A very distinct looking watch, this Bulova chronograph! Rob sent it in for a service, as it sometimes stops. Continue reading
Service: Bulova Chronograph 14EFAD
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Category Archives: U.S.A.
Service: Bulova 23 Ladies calibre 5AD
For all those who think that the US couldn’t produce great watch movements, I present the Bulova 5AD, a little masterpiece of American watch making.
Paul from WatchOtaku.com sent it in, and it doesn’t work at all. Continue reading
Service: Bulova Accutron 2181
Some watches travel quite far before they land on my bench… This Accutron came all the way from Brazil. Victor contacted me a while ago and asked how to get his winding stem back in, and I tried my best to convince him not to attempt that himself. As he couldn’t find anyone locally, he sent the watch over to me. Continue reading
Repair: Ingersoll desk / travel watch
Usually, it’s not worth fixing so called “dollar watches”, but this one is an exception for two reasons. The first one being that it’s a very unusual piece, and the second, and more important one, is that it belongs to my host mother Connie. I stayed with her and her family for a year in 1979-1980 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and I will be forever grateful for the hospitality and kindness received.
Connie received the watch as a gift from her mother when she was 5, so most likely, the watch had already been handed down once from her grandmother to her mother.
As you can see in the photo, the crown is missing, and the winding stem is broken. Continue reading
Service: Bulova Accutron 2181
Richard sent in this Bulova Accutron, and it’s a very nice one. Quite unusual, with the blue dial, and I really like it.
The battery is empty, but it also hasn’t had a service for ages, and it’s about time. Continue reading
Repair + Service: Elgin electronic 105 – calibre 250 / Junghans 600.10 ato-chron
Torsten from Hong Kong sent me a whole batch of watches – and this great looking Elgin 105 electronic is one if them. It doesn’t work any more, but he sent a long another Junghans 600.10 for parts.
Elgin used the Junghans movement for this watch. It’s an electro-mechanical movement, based on the principles invented by Leon Hatot (that’s why Junghans called these movements ato-chron – ato from Hatot, chron from the Greek chronos = time). The idea is to provide the moving force for a watch or clock by accelerating the pendulum or balance wheel with a coil that pulls a magnet. So no winding, and an electronic watch that is almost entirely mechanical. Continue reading
Repair + Service: Bulova 10BPAC
This rather sorry looking Bulova was sent in by Paul. No winding stem, no crown, the crystal is a mess, and first impressions aren’t great…
Reassembly: Hamilton Myron calibre 980
The parts have arrived from the States (a new mainspring and a new crystal), so it’s time to put Dom’s grandfathers watch back together!
The cleaned parts are awaiting… Continue reading
Reassembly: Waltham Pocket Watch 1865
My attempt at soft soldering the hour hand of Constantine’s Waltham failed miserably. Wondering where I could find a hand that fits, I asked some friends at the BHI Cheltenham if they knew who could help. Everyone agreed that Philip Priestley would be my man. I wrote him an e-mail, detailing what hand I was looking for, and giving the measurements.
I waited a couple of days, and just thought that it had been a bit daring to just ask out of the blue. Well, I was in for a surprise!
Teardown + Service: Hamilton Myron calibre 980
The Hamilton Myron looks very much 1940s – a child of its time, when men’s watches were a lot more feminine. A bit like my Alpina.
This was sent in by Dom from Connecticut, and it’s his grandfather’s watch!
It’s running, but with an amplitude of 135 degrees, it’s in real need of some love, cleaning and oil.