UK Watch Forum banner

The cost of a mistake.

8 reading
0 views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  Fergie307  
#1 · (Edited)
Thankfully not mine. But all the same, the impact of putting an intermediate wheel in upside down has rendered this main plate junk. The bottom pivot point has been enlarged and cracked. As a result the time cannot be set clockwise.

Luckily there are a few of these about to purchase fairly cheaply, but they aren’t the nicely plated examples from this Rado.

Can’t stress how much magnification important when working on movements like this at just 17.5mm across.

My photos

Image


Wheel flipped into the correct orientation before putting this together and out of the way. Note the lovely grinding paste on the jewel.

Image


Using a super fine oiler to point to the problem area. Paper is 5mm squares and Her Majesty (RIP) for scale.

Image


And what it is meant to look like, borrowed from elsewhere on the internet. That tiny hole to the left of the keyless works.

Image


Onto eBay to source a donor I go.
 
#4 ·
Amazingly the main plate is available Cousins for a not unreasonable amount of money. I’ll enquire on Monday s to whether it’s gold finished.

Likewise the mis-named setting wheel is also available there too. I might have to get further in to examine if there is any further wear to parts before ordering.

Given it’s a watch I’m never going to wear and not keeping I want the fix to be economical but also as good as it can be.
 
#5 ·
I feel for you. I have only narrowly dodged similar bullets myself in the past.
I have one of those electronic microscopes that have the image on a screen. Handy bit of kit, but of course the lenses are plastic so nothing like as crisp an image as a proper microscope with glass optics.
I have a proper regular one, great for viewing stuff but no room to work under it.
Have just recently decided it is time for a nice stereoscopic one with a decent depth under the lens.