This Zenith that Michael sent in for a service is for me in the top-tier of beauty. A simple, elegant case, and the same is true for dial and hands. But the beauty doesn’t stop there.
The watch stops from time to time, and it has a low amplitude and needs a service.
And now you know what I meant when I said the beauty doesn’t stop there …
The hands sit very tightly, but yield in the end. The bottom plate is as beautiful as the top plate.
The first traces of dirt appear under the barrel wheel.
The gear train. The movement has a serial number right under the balance jewel.
A simple movement, beautifully designed. Off to the watch cleaning machine.
Barrel and wheel bridge back in place.
Note the two arms on the regulator. You always use the one closest to the direction you want to move the regulator in. This will slightly release the tension of the regulator, so that you can easily move it without jumping. Below the two regulator arms is a single arm for the beat error adjustment.
Dial and hands go back on.
The movement has a dust cover, and I’m a great fan of them.
The gasket seems to be of the hard plastic type used on snap-back cases. It’s worn, and I replace it with a rubber O-ring gasket.
A stunningly beautiful watch.
If I could do what you did, I would make a heap of money
It looks like the regulator mounting disk has a split in it… is that opening up what slightly releases the tension when you use the appropriate lever?
You should write a book on this stuff you know; I have never found one that is as informative and interesting as your blog 😉
Yes, that’s how it works. They always have a split somewhere, but, with only one regulator arm, you don’t get such a smooth motion.
That is indeed a thing of beauty…
Do you find watches with sub-second displays easier to work on?