The Tools of My Trade

Many people, both friends and strangers, have wondered how I picked up watchmaking. The question that generally follows, however, relates to how I fix watches in the first place. That's what this post is all about (something I've actually been meaning to write for some time now).

To repair a watch that has a swinging balance and no broken or missing parts, a set of screwdrivers, a pair of tweezers, oil and an oiler, and some Rodico are the essentials. Screwdrivers and tweezers for taking apart a watch, oil to keep the watch running consistently, and Rodico for cleaning it. I began my watchmaking adventures with just those tools. 

Eventually, I acquired a couple more tweezers, a balance tack, a loupe, a movement holder, and two gauges (one for movement sizes, the other for mainsprings). The additional tweezers came as a result of my abusing the first one by using it more as a metal toothpick to pry things or poke parts out. The balance tack is really quite pointless, but it was fun to play around with when I first began examining balances. The movement holder is one of my favorite tools - it is incredibly helpful at keeping a watch steady while I work on it. The fact that it isn't a flat surface on top helps, too, because any part that protrudes from the base plate doesn't get damaged. The gauges are straightforward tools for measuring sizes.

I also have the containers I use to store parts while taking apart a watch pictured. Any sort of container to store pieces would technically work, but these slots are great at organizing. I have three of the smaller size for non-complication watches and surplus parts. The larger box, obviously, is for complications. One of the most rewarding feelings I get when fixing watches is seeing the tens, even hundreds, of parts laid out in those boxes and then knowing that sooner or later, they'll be ticking together harmoniously. 

It's Summer Time!

High school is finally over and college is only a couple months away. My time has freed up quite a bit, so I'll be posting more frequently. This is a short post to give a sneak peek of what I'll be writing about.

I only have so much capital to work with when buying watches, and having made the two most expensive purchases a couple days ago, I'm stuck with the two watches until I can resell them. In addition to those repairs, however, I'll be writing about other watchmaking-related topics.

Here's a brief list of what's to come:

-My "workbench" and tools
-My small library of watch books and catalogs
-My ledger
-Vulliamy Repeater a Toc (Dumb Repeater) Movement
-Tarts London Pocket Watch in a Repousse Case

As you can see, I stepped up the ante with the watches I acquired. Can't wait to show you guys!

After Nine Grueling Months of Waiting...

The double-sided calendar moon phase pocket watch is fully finished! Although the wait was incredibly long (which included at least twenty calls and tens of emails), I could not be happier with the result. As usual, I'll let the pictures do the talking.

If anyone is interested in dial refinishing, International Dial Co. does a great job - just be prepared to wait!