I am writing this online guide to pass on the 20+ years of experience, fixing watches, to others who would like to find out the art of watch fixing. It is completely free for anybody to use although it is targeted at the battery fitter, jeweller or amateur watch repairer who has a little quantity previous experience and would like to begin fixing watches. I am restricting my guide to Quartz watches just as this is a topic that is not covered well elsewhere and yet they are most of watches you will be asked to repair. Repairing mechanical and automatic watches are covered in lots of places and books (i learnt from this book 'Practical Watch Fixing' by Donald de Carle which is an old book however very excellent) however to repair and repair these takes a lot more experience. This is why when fixing mechanical watches you can charge more money for fixing among these than you can charge for mending most of quartz watches.
In spite of this, there is decent cash to be made fixing quartz watches and it is easier to find out too as there is less variation. The easy reason why repairing a quartz watch is simpler is they have not altered much in the last 30 years while mechanical watches have been around for centuries while the first Quartz Watch was produced in 1969.
To be a Good Watch Repairer you require experience so it is a lifetimes finding out to end up being competent mechanical watch maker (horologist), while you can quickly expand your business into healing quartz watches with this online guide.
In this guide I assume you can open a watch back, adjust a bracelet and utilize basic tools properly. If not, then this guide may not be for you (if I get time in the future I will make a beginners assist too).
OBVIOUSLY you can't just begin turning screws ... there are a variety of things you will need to do (and get) in preparation. You will have better results, and a far more pleasurable experience if you take the time, effort, and expenditure to get the majority of the products listed below BEFORE starting. Bear in mind that these are just the bare basics ... a major repair individual has hundreds of other specialized tools ... however we'll Continue reading save that for another conversation. The bottom line is that preparation and having the best equipment is crucial to success of any repair task!.
Workspacerkspace with a clean, flat surface area. For a novice a kitchen table will do simply fine, however as you become more severe you may wish to consider a watchbench made specifically for fixing watches and a good fluorescent light which is easier on the eyes. A watchbench has actually small constructed in drawers for all of the tools and parts you make sure to collect in time.
The design is high, with a surface that (when sitting) is close to the face so the repair work person does not have to depression over when working. Some repairmen will put cork or linoleum on the surface area. These soft materials stop parts from bouncing away, and aren't hard adequate to damage anything dropped on them. Some benches even have a slide out "parts catcher" that presses versus the tummy when sitting. Mine is a wood frame with a loose piece of canvas added to the bottom. When a part is dropped and goes "over the edge", this fantastic gizmo catches it!
The majority of novices will (as mentioned above) begin at a cooking area table. A great tip for operating at a table is to lay down a fine piece of white material (like a plain white pillowcase or cheesecloth) to do your work on. The primary advantage for doing this is if you drop among the parts, it won't bounce away and end up being lost. I suggest white due to the fact that tiny screws (and so on) are easy to find. This practice will also conserve your table from scratches, and protect your watch from the tables difficult surface area. To keep it from shifting, you may wish to think about taping it down with masking tape as well.
Screw-driver set
You WILL require a good set of watchmakers screwdrivers. This is a MUST. The sets discovered at the department store for dealing with eyeglasses etc. will trigger more difficulty than they deserve. They are not precision made and you will quickly damage or remove the highly refined screws discovered in many watches. The eager eye of a serious watch collector will select this up immediately; it diminishes the look of the watch therefore reducing worth of your watch. Locate and buy a set of watchmakers screwdrivers. Even a newbies set will be much better than anything you can discover at the dollar-store.
The proper way to hold it (Right Listed Below) is to grip the screwdriver shaft between the thumb and middle finger, with the forefinger on the cupped end (which rotates). Press down on the top of the screwdriver and rotate it in between your thumb and middle finger; turning the screw.