mm.
As I'm making the dial as well I'm finding it really difficult!
Wanna move to the UK to give me a hand ... lol
Frank...
This is why I gave up on the hobby. It’s just far too intricate and delicate for me.
I must admit.. after seeing this I'm pretty shocked this is a thing?. Incredible precision makes me think can these watches be worn actively lol...
Micro-mechanics. Sometime's you love it. Some times you hate it but it's always challenging.
I can do the basics required to service a mechanical watch and even successfully replaced a balance spring .. after destroying two in the process! Without a decent microscope it’s impossible to work this way. That’s when I lost interest.