Seawatch - Vintage Diver - EB8120

A rather handsome vintage diver came in for repairs, with spare parts almost non existant can it be brought back to life..? Well of course :)

This poor soul had suffered an all too common issue, broken balance staff, but with some loving care and a root through the old parts draw i was sure id find something to get it back up and running. The initial impression of just a broken staff didn't seem to bad but to add insult to injury the impulse jewel was missing and the hairspring was non too healthy either. The bezel was stuck and not moving so it was clear that years of junk had gotten underneath and would also need a clean out. The casing being chrome plated brass left any cosmetic work to bare minimal but then i think the wear & tear only adds to the charm in this case.

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Casing Strip Down

Years of gunk and general dirt/debris can really build up on any watch, so much so in this case even a relatively simple bezel would not turn. Time for a strip down and clean out before moving on >>

The Balance

With the balance in rather a sorry state i searched my parts drawer and sure enough i was to find three different EB balances in various states, so with patience and a steady hand i set about reconstructing a working balance. >>>

With the balance rebuilt it was time for a de grease in some essence before fitting, while soaking i lubricated the cap jewel to aid smooth running. A dab or two of oil on the pivots throughout the movement should help get a intial reading >>

Not too bad for a first run :) Time to make some adjustments and see if we can't improve that timing before re fitting and reassembly.

With the movement running along nicely it was time to get her together again and give her a new strap, we can't have a naked watch now can we ;)

Well she won't be going on any deep sea missions but its fair to say that this watch is quite a nice little piece of watch history. New glass and a quick rebrush of the case back to make the metal pop really adds effect :)