Day 22 WRUW Saturday October 22 Wear A Watch You Worked On

[cd_god]

It is October 22nd (somewhere)

Day 22 of the October WRUW daily theme.

Today's theme is “Wear a watch you worked on yourself”

There seem to be a lot of "tinkerers" here now.

Some are long time members who back in the day just hung around and I guess ventured out.

Some are new members who either came here already as tinkerers or a level above.

In the original days we had Spencer and Adrian and Chris and Peter and maybe a few whom I forgot.

The rest of us just hung around at the bar and swapped stories and talked watches and asked for advice from time to time when our watches had a problem.

I can't find the reference thread now  cuz the search engine sucks 

If I recall Peter started it and it was titled "Feels like we are dying on the vine" and I said the same thing as above about sitting at a bar and everyone knowing everyone else sitting there.

Well here we are 9 years later and hopefully everyone's daily Kumbaya circle sharing stories are making everyone feel like they know the member sitting next to them a little better or more personal and that everyone is part of the "Family" even if you aren't posting and just sitting on the bar stool next to someone sharing a story and listening in until they mention something that you can jump in and join the conversation.

Anyone remember watching The Last Starfighter?

Pay attention for later.

Anywho wear a watch you "worked" on even if it was at the most basic level of just swapping a strap or bracelet or the next level of changing a battery or regulating a mechanical movement the OLD FASHIONED WAY before everyone and their mother had a Timegrapher to the level that members were passing 3 or 4 in a row on the Anniversary Grand Prize.

[Rod]

Another mod from years ago 6309-7290, I changed the 6309 for a hacking 6306, changed the dial hands etc and fitted one of Jonathan's (Swedefreak) Bubble Boy crystals and I've swapped the strap today to an original Marine Nationale parachute strap.

[saldog]

Oct 21, 2022 21:12:31 GMT -8 Rod said:

Another mod from years ago 6309-7290, I changed the 6309 for a hacking 6306, changed the dial hands etc and fitted one of Jonathan's (Swedefreak) Bubble Boy crystals and I've swapped the strap today to an original Marine Nationale parachute strap.

Looks like an MN strap. I just discovered them and was thinking about getting a couple but I don’t know which color to get. I’m a bracelet guy but these look good, versatile, and comfortable. Nice watch!

[trilo]

Funny. I'm away for the weekend and tried to think what to take with me for the trip.

Well turns out that this is one of the few I have NOT worked on.



Piece of Curly birch for size (mutation out of Finnish/Russian Karelia)! I have never seen such a huge piece myself. Usually you buy it based on weight (4-5€ a kilo), but I was lucky to get this piece basically for free. I'm going to carve a shallow dish out of it, using only hand tools. 

[saldog]

It’s not 10/22 yet for me but I’ll put my entry in tonight and maybe another tomorrow.

I have lots of watches I’ve worked on. This one was running but not running well when I picked it up from a Goodwill auction. A few months ago, I overhauled the movement and replaced the crystal and did not do any polishing of the case, only ultrasonically cleaning it. Now it’s running great and I’ve worn it for a few days and it’s only off by a couple of seconds. I think it’s my favorite Seiko in my collection of about 60. It ticks so many boxes in what I like in a watch.

It’s wearing an Uncle Seiko “tropic” style strap. I’m not big on rubber straps but this one is really growing on me. Super comfy and looks a lot like one that I imagine would have been worn back in the day. As the Japanese say, “from that time”. 6105-8000.

It’s not a Captain Willard (those are -811X) but has the same exact -8009 dial used in the famous Apocalypse Now watch. This one came before that one, called a “second diver” or “Naomi Uemura”, named after the famous mountain climber who met his tragic end after summiting Denali. The 62mas had the distinction as the “First Diver”. This model was equipped with a 6105A non-hacking movement. The Willard has the 6105B movement which has hacking. I don’t know why Seiko chose to eliminate hacking from this model, a standard feature on the 6106, the 6105’s basic caliber. The Willard also has a screw down and locking crown and a clicking bezel, which this one does not have, plus it has a “slimmer” symmetrical case, unlike the iconic asymmetrical and more substantial Willard case with its prominent crown guard. I think this one is more elegant, but I also want to own a true Willard, which I will have one day. For now, it’s my favorite.

[rossr]

I wanted to get this one in. This Citizen Auto (the first automatic model from Citizen) came with a rattle. The rattle was the rotor that had come loose in the case. Very fortunately, the screw was also in the case, loose, and contributing to the rattle. A very minor fix and we were back up and running.

[leffemonster]

I’ve worked on heaps of my own watches, and a few for friends and family, but this 8222-8000 is the only quartz watch I’ve serviced. It would lose time due to the seconds hand ‘hanging’ so I stripped it down, cleaned everything and re-assembled it. Unfortunately, that didn’t solve the problem. It turned out to be worn pivots on the fourth wheel so I swapped it out with one from a spare 8223 movement I had - since then it’s been perfect.

[thebeardedwatchmaker]

Before



After

[pip]

One that I bought as a bit of a junker and brought it back to the land of the living after a few mis-steps along the way.

[small]

Day 22 A watch you’ve worked on…

I think 99% of us can consider this another free space.

Another 6309-808X for me. This particular example from the collection has had nothing done to it but having the strap added…by me. Keeps good time on the wrist for a week of wearing.

I guess I failed to highlight the strap as much as the watch. IIRC I picked this strap up over at Panatime while on sale. Again, my collecting seems to put a higher price on the straps then the watches themselves.

The round dial on a square-ish case, gives at least in my mind, a kind of Monaco look. Adding the “rally” style strap helps add to that look. I have another rally strap with many smaller holes but for some reason the large holes seem to make a better-looking set on here. Maybe it’s the black versus blue??? Maybe the round dial flowing to the round holes that are gradually getting smaller, giving a more visual effect? Maybe the Black with white stitching contrast better than the blue? I don’t know but what ever it is, it seems to work.

Small hole version shown on a 7006…I’ve gone back and forth but end up with the black strap on the 6309.

Everyone enjoy the weekend, weathers to be great around here…1/2 day of work and then I’ll be taking full advantage…

[inboost]

What a PERFECT day and way to debut the Ocean Rescue Seiko SNZG15 I got from camrok !

You can read about this poor watch's journey here Seiko SNZG15 International Ocean Rescue

Yesterday it had a day out in pocket carry to give it final validation that all was well and done with it. I had plans to write up the final chapter this weekend and hopes and dreams I'd be able to wear it on a contest day too. Talk about serendipitous timing!

I'll leave all the final specs to the other thread, but just know that this movement is original in all the plates (save for the balance cock), keyless works, calendarworks, and of course the casing, dial, chapter ring, hands, date & day wheel. If it was a screw or a wheel it was 90% replaced but there were a few survivors like the hour wheel.

I present to you my Seiko SNZG15 Ocean Rescue watch, perhaps my most difficult repair to date. My Wife has affectionately named it 'Forky'. Why? because it came from the trash, belonged in the trash, but it's owner's love wouldn't let it stay in the trash!

[camrok]

[mention]inboost [/mention] that’s incredible. This thing stunk! What great work you’ve done! I love the hour hands still have that stain but it’s even!
Amazing job!

[tempelkim]

Yes, another 'wear (almost) any watch of your collection' day. I missed yesterday's non-black-or-white theme because I went to Toruń in Poland to fetch my car that broke down in September on my way into vacation (1992 SAAB 900) and couldn't be fixed because of an unavailable part.

So here is my brown with brown stripes 5216 from 1973.

[small]

Oct 22, 2022 6:03:29 GMT -8 tempelkim said:

Yes, another 'wear (almost) any watch of your collection' day. I missed yesterday's non-black-or-white theme because I went to Toruń in Poland to fetch my car that broke down in September on my way into vacation (1992 SAAB 900) and couldn't be fixed because of an unavailable part.

So here is my brown with brown stripes 5216 from 1973.

You mention a part not being available I'm curious since being here in the United States I am finding it harder and harder to source parts for our industry. Everything from gearbox to seals and bearings. We placed an order for three new Forklifts in March b/c the lead time was 12 months. I have been buying used parts off eBay to restore in our shop some we have spares. Buying bearings etc etc. Really incredible how things have changed in industry. Most people here blame people not wanting to work and being lazy, but I know no one sitting at home? Sure the younger generation I have here (notice I didn't say all) just seem to move slower, then my generation at the same age...Sure I have slowed but I'm old.

[cd_god]

Today's Seiko golf tip of the day:  make your takeaway low and slow.

2 X $aturday

Going to visit my friends at TNJ after work

Game starts in 5 hours.

Hotty Toddy

[russtmurray]

Does swapping bracelets and straps count? Insofar as actual work performed, I'm more likely to "commission" modifications and my TST SKX009 is one such example. Had a new insert fitted yesterday...

Previous iterations;


The latest version;

[suntzu]

[59yukon01]

[dapellegrini]

Once I had worked through collecting the mechanical World Timers (calibers 6217 and 6117), I felt compelled to start collecting the digital versions that followed. Of all of these digital LCD watches it is the M158 that has held my attention. This an early digital watch, built more like an old mechanical watch - down to the crown that is pulled out to set the time. Here is the last one I just got running:



It was more challenging today to find a place to put the sticker:



And the next one that needs its case back pried off:



I have bought perhaps 12 or 13 junk watches which have become 6 working examples, of all major versions of this “PAN-AM”.

Here are some other examples I got running:





And here’s a look at some of my parts collection:





This case can be a torture to open…. As documented here:

wristsushi.proboards.com/thread/23631/m158-case-backs-posterity-sake

NOTE: There were many Digital World Timers from Seiko between 1977 and 1988 - and online listings often will call all of them the PAN-AM - but that is inaccurate. The PAN-AM is the M158-500X, which was manufactured in 1977-1979.

Here’s a timeline: seikoworldtime.com/timeline-digital

Here are four articles about this watch:

General Overview: seikoworldtime.com/articles/M158-500X

Confirming Originality: seikoworldtime.com/articles/M158-validation

Counterfeits and Copies: seikoworldtime.com/articles/M158-500X-Counterfeits

Ad scans: seikoworldtime.com/articles/M158-Ad-Scans

[tempelkim]

Oct 22, 2022 6:36:18 GMT -8 small said:

You mention a part not being available I'm curious since being here in the United States I am finding it harder and harder to source parts for our industry. Everything from gearbox to seals and bearings. We placed an order for three new Forklifts in March b/c the lead time was 12 months. I have been buying used parts off eBay to restore in our shop some we have spares. Buying bearings etc etc. Really incredible how things have changed in industry. Most people here blame people not wanting to work and being lazy, but I know no one sitting at home? Sure the younger generation I have here (notice I didn't say all) just seem to move slower, then my generation at the same age...Sure I have slowed but I'm old.

It was the crankshaft position sensor that is known to fail at some point. The car has done 450.000km so far, so I should have known and I was supposed to have one in the boot, but I didn't. No one is to blame for not finding one on a Friday night/Saturday morning. I had no problems later on finding one and having it shipped to the workshop.

A new gearbox however is unobtainable. You have to fix the old one or find a used one that is somehow still working. They stopped making the car 30 years ago and stopped making anything ten years ago. That is why I have a backup - a SAAB 9000 from 1996 - with an unused new direct injection cassette in the boot.