Maintaining and Repairing Mechanical Watches: A Practical Guide

by Mark W Wiles

Overview

This invaluable, practical book is written by a watch repairer with over twenty years' experience. It is aimed principally at the novice mechanical watch repairer, although those with more experience will also find it most useful. Brimming with advice and useful tips, it provides step-by-step photographs with accompanying text and demonstrates how to maintain a mechanical watch, and how to identify problems and correct them. The author discusses the theory behind how a watch works and reveals how to take a watch apart and how to reassemble it without causing any damage. Each section of the book is related to a particular element within the watch, and the author clearly explains the function and design of each part. He covers the essential requirements of a workspace, discusses basic tools, and how to use and care for them and illustrates how to take a mechanical watch apart and re-assemble it. He goes on to examine types of watch cases, case backs and how to open and re-fit them, as well as the movement and removing the movement from the case. He demonstrates how to remove the hands and the dial, and discusses motion work and the removal of the cannon pinion. He also pays attention to keyless-work, the mainspring and the barrel, the balance wheel, the escapement, the gearing and the gear train, pivots and arbors, bearings and jewels, and much more. The book also shows the reader how to service, clean and oil a watch, and how to successfully complete common repairs and make basic adjustments. Essential reading for all those interested mechanical watch repair, and superbly illustrated with 337 colour photographs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781785001567
Publisher:	Crowood Press, The
Publication date:	07/15/2016
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	58 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mark Wiles, who has had a passion for repairing watches and clocks since the age of twelve, runs the workshop at Antique & Modern in East Barnet (an Omega credited service centre). After passing his Final British Horological Institute (BHI) examination in technical horology, he was granted a three-year apprenticeship by the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers (WCC). He thus maintained a proud family tradition dating back to the eighteenth century for two of his ancestors, Steven and Edwin Wiles, were both distinguished clockmakers based in central London. In 2010 Mark became both a Freeman of the WCC and the BHI's youngest accredited Fellow.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

Part I The Basics 8

1 Basic Tool Kit 8

2 Caring for your Tools and Using Them 18

3 The Workspace 23

4 A Basic Mechanical Watch 25

5 Types of Watch Case 26

6 Opening and Refitting Watch Case Backs 30

7 Removing and Refitting Straps and Bracelets 38

8 Picking your First Watch 43

9 The Movement 45

Part II How a Watch Works 48

10 Removing the Movement from its Case 48

11 Removing the Hands 51

12 Removing the Dial 55

13 The Motion Work 60

14 Keyless Work 67

15 Removing and Refitting the Keyless Work 73

16 The Mainspring and Barrel 78

17 Removing and Replacing the Click 80

18 Removing the Barrel Bridge, Cap and Arbor 82

19 Removing and Refitting the Mainspring 84

20 Alternative Methods of Fitting a Mainspring 91

21 The Escapement and the Balance Wheel 94

22 The Action of the Lever Escapement 98

23 The Balance Wheel 106

24 Refitting the Balance and its Cock 110

25 Gearing and the Gear Train 112

26 Pivots and Arbors 116

27 Bearings and Jewels 117

28 Stripdown and Reassembly of a Watch 120

Part III Servicing and Cleaning a Watch 128

29 Servicing a Watch 128

30 Cleaning a Watch 134

31 Oiling 139

32 Cleaning and Oiling an Incabloc 149

33 Adjusting [and Regulating] a Balance Spring 154

34 Regulating a Watch 160

35 Correct Hand-Fitting 166

Part IV Common Repairs 168

36 Replacing a Mainspring 168

37 Replacing a Crown and Winding Stem 171

38 Fitting Watch Glasses 177

39 Adjusting the Hand Friction 179

40 Replacing Luminous Paint 181

Part V Different Types of Watch Mechanism 184

41 Alternative Hand Frictions in Watches 184

42 Other Types of Keyless Work 189

43 Fusee Watches 193

44 Other Escapements 199

45 Sweep Seconds 204

Further information 206

Index 208