A few weeks ago now i had this stunning IWC Pilots watch in for service featuring the 37526 movement calibre ( ETA 298X Base ), this is a unique piece and one worth mentioning here in a little detail. Although the main bulk of the movement is ETA based, the upper 24 hour/Date section is one developed by IWC for this specific model. Creating your own addition to an established movement is no small thing but in this case it works well and has since been improved. As we already know a watch tells the time through a motion of gears that have specific ratios, it is these ratios which determine the path of the hands in order to show us the correct time. The rotation of the hour hand is once in 12 hours whilst the minute hand rotates 12 times in the same period. With the 37526 the addition of a 24 hour indication requires the clever use of additional gears in order to display a second time zone. This system is far better explained by the following link ( www.gregsteer.net ) but i add the images for those who want to view the parts were talking about > This system has since been updated to require the use of less parts and remove an issue present with the older sprung 24 wheel. The new design is far less prone to wear and so likely keep the watch running its best for longer. Below are some further photos of the movement during disassembly This watch certainly appeals to those who may travel frequently and want to keep track of time on more than one continent, the technical details are also quite interesting so that link above is worth a good read. The watch service went without issue and timing had been brought back to the green so it has since been returned to its owner for some more travelling. An interesting piece i thought id share :)
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In recently for a service is this lovely little Arly Triple Date featuring a Venus 203 movement, although running it did require a service to bring it up to date. The watch packs a lot of features for such a small package, day, date, month and a moonphase at 6 O'Clock all cased inside a gold plated case with three pushers for rapid date change. Breaking the watch down for service is a little different as the pushers get in the way of normal removal and foul the dial so careful removal of dial & hands first before stripping the movement. With the movement uncased we can begin to carefully remove the worn pushers and se about cleaning them up. Years of gunk can build up unnoticed quite easily and affect working parts >> With the casing cleaned and the pushers ready the movement could be stripped down and cleaned, the 203 calibre is based on the Venus 180 with an additional date plate and complications added. If you should find yourself in need of parts for a 203 then the base parts of a 180 will work just fine. With the movement cleaned and reassembled timing had improved and the date functions were now much smoother due to the pushers being cleaned out of that gunk. There were a few minor issues but nothing that did not get resolved so it was time to re case the watch with a new glass and send it on home. The original crown had long been replaced but did not look right so was replaced with a signed Alpha crown which looks more fitting to the watch. Still to come we take a brief look at the IWC TCZ movement design based on the ETA 2893, a Tag Carrera in for a service and also a look at a recent Rolex Ladies 2030 calibre :)
In for investigation recently is this rather nice Breitling chronograph, featuring a Venus 188 calibre manual wind movement housed in a steel case with acrylic glass. The watch had apparently stopped working correctly and neither time keeping or the chronograph were functional. Cosmetically the watch was in good shape so all that was needed was some tlc for the movement. Finding the problem was fortunately fairly evident as soon as the watch was opened >> As can be seen in the photo above, the hairspring had somehow managed to get itself in quite a pickle. Carefully removing the balance and sorting out the hairspring was first priority, if the spring could be fixed then we can check the running. With some steady hands i managed to sort out the spring enough to get an initial reading, the timing was ok but needed improvement. The chronograph was not functional and this was due to the runner spring not having enough power to push the runner, this could be resolved once the movement was cleaned and ready for reassembly. So we start by stripping the movement from the casing, in this instance the pushers are mounted on leaf springs rather than needing the screws to be loosened in other more typical chronos of this age. With the movement uncased we can strip it down and prepare it for cleaning. It is important when disassembling these types of movement not to undo any of the eccentric screws for levers as adjusting them later can require more time. With the movement thoroughly cleaned it was time to reassemble and lubricate it whilst correcting the runner spring so the chrono will work once again >> With the movement now running almost back to normal it was time to refit the dial and hands and recase the watch ready for extended testing. Note that the movement is tested prior to recasing for several days but this can not be shown in photos :) The damage to the hairspring was bound to have an effect but fortunately it was not enough to ruin the timing for daily use, the chrono spring also was not so far gone it could not be bent back to shape. With everything completed and running well again it was time to say good bye and send her home, hopefully the watch will see many more years of action before needing attention again ! Still to come...... Arly Triple Date.... Quick Look at the IWC TCZ......Rotary Aquaplunge Double Trouble.. Today we have a look into the service of a Britix triple date chronograph, although the brand name can come up from time to time it is unusual to find them with both the triple date and the chronograph together. The Britix brand was founded in 1932 in La Chaux De Fonds but also later opened a factory in Lengnau in 1945. The brand name was later changed to Apex-Britix and as well as their own brand of watches they also produced watches under the names of Accurist, Festal, Naxe, Augusta and Aventica. The brand has been associated with the likes of Breitling but this is more speculation and not concrete evidence , if you should find an ebay listing stating an association as definitive then take it with a pinch of salt and not gospel. During the last years the Britix brand was changed once again to Jaquet & Girard of Biel, however beyond this i have found no records and assume the Quartz Crisis had finished them off for good. It seems a shame now to think that such great companies no longer exist, but fortunately some examples of their work can still be found. Although not a massive and well known brand some examples can command a reasonable price with rarer examples costing a little more. This particular example arrived in not working condition but did not seem to be overly worn and so some tlc should bring it back to good order. The movement used in this case is the Landeron Calibre 57, whilst the smaller cal 48/51 is more commonly seen this is a nice rare example of one of the more complicated calibres produced. The date functions are controlled by various levers and springs which can be adjusted swiftly using the casing bezel as we shall later see, this bezel has a hidden blued steel catch which pushes each lever in turn to change the various date wheels. Follow below for images taken during strip down, photos may not always be in exact order but im sure you can get the picture :) With the movement cleaned it was time to rebuild and lubricate, there was some wear and tear present which would later prove to be troublesome but nothing that could not be overcome. Sorry no rebuild pictures but it is a reasonably straight forward process of reversing the procedure, of course with some exceptions but you get the jist :) As with many watches of this sort of age wear & tear takes its toll and in this case the chrono pinion as well as the 30 minute pinon are both worn so original hands do not reset to zero correctly no matter how well applied. With some searching i manage to find some suitable hands that should do the job for a while longer, finding these was more challenging than servicing the movement but such is the way of things. The watch now complete is ready to return to the owner, it may be a little worn but it has had a good life and been well used by those who loved it. Hopefully it can be enjoyed once again as these gems won't be around forever :) Next up, IWC TCZ.... |
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