Well this blog was well overdue and apologies for those that follow me for such a delay, its been a mad past few months with ever increasing demands for watch repair !

So today we finally have a close up look at one of Seiko's only mono pusher vintage chronographs, if your an avid Seiko collector then no doubt this is one of the holy grail watches you would want in your collection.

The watch in general was in good condition but was in need of servicing and some cosmetic light touches, the only major drawback being that the pusher has rotten and although functional it muddies the otherwise good looks when seen up close. So lets not dilly dally and get into the meat of it >>
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After many emails and searching i was not successful in finding a new pusher, as with many old Seikos there simply lacks the spares available and those that do exist are hoarded by watchmakers like precious gold. The watch would have to be continued with original pusher, functional if a little flea bitten ( big fleas of course ).
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Moving on to the movement it should always be noted to take great care when removing a chronograph center hand as on some movements they can be staked on with good force and hard to remove normally, breaking a center hand is the last thing you would want. The center hand should always be supported as much as possible when lifting so as the tube can be lifted evenly and with gentle/gradual pressure, the hour & minute hands can come off after but never the other way.
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With exception to the above  C clip the movement was other wise sound, the clip had come loose over time and use so would need tightening as spares are non existent. For those who want to see all photos feel free to browse through the gallery below. 
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With the movement done it was time to turn attention to the bezel, with so little original paint remaining the only option would be to remove whats left and start again. Patience is your friend here and taking time pays dividends if your willing to put in the effort. The depth of the numerals is very shallow so proves quite a challenge but patience and a steady hand can help :)
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With the movement complete and the casing cleaned up the watch was ready to be fully assembled, a new glass and a very light polish ( not buff ) the watch was then fitted with an original bracelet and ready to go.
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Absolute pleasure working on this and probably never see another again, quite sad they don't make them like this anymore. The ugly pusher aside this watch i think represents what is truly great about Seiko and about watch collecting in general, simple & functional with classic styling.

This watch will be heading its way back to owner ready for selling, if your interested then pay morningtonwatches.com a visit as it is available but who knows for how long !

Seiko 1965 - Model 5717-8990 -  Morningtonwatches.com


With so much work to be done of late, writing up blogs can take up valuable time but i will try to not to leave it so late next time :)

In for service and some minor clean up is this lovely Oysterdate from Rolex. Featuring the Cal 1225 it has manual winding with normal date, no quickset, no hack, just pure time & date. Must admit these style of Rolex/Tudors are one of my most favored, no fancy over the top features just solid style and great functionality. Take a simple concept and then manufacturer it to the highest level and voila the Oysterdate !
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The case work as seen above had a few marks and dings but to bring back some shine without overdoing it the casing would be cleaned and lightly polished with a final compound so as not to remove all the wounds. The glass was beyond repair so a new German made replica based on the original was ordered and fitted after case work was complete.
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Above we can see the movement being stripped down for cleaning, the only problem aside debris and lack of lube is a broken mainspring with the hook end snapped clean off. After cleaning we begin to assemble the movement, the casing is done during the movement cleaning process so it is ready to go once the movement and other parts are complete.
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The upper driving wheel for the seconds pinion must be fitted with due care to ensure an even and flat fit, always fit/remove driving wheels once pallets are removed to stop any chips or damage to the pallets. 
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Movement all together with new mainspring and running very nicely, plates all clean and now ready for dial/hands and re casing .
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Even the movement retainer ring is finished to the best level with radial brush lines and precision cut outs for retainer clips.

The date mechanism is simple but effective, the lack of quick set can be annoying but the lack of these extras parts means less problems over time so there's a positive side to these things too !
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Dial and hands fitted the movement was fitted back in the case before a new gasket was fitted and the casing closed up ready for use. An alternative Rolex strap was found and fitted as the original was now missing, although from a related reference it works very well and is almost identical to the original.
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Watch all back together so now just to fit the bracelet and its all good to go :)
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A very nice timepiece and one that will no doubt increase in value, classic styling and excellent craftsmanship what more could you want :)

​In for service recently was this classic Omega, having not received any attention for over 15 years the watch was performing less than ideal. The movement was pretty good but there were some gremlins that needed attention first, lets take a look on the inside first. >

On closer inspection i find the helium valve is damaged and so water has found its way inside the watch, fortunately the movement ring has stopped it fully penetrating the inner workings. Lets look at the rust damage. >
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The stem had suffered with rust as well but as it had not broken i could treat it  and remove the rust, ideally both crown and stem should be replaced but at cost of £100+ it was decided to keep the original until such time it gave way. The helium valve was also damaged but after a good clean out and use of some silicon grease it would be time to test the watches water resistance, starting at only 30M. >
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The casing was given a thorough clean and then assembled without the movement, everything snugged down tight it was time to test it starting at a low 30 Meters ( watch should resist 300M ).> 
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The watch was kept under 30M pressure for 15 minutes before releasing the air and from the photo above we can clearly see it has failed. Air escaping from under the bezel is just normal trapped air but the valve despite cleaning and grease could not stand even 30M of pressure. As the cost of replacement parts is high again the valve was not replaced, best i could do was to pack it with special water repellent grease.

With the tests complete the movement could be stripped down for cleaning and service, whilst rust was not overly present you can see from photos the movement has some considerable debris inside. >
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​With the movement cleaned and assembled the immediate results looked great, after a few days testing it could be adjusted and sent on home. >

With the watch thoroughly cleaned, movement fully serviced and running great, this Omega was ready to return home and go back to working life. Not all water damaged watches can be saved but on this occasion it was sent in just in time, whilst not perfect the watch is very functional and will keep great time for many years. 

A well maintained watch will last many lifetimes so remember to keep them serviced every 3-5 years  :)
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Next feature will be the Seiko 5717-8990 so if you've been waiting for that one check back soon !

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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