I am writing this online guide to pass on the 20+ years of experience, fixing watches, to others who want to discover the art of watch repairing. 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 but very excellent) but to repair and repair these takes a lot more experience. This is why when repairing mechanical watches you can charge more money for fixing one of these than you can charge for mending most of quartz watches.
In spite of this, there is decent cash to be made repairing 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 actually been around for centuries while the first Quartz Watch was produced in 1969.
To be an Excellent Watch Repairer you require experience so it is a lifetimes finding out to become competent mechanical watch maker (horologist), while you can quickly expand your business into fixing quartz watches with this online guide.
In this guide I assume you can open a watch back, change a bracelet and use basic tools correctly. If not, then this guide may not be for you (if I get time in the future I will make a newbies direct too).
OBVIOUSLY you can't simply begin turning screws ... there are a number of things you will require to do (and get) in preparation. You will have far better outcomes, and a a lot more enjoyable experience if you put in the time, effort, and cost to get the majority of the products listed below BEFORE beginning. Keep in mind that these are simply the bare fundamentals ... a serious repair work person has numerous other specialized tools ... but we'll save that for another conversation. The bottom line is that preparation and having the right devices is crucial to success of any repair work task!.
Workspacerkspace rolex submariner naples with a clean, flat surface area. For a beginner a cooking area table will do just fine, however as you become more severe you may wish to consider a watchbench made specifically for repairing watches and a good fluorescent lamp which is easier on the eyes. A watchbench has actually small constructed in drawers for all of the tools and parts you are sure to collect in time.
The style is tall, 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. These soft materials stop parts from bouncing away, and aren't hard sufficient 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 brilliant gizmo catches it!
The majority of novices will (as pointed out above) begin at a cooking area table. A great pointer for working 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. To keep it from moving, you may want to think about taping it down with masking tape also.
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 and so on will cause more difficulty than they are worth. They are not precision made and you will quickly damage or remove the highly sleek screws found in the majority of watches. The keen eye of a severe watch collector will pick this up instantly; it detracts from the appearance of the watch hence decreasing value of your watch. Find and purchase a set of watchmakers screwdrivers. Even a novices set will be better than anything you can find at the dollar-store.
The correct way to hold it (Right Listed Below) is to grip the screwdriver shaft in between the thumb and middle finger, with the index finger on the cupped end (which turns). Press down on the top of the screwdriver and swivel it in between your thumb and middle finger; turning the screw.