Caveman's Watch Forum
Avatar A Caveman Watchmaking Cage Match. Post contains photos
Ricky Lee
May 10, 2009 09:40AM		 Registered: April 2005
Posts: 2,791 (2009-05)

Or, with apologies to Jerry Pournelle, "I do these stupid things, dear reader, so you don't have to." Wink, wink ...

Allan Zirlin sent me a batch of Wayward Wristwatches back in March, with one being an Armitron Ana-Digi Alarm-Chrono. I swapped in a fresh 399 battery but, alas, while the digital display worked fine, the analog portion of the movement was dead, Jim. It's been sitting in the Salvage Yard since. Well, I was browsing the Otto Frei site the other day, looking for a movement for another watch, when I noticed they had a good price on Miyota T205s. "Hmmmmmm.." I says to meself, "That's the very same movement what's in yon junker Armitron." Ah, what the heck! Since I'm ordering anyway, shipping is effectively free... Laughing!

It arrived last Thursday, so I figured I'd just whip the new module in before supper. Now, I know "pride goeth before a fall" and a', but I've been having pretty good success with such jobs. Gettin' to the point where I almost think of them as routine. So I really didn't expect any trouble. Little did I know I was in for a fight! Scary!

I did get the job done.. but man oh man, gettin' there was a struggle. I am confused... Scary! Wink, wink ...

Disassembly was a piece o' cake, as you'd expect.


The reassembly seemed to go OK, and I was ready for a function check inside of 10 minutes. But, uh oh, there's a problem. I applied too much pressure when setting the hands, and the hubs of the hour and minutes hands are fouling each other. I am sad... After futzing with it a minute, it quickly became apparent that I needed to pull the hands back off and start over. No problem, right? But..


Yikes! Scary! See the problem? No?


The hub of the hour drive pinion snapped off and remained in the hour hand. Nooooooo!

At first I couldn't see how I could ever remove the busted hub, at least not without totally destroying the hand, and briefly considered just using a new set of hands. But I've got plans for all the hand sets in the inventory, and really, really, really didn't want to use 'em on this clusterfiasco of a watch. OK, back up and punt. I clamped my Horotec handsetting tool in a vise, and used it as an 'anvil' in a lashed-up hub-removal fixture. Used a Starret scribe to carefully push the hub out and.. Yes! Luckily I've got the drive pinion off the old movement as backup, so we're back in business.

Now, I'd like to say that it was a breeze from there on. But no! The hour and minutes hands did go back on OK - this time I not only used less pressure, but placed a shim (a Bergeron dial protector) between the hands while setting them. Now for the seconds hand.. and I am angry!! my tool slipped, bending the "tail" of the seconds hand. Worse, when I attempted to straighten it, it snapped off. Yeah, that's the busted piece you see next to the busted pinion drive in the photos above. I am crying! Oh woe is me! I am crying!

Ah, screw it! We don't need no stinkin' tail on the seconds hand! Laughing!


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Works fine. I am smiling...

This is a faux Wrist Shot..


Click HERE for larger photo

..taken with the clasp of the bracelet open. Wink, wink ... Mind you, I knew going in that I'd never be able to actually wear it, due to the the way-short integrated bracelet. But that's fine, this was a "practice" project intended to build a little more experience. As a learning exercise, it must be considered a resounding success. Wink, wink ... It fulfilled that role and then some. Laughing!

The real kicker is, all this took well over an hour. Nearly two, truth be told. Time spent mostly at the workbench hunched over in The Watchmaking Position. Guess what? My buggered-up ribs weren't EVEN ready for that! Scary! Felt OK that evening, but when I got up Friday morning.. Arrrrrrrgh! The Pain! I am crying! I am sad... I am crying!

And I blame this all on you, Allan Zirlin! I am angry!! Ouch! Ya got me! I am angry!!

I am smiling... Laughing! I am smiling...

Ah well. Got to be willin' to suffer for your "art", right? Wink, wink ... And, hey, just in case anyone was doubtin' my continued status as a Caveman Watchmaker... Laughing!

Thanks for lookin'!

-Ricky



Messages In This Thread

A Caveman Watchmaking Cage Match. Post contains photos (Views: 63)
Ricky Lee -- May 10, 2009 09:40AM
Whew! congrats on the victory! (n/t) (Views: 5)
Dave Murphy -- May 10, 2009 10:40PM
Hey, that tractor might've kicked me ass, but at least I've never (yet Scary!) been whupped by a wristwatch. Rolling on the floor laughing my a$$ off! (n/t) (Views: 3)
Ricky Lee -- May 10, 2009 11:52PM
I am confused! interesting work though (n/t) (Views: 4)
anjizkit -- May 10, 2009 06:20PM
Thank You! Anjan! Yes, but "Interesting" in the Chinese sense Scary! I fear. Rolling on the floor laughing my a$$ off! (n/t) (Views: 4)
Ricky Lee -- May 10, 2009 08:51PM
Ah, blame it on me youngest male heir, for twas he that bequeathed the lowly Armitron to me. Laughing out loud! (Views: 8)
Allan Zirlin -- May 10, 2009 01:54PM
OK! We can do that. I knew 'twas the fault of SOME Zirlin, anyway. Rolling on the floor laughing my a$$ off! (Views: 4)
Ricky Lee -- May 10, 2009 03:02PM
Quote
Allan Zirlin
..behold, it lives!
It does indeed.

Mind you, I'm still wondering why I bothered. Maybe some watches deserve to die.. If so, I'm thinkin' this one's a prime candidate. Laughing!

Ah well, maybe I can leave it on someones doorstep in the middle of the night... Wink, wink ...

-Ricky

Avatar WooHoo! I'll drink to that! Cheers! Sold a watch today! Thumbs UP! Post contains photos
Ricky Lee
May 12, 2009 12:55AM		 Registered: April 2005
Posts: 2,791 (2009-05)

Even made a whopping $2.50 profit on it. Wink, wink ... Am I big-time, or what? Laughing!

Yeah, 'twas the..



Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..ex-Zirlin Armitron with which I narrowly won the Cage Match Scary! last week.

The new owner, one of me co-workers, is just happy as he can be with his $15 watch. Wink, wink ... Thumbs Up!

-Ricky

Messages In This Thread

WooHoo! I'll drink to that! Cheers! Sold a watch today!  Thumbs UP! Post contains photos (Views: 64)
Ricky Lee -- May 12, 2009 12:55AM
I knew you could do it, highlander. Laughing out loud! (n/t) (Views: 3)
Allan Zirlin -- May 12, 2009 03:19AM
Hey, Ricky, you're doin' I am smiling... better than I usually do! (n/t) (Views: 4)
MCV -- May 12, 2009 03:13AM
Heh. Well, as pitifully small as the profit was, it WAS a profit. Rolling on the floor laughing my a$$ off! (Views: 3)
Ricky Lee -- May 12, 2009 04:32AM
Couple more big deals like that, I can buy lunch at McDonalds. Wink, wink ...

-Ricky

Re: WooHoo! I'll drink to that! Cheers! Sold a watch today! Thumbs UP! (Views: 4)
fWord -- May 12, 2009 02:46AM
I'd be happy with that too, for $15. Looks like it even has a decent bracelet.

Re: Looks like it even has a decent bracelet. (Views: 3)
Ricky Lee -- May 12, 2009 04:29AM
Actually, it is a pretty decent bracelet. Solid link SS, and not a hair-puller. Thumbs Up!

And I like the movement, a Miyota T205. If it hadn't been for the I am angry!! integrated bracelet, I'd probably have kept it.

-Ricky

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