In the workshop not so long ago was this lovely little Tag Monaco, featuring the Cal 17 or ETA 2894-2. The watch was due a service and light overhaul to the cosmetics so without further ado.....
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After stripping down the casing it is clear now just how much gunk can build up inside the recesses of the watch. The pushers were also removed so that they could also be given the proper attention and improve their effectiveness. A good soak in the ultrasonic will clear all this gunk away no problem.

With the casing cleaning we can strip the movement down, lets take a look at the chrono module which fits atop the movement....
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The movement photos below show most of the steps of the strip down, whilst some may not be in exact order you should get an idea of the basics :)
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With the movement serviced and casing parts all cleaned up it was time to put it all back together, yes all those lovely screws :)
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Everything together and running smooth the watch is ready to return and be used again. Despite the case cleaning there was still some staining but since this is hidden it's not too bad. Most people would think watches are impervious to dirt getting into those fine lines but believe me any fine crack makes a nice home for dirt, so lesson here ? Keep your watches clean :)

​Check back again for more posts :)
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So many watches since the last post its hard to know where to start, so lets start with a Rolex :)

These older models are always a favourite, simple, reliable, and high quality throughout. The movement is the classic 1530 calibre, automatic  with no date or complications, so lets take a look at the movement >
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We start off by uncasing the movement and removing the hands, from there we can strip down the movement and check for any wear or damage >
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With the hands off we can set about removing the dial and stripping back the dial side parts ( except winding parts ). We must make sure once the automatic bridge is removed to power down the movement, movements under tension when stripping down is not what you want >
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With the movement stripped down and cleaned the mainspring was changed for a new one and the whole movement re assembled and lubricated. Timing as to be expected is excellent, very rarely do Rolex watches develop issues more commonly found on lesser Swiss watches, not to say other brands don't make exceptional pieces but Rolex do have that edge. The casing on this watch is kept original , warts n all , the bracelet was given a very light hand brush to bring back some of the brightness, the glass lightly re polished and shes ready to go back.
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Truly a stunning watch and now back in top running order :)

​If you like this watch then pop on over to morningtonwatches.com as it is available for sale at a very competitive price, there are further photos of the watch complete with bracelet & box also. Just click the link to go straight there :)

More posts to come :)