Tool Talk by Duarte

This month, let's talk about tools

Posted By: Duarte <milwatchNOSPAM@NOSPAMgmail.com>
Date: Sunday, 26 February 2006, at 5:23 p.m.

FEBRUARY 2006 PMWF TECH TIME
Watch Tools Overview

We have all heard that having the right tool for the job makes it it easier.
This month, I will review tools the average WIS should have, and more advanced tools for the WIS who wants to kick it up a notch. What is the best? What is decent and will do the job for far less than the expensive stuff. How you can make your WIS $$ go further, while still buying quality tools.

Most of the images are linked from ofrei.com website, but julesborel.com, Casker.com and several other supply houses will sell most of these tools. Shop around. I find that ofrei.com usually is the most expensive, julesborel.com has slightly better pricing most of the time, but YMMV.

Let's start with something no WIS should be without:

1. Spring bar tools

BEST VALUE:
Deluxe, Swiss made, (now sold by Bergeon, part # 6111, though not made by Bergeon)
This is the best out there. It will work on bracelets, larger rubber straps, leather straps, and the pushpin tip comes in handy also for drilled through lugs and clasp adjustment. If you only buy one tool, this is it. Buy extra tips, they will wear, or break. Have a couple of each style on hand.

Bergeon

Bergeon makes a couple of different spring bar tools of their own as well as selling the above model, the smaller, black plastic tool with a small fork and the a push tip.

A*F also makes a smaller, plastic handle tool.

These smaller tools are handy, as a back up, or spare. I would dispense with them personally, but some may like having an extra..

Bergeon also makes a larger metal tool, with either a large fork, for leather and rubber straps, or a small fork, for bracelets on one end, and a push tip on the other. I have one of each, only because I use them so frequently, having to constantly change tips would be a waste of my time. YMMV. I think most would be well-served with the Swiss deluxe model.

Indian made (Anchor, etc..)
There re some Indian made copies of both the high quality Swiss made spring bar tool and the Bergeon tools. They are not as well finished as the Swiss tools. You can, however, save some money, as they are half the price. I would recommend at least buying the Swiss made replacement tips, as a compromise.
If you frequently change straps, go Swiss. If you rarely need to change straps, are a bracelet type, or prefer nylon straps, consider buying a less expensive tool.

2. Case Holders

There are various Swismade case holders at $40-$80. They are very well made, but porobably too expensive for most WIS.

BEST VALUE: case holder (India) at about $6-$8, this gets the job done. A very nicely made tool. There are some Chinese made versions with plastic base instead of aluminum, that are also worth a look.

3. Case back openers

BEST VALUE: The Bergeon suction type, hand held opener. At about $15, this is a fantastic tool. I thank Reto for hyping this in his tool reviews, and it is a great tool. It won't open case backs that are very tight, however, properly closed case backs can be opened and closed again (properly) with this tool. The best part is, NO SCRATCHES. There are some other Brands, A*F and some Asian copies, but it is so inexpensive as far as Swiss tools go, I would recommend the Bergeon. It works very well and I can't vouch for the others.

Suction openers

Hand held two-prong wrenches.. I am not a big fan of these.. Three prongs provide more stability, but they do work, with some care and are inexpensive. OK, for very casual, limited use, for the WIS on a budget. I would get the A*F brand, rather than one of the cheaper copies.

Again, tape, case holder, use much care...

Indian made Jaxa style, the cheapest in price, and unfortunately in quality too.. USually have poor tolerances, sloppy adjustment. But they are inexpensive, and if used with a few precautions, they are fine for the casual use. Did I say precautions? Yes.. use a layer of thick packing tape, or two layers of thinner tape on the case back. Make sure the watch is well secured in a case holder, which in turn is held i a vise. Do NOT try to use this tool with an unsecured watch or by holding the watch in your hand.. playing with fire will get you burned.. Tighten the bits in place on the case back. Apply firm straight downward pressure. Wobbling will result in slippage and dreaded scratches... Which is why I recommend a better tool..

Chinese made Jaxa style
I have seen these for sale on eBay, and had one a while back. They are better made than the Indian copies, and while not as nice as the LG, they are a good compromise.

BEST VALUE: LG wrench
This is my recommendation. American Made (a rarity these days..) a well made tool, with tight tolerances. At about $50, it may not be the tool for you if you plan on using one only occasionally.. But if you are like most WIS, with dozens of watches, want to do your own battery changes, regulator adjustments, etc.. This is the way to go..
The same precautions apply as above, of course, as with all hand held caseback wrenches. Another bonus is..
As a bonus, the LG wrench can work in conjunction with the next tool (an upgrade path of sorts..)

LG Open-all (works with the LG wrench)
The Open-all comes with six Rolex style Oyster dies. Well made, better than the Indian made hand wrench for Rolex casebacks. The new model has a removable case holder, which was an excellent idea. Saves time and the fixed holder on the previous model was limiting (watches with fixed bars could not be used with it, for example).

The older model, with fixed holder..

There is a new and improved model, with removable case holder (an nice feature!) Worth looking for.

The Open-all comes with an attachment that allows use of the wrench, so that slotted case backs can be used. It is a desk or bench mounted system, so less chance of slippage. It can be held in a vise, or secured to a bench/ desktop with a base that is held inplace by screws. The Open-all sells for about $70. This is the system (along with the wrench) for WIS who plans to on frequently opening various case back style watches, and should cover most types.

Jaxa Swiss made
The Rolls-Royce of handheld wrenches. At twice the price of the LG wrench, it is not, however, twice as good. A fine tool, but at over $100, pricey IMHO.

Benchtop Caseback openers
Bergeon and Horotec are two that are most common.
MattV. Did a review of the Horotec. At over $600, it is pricey, but it is a better, more versatile solution than the equivalent Bergeon model.
The rubber dies alone are worth the extra cost. The Bergeon costal about $100 less, but ti does not come with as many attachments and dies. If you buy the Bergeon, you will spend several hundred dollars more to even come close to the features of the Horotec. There is also a mini-Horotec system, but it is not as complete a system. Again, this is for the serious WIS or budding watchmaker.

Horotec mini system

Horotec Deluxe system

Bergeon system

Snap back case openers.
BEST VALUE! The Push type openers are great. I have an A*F brand and a thinner blade Seiko brand one. They are almost all the same design principal.

I don't like case knives personally. But you may..

Bergeon also makes a lever style snap back opener that is a great tool which I also use.

The deluxe snap back opener is the Horotec crab. probably overkill at $150, unless you own hundreds of watches Or change batteries for a living...

4. Screwdrivers

Indian made
A mixed bag. Anchor makes some decent quality drivers. You ca also replace the blades with Swiss made blades a san upgrade.

If on a budget, I would still get the A*F Swiss brand (French made) drivers. There are smaller sets of 5 drivers which cost less and have all the most commonly used sizes for a WIS. if you want to service your own watches at some point, you will probably need the two smallest sizes (0.5mm and 0.6mm) and can buy these later on.

The larger sizes, 2.5mm and 3mm are really not used much, unless you work on pocket watches and clocks.

EuroTool brand also sells some French made drivers (probably made at the same factory as A*F. These are also a decent set.

Swiss Bergeon, Horotec

Bergeon screwdrivers have always been touted as the best, and they certainly are a fine quality percussion set of screwdrivers.. but there is a new kid in town...

Horotec
Horotec has Bergeon trumped as far as I (and many others are concerned):

Horotec uses a ball bearing swivel head (much smoother operation than Bergeon, which just swivel on a post)

Horotec are all stainless steel (the Bergeon and all other brands I have used) are chromed brass. This is not really an issue, but certainly more durable.

Horotec uses flat edged head, so it won't roll off your bench..) the Bergeon driver hearsd are knurled, but they are basically a rounded design and still have a tendency to roll a bit if nudged. The Horotec stay put. A*F drivers also have flat edged heads, so no rolling.

The Horotec drivers are a tad bit shorter, a better design for medium to smaller hands.

My only gripe about Horotec: The color coded heads! They use the same color scheme as Bergeon, which is good for someone switching..BUT..the black driver (1mm) and the grey 1.4mm look too much alike,. the grey color coding is too dark. I frequently get them mixed up. Same for the Orange 0.5mm and yellow 0.8mm are also a bit too similar, and to make matters worse, all these drivers are close together in size...

The A*F drivers are the longest (proportionally by blade size). better for larger hands or thos who prefer larger drivers. A*F also uses a ball bearing swivel head (but only one large ball bearing). Horotech uses several smaller ball bearings. I see know major difference in smoothness of operation. Both work well and better than the Bergeon drivers.

Bergeon drivers are somehwere between Horotec and A*F as far as size.

I actually own and use one set of each brand. Horotech primarily, Bergeon occasionally. The A*F set is a back up, and used mostly for bracelet screws and heavier work that requires larger drivers with more torque.

Julesborel.com sells a set of 5 Horotec drivers for $28.50, which I think is a bargain.
remember to buy extra blades and keep them shaped / sharpened properly.

BEST VALUE! My recommendation: buy the A*F or Eurotool set of 5. at About $20-$26 you will be well served.

I think A*F Albert Froidevaux (you'd abbreviate your name too if it were Albert Froidevaux
are a good quality and slightly less expensive than the Swiss brands. The set of 5 Horotec is a very close second choice.
EuroTool set (looks awfully familiar no?)

You can also buy the A*F drivers on a swivel stand for about $45 or so (9 sizes) Not at ofrei.com who want almost $60 for this set. try Julesborel.com or Casker.com.

Bergeon standard set on stand (about $70)

Bergeon full set on deluxe stand about $200

Horotec deluxe set on stand $180 approx.

5. Tweezers

Don't skimp here. Buy Swiss, Dumont makes the best. Most WIS can get by with just one, size #2, the most frequently used for picking screws, small parts, etc.. Unless you plan on servicing your own watches, you won't need the very fine tip #5. Don't buy the sloppily made Indian tweezers.
There are some decent, higher quality made in India tweezers out there, but finding them will cost just as much as the the economy Dumont tweezers.

Dumont makes tweezers in eight styles, two classes, and four alloys. Each style is for a different task or purpose. The two classes are Original and High Tech. The High Tech is Dumont's economy line of tweezers. These are an excellent value.

The four different alloys are:

The best and most expensive is the DumoStar line. They are made of a super-hard (Rockwell 61) alloy that is anti-magnetic, and acid and rust resistant.

The Carbon line is very hard, but can be magnetized. These excellent, durable tweezers require occasional de-magnetization.

The Stainless steel line is not quite as hard as the Carbon tweezers, and also requires occassional de-magnetization.

The Dumoxel line offers a reasonably-priced, magnetic-resistant, stainless-steel tweezers with the approximate hardness of the regular Stainless Steel tweezers.

BEST VALUE! Since the #2 is the most used, I would buy the best quality and alloy you can afford. They will serve you many years.

The finer-tipped tweezers (like the 3 and 5) allow finer work, but are not ideal to grip larger parts. They tend to shoot parts if over-gripped and should be used only to work on smaller parts that requires the finer tip.

6. Dust blowers.
Yup.. If you plan on opening that watch, you will need one of these.
No.. blowing is NOT OK (tiny droplets of salive on the movement..) , compressed air IS NOT OK (hands will go flying across the room, the balance will wrap itself up like a ball of yarn)
..
BEST VALUE! Both Bergeon and A*F have good ones (I think the A*F are made at the same factory, just blue in color). They have a tendency to roll around, and off your work surface. Bergeon does make a model with a flat bottom, than can be stood up. It is a bit sifter and less powerful. I use one of these for dials. The other types can be too much for dials. There are many Asian made dust blowers out there. They also do the job, so this an area where you can save a few $$.
For the really cheap among you, those blue baby syringe bulbs, available at your local pharmacy, or in the infant section of most retailers, will do just fine.

7. Crystal presses and crystal lifts

Tension ring crystals need to be inserted with a press. If it has popped out you should probably get a new one. They are not meant for removal once inserted. The ring loses tension and water resistance may be compromised. It takes quite a bit of force to insert one. I just did two Omega SeaMasters and having the right tool made all the difference.
The crystal has to be aligned and this is hard to do without the right press. The hand help presses are fine for mineral glass, sapphire, bezels, etc.. but not good for tension ring crystals.
the type that screws down gradually is best. Horotec makes on, and there are many others. They are not cheap. There is an Indian made model, by Anchor that is decent also.

Bergeon, GS and others cost big $$ and most WIS can get by with a hand held press. I prefer plastic dies, but they are more likely to crack and break. Aluminum dies are better for tension ring crystals and unlikely to break
I have on that can be held down with a screw, it is perfect for gluing bezel insert and holding them in place while the glue cures.
Here is the one I use most, by Anchor.

Several varieties. Anchor brand is the best. These will get the job done cost much less than the Swiss equivalents.

8. Hands lifters

BEST VALUE! is also the most expensive, but I won't skimp on hands removal..Bergeon Presto (various sizes: # 1 is the most commonly used )

Anchor brand, Presto style
Sold on eBay mostly, never used one, but they look pretty much like a Presto copy, with yellow handles.

Clock gear puller style (not sure who makes these, probably Anchor also)

Hands setting tools -of course, if you remove hands, you need to replace them eventually

Bergeon

BEST VALUE: A*F I had one of these, it was about $15 or so and served me well. I now have the Bergeon set of three, as I deal with Unitas hands, to very small quartz sizes, but for the average ETA, the A*F tooll oes the job.

newer AF models:

A*F also has a stand based system, while much more expesnive, it is a the grand-dady of hands setting. Like all their tools, exteremely well finished and attractive design too.

An affordable stand based system, from Horotec:

9. Bracelet Sizing Tools

The various hand held screw operated pin removal devices are decent and get the job don.
Theer are some other options though.. I like the stand based systems, as they provide more stability, less change of slipping and scratching the barcelet or breaking the pin.. (BTW, pins DO break, so buy extras!)

Horotec system, simple, yet effective:

Deluxe Bergeon system, with two bracelet holders, for more stability.

Horotec Deluxe system, at $140, a bit too pricey..

BEST VALUE: India made copy of the Horotec system, much cheaper, not as nicely finished, but gets the job done.

I hope I have shed some light on the multitude of watch tools available. They are very expensive in many cases, so saving a few $$ here and there is worth the extra homework.

Most WIS will be well served with a spring bar tool, a suction back opener and a set of screwdrivers, maybe a bracelet sizing tool also.

If you have any questions, about using or buying tools, please post them. I will do my best to answer your questions! Going out for lunch with the family, but I will respond to any questions later.

I hope you all have a great Sunday!