My Friend's Gorgeous WWII Military Watch Won't Run, I Try to Restore It!
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- Опубліковано 27 лис 2021
- A friend from the local watch club got his hands on a gorgeous Elgin A-11 military watch from World War II, but it won't run! He took it to the local watchmaker who had a shot at it and then handed it back saying it wasn't worth his time... Well let's see what happens when an amateur watchmaker gets his hands on it!
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"I'm not a professional...just a hobbyist" WOW! Sure fooled me! Professional work, professional presentation, and a real pleasure to watch! Thank you!
And a "radio voice" as well !
Right? I'll bet the professional who didn't want to bother fixing this, would get quite uncomfortable seeing this.
@@flyboy3633 Marshall does professional commentary work
Sometimes, hobbyists are better at it than professionals just because hobbyists do it because they like doing it and these so called professionals do it for moneys.
@@Xsuprio
Or perhaps the unnamed professional doesnt give a rat's ass about this UTube video, coz his business model doesn't revolve around technically obsolete low value curio watches.
As a scale model hobbyist I am dumbfounded at how you just pick small pieces with the tweezers, without them flying into oblivion :D
HO Scale Kadee no. 5 coupler springs! I'm pretty good 😸😊 at replacing them!
Another scale model hobbyist here .. seriously makes me want to stop griping at .. well .. everything! :)
Hahahahhaha
Feel that. I have to repair small RC helicopters. Thrust bearings of a few mm. Painful
Most of it is not squeezing too hard and having REALLY high quality tweezers. The biggest issues I've found with holding parts is that most commercial tweezers are not flat. At all. In the slightest. And you also have to know where to grab the parts at. Screw heads? Grabbing large flat parts long ways? Bad idea. Grab a stable part
A hobbyist with passion is a lot better than a professional who don’t want to do what he has to.
Another lesson from life. Thanks for your videos.
550k+ subs, i'd rather be a hobbyist than a pro lol
A professional saying something isn't worth their time makes me so angry. They are being paid for their time. It is worth it. The loose case screw just further sells the lazy uncooperative "professional"
I love it that you love to do these restorations and not because you have to. That is the difference between you and the professionals.
@@Ksweetpea The correct Answer of the 'professional' would have been:
"There is a bend sprocket, can't repair it or source a replacement because of warranty issues"
and giving the Owner a Picture of the Back of the watch with the damaged wheel marked.
Professionals have problems of warrantys and using sourced used wheels is tricky for them because of it.
But he had the clock open and should have seen the Problem.
Giving the Costumer a good hint whats the problem and that he can't fix it thanks to warranty and used parts concerns
would be adequat Service to the costumer. The loose case screw and the 'can't be bothered' is bad.
They probably didn't even open the watch. Not a lot to repair and to bill the client for.
Beautiful restoration. My father was a WWII veteran and had an Elgin A-11. He would sync it with the phone company time every morning before going to work. I guess old habits are hard to break.
You play magic?
@@jeshuaadams5869 I asked him that in a different video as I had noticed the mat.
@@jeshuaadams5869 He is incredibly known in the Magic Community. Hosts a podcast called "Limited Resources", extremely popular show regarding the Limited format
Best unintentional ASMR channel eva!!!
@@jeshuaadams5869 do you know how UA-cam works? Why would you pay that question in this comment thread? LOL.
As a mechanical engineer I'm always amazed at the size and precision of the parts, especially those bronze colored gears. But what really blows my mind is trying to imagine the machines that made those parts.
My uncle was a watchmaker in the 40' & 50's. My dad once owned a chain driven pocket watch that my uncle repaired. He made a replacement link from a piece of superfine wire for it. My dad took the back off the watch and showed me the chain, which was about the same diameter as 8-10 lb. monofilament fishing line.
Truly, this was an exemplary display of skill and attention to detail of its time. I feel lucky to be able to see a part of history at what possibly is close to its original condition close to 80 years ago from now.
And to imagine what we can do now in cutting and forming precision fitting parts, and all the components we could combined them with, I have high hopes for what we can come up with for the many years to come.
Kudos here for a job well done!
You sure you didn't just make up all those names for all the parts? Fun to watch a skilled craftsman at work. Thanks
Seriously, how did they made watches 120-140 years ago? Something like 15-20 precision gears, everything precision cut, stamped and milled - probably by hand, even with a stencil. No power tools, no easy to get replacement parts... if your endmill broke, you were done.
Right, like how did all these parts come together in the first place? Totally mind blowing.
I would guess this watch was defective right out of the factory. That gear wheel being damaged during assembly. That's why it's in such great shape; it was never actually used because it didn't run. But now it does! Great work! :)
Good observation.
NEW OLD defect stock might be worth checking out hmmm
Bingo!
Could be! I don’t know anything about watches. Might the factory have left that screw out? Might that screw be what damaged that gear wheel?
You're probably right. When i see something on ebay new old stock, whatever it may be. Makes me think there's something wrong with it from the get go.
I can't believe somebody would say that this watch wasn't worth their time to fix. So sad given the watches history, not to mention its condition. Thank you for honoring this watch and giving it the the attention it was due! ❤
My thought was that perhaps the professional figured out what was wrong, didn't have a donor watch lying around and decided it would be too much of a hassle tracking a single part down. Then they still screwed up by forgetting to actually screw down the case screw but still, might not have been just a straight up refusal.
@@rjoac09seems like it's more likely that he didn't know how much those watches are actually worth today and just assumed it was a couple hundred dollars at most. I mean, you can get busted ones for 2-300 but nice ones are well worth ones time.
@@J.C...That's my guess. Figured the guy who brought it in was an idiot and he was doing him a favour by refusing the work.
They might of thought there was a risk of radium paint on the hands.
@@rjoac09 no he was just lazy or most likely he is not a pro...you dont just give up if you are a pro you search for the problem and you tell your client how he wants to proceed that "professional" has only experience with battery replacements on quartz
Marshall, your videos are not just informative: they are therapeutic. I may actually live longer because of the positivity and calm your videos induce.
Yes
About 21 years ago I purchased an art deco Waltham pocket watch, well aware it wasn't in working order per the auction description. It had to have been anywhere from $15 to $20 and I thought, what the heck, I'll see what I can do (as a noob watch enthusiast). Lo and behold, it was one of those screws that managed to get caught in the balance spring! Ended up fishing it out, securing it back in and it ran like a top. I hardly win anything, but man, that felt like I won a million bucks!
Hey that's what we all hope for when we buy a junker on eBay! Nice find :)
That's awesome. I'm not a watch guy but I'm a bit of a history buff and I bought a Waltham ww1 trench watch with shrapnel guard for like 50 times what you paid. So congrats on the find. Did you keep it or did you end up selling it?
Right on! I did end up selling it, don't know for how much but I'd wager a bet on significantly more than $25.
I’m retired now, but when I was younger, I used to really enjoy taking watches and clocks and even radios apart to see how they worked. I was fascinated by the intricate movements and workings of these devices. Who knew they could be put back together?🤷
lol
Funny, but so very true!
I did the same with my dad's business calculators. Never got kne back together. Finally thought just put the buttons back on. He found out during an exam I put them on in wrong spots lol.
I used to take people apart. They can't be put back together. I stopped before the law caught up to me...
Don't worry, the people I dealt with were not good people. It was made clear though that should I be caught I'd be disavowed even though I was doing work for bigger people.
Just because you're retired doesn't mean that you have to stop breaking stuff!
The movement looks absolutely brand new. An old watch that doesn't work gets thrown into the bin...how many times has that happened! And yet, a little knowledge and some time....and a watch of considerable beauty has the chance to be handed down to the next generation. Well done this man for putting in the hours to restore a lovely watch such as this!
Up until this video queued up in my suggestions, my extent of timepiece knowledge was there were two types: mechanical and digital.
I watched this, with zero expectations, thinking to myself, "I must be bored if I'm watching a video on watch restorations." I'm now four more videos in, and boy was I wrong!
Very entertaining, oddly satisfying, and completely unexpected. Very well made content!
Couldn't agree more, I really want to try it, but its like any pro, they make it look easy. He is amzing and so humble and the detail, would love to try it, but i guess some of those tools are not cheap.
It’s the Bob Ross effect ! Very calming to listen to and observe
I think there are many of us on here on Marshall’s channel who stumbled unexpectedly on watch repair like you did.
Marshall single-handedly sparked a passion in me to begin hobbyist watch maintenance/repair! It’s loads of difficult but rewarding fun.
I am telling you. These so called watchmakers these days. All they want to do is change batteries and resize bracelets. Last time I took my watches to a local "watchmaker'. He just took at look at them and told me they are not worth it. Really? Anyway that's why I am starting to learn how to do it myself. And this channel is my favorite. I have learned a lot. Thank you Marshall.
I tried to have a full service on one of my grand dads seiko provitas done. Not a valuable or rare watch by any means, but still a proper watch that I cared for. No one wanted to do it in my area. I have a feeling that a watch shop today is totally based off replacing battery's and Crystal's. A reall shame since a reall watch is such a nice pice of engineering. yeh it's still not as accurate as a quartz lock style. And you have to wind it every day. But there's something nice about wearing something so intricate and delicate that it keeps time within a 1/4 minute a day. I'm no watch maker but I keep all mine running decently. I wish there were more options of good service to send a watch you really care about today. If I don't have to wind a watch, or walk with it so it winds itself, Well then to me it's not a reall watch. By the way a clean provita movement is a damn good watch, like a few seconds a day watch that you never have to wind and is pretty bullet proof. Probably my go to one since I don't have to wind it, just wear it
It's not just stupid arrogant watchmakers that are the issue. There are many "professionals" who are basically snobs - I'm perfectly happy with someone telling me it's not worth it to ME because of the expense, but I'm NOT happy with these sorts of idiots telling me it's not worth THEIR time - I don't give a flying monkey's if it costs more than it's worth in their opinion if I'm prepared to pay what it takes to get it done.
They can charge the same overheads and hourly rates if it's a cheap TIMEX that has sentimental value to me, as if it would if it was a higher end 6 figure watch.
@@gordowg1wg145 a sekio provita from the 70s and back is a proper watch tho. Well deserving of a few hundred bucks in service. I get not wanting to service one of my weird soviet watches or something that's super weird or cheap. The trouble is there's just no one around who is actually still a good old school watch maker in my area. I don't think any of them know how to do a proper full service and fully strip one. Even when I've had one done the thing comes back still running pretty badly, and I know that the internals are good, they just probably stuffed a main spring in it and dropped a bit of oil on the jewls. But I guess today with how few people would ever want one serviced it's not surprising. And of course you can mail them out to tonnes of people who actually know what their doing.
You're not the only one.
It'd be nice if they _COULD_ change batteries. I was headed for a Japan trip but needed new battery for my Casio AMW 330. (It is a watch that I later had several of but, only owned this one at a the time.}
He buggered the change and ruined the watch such that I could not set it and had to convert from PDT to JST in my head. I was extremely made and when I returned, I gave him hell in no uncertain terms.no
My granddad served in WWII and was issued an Elgin watch similar to this. He thought so much of it that he had it regularly cleaned and serviced his whole life, and when the original fabric band wore out he had a very nice gold expandable band put on it. It was handed down to me when he passed on in 1981, and I in turn gifted it to my 22 year old grandson, who has it in a place of honor with other family and WWII items. Probably time to have it cleaned though.
The canvas straps are still available if you wanted to put the watch back to the way it was during the war.
I haven't even owned a watch for probably 50 years or so, but i just love watching your videos. The passion for what you do is obvious, and i can watch your videos back to back for hours! Thanks Marshall 👍👍
My bet is this watch was in a warehouse most of its life. I was stationed at Ft Knox 2010-2013. After the basic training command (BCT) left Ft Knox my soldiers and I were put on a detail to empty stock rooms. There were boxes of old out of date uniform items and gear one of my soldiers found an old box with about a dozen unopened mil-w-3818B’s from the 60’s. Maybe a similar story for this watch.
Crazy they still have this type of stuff tucked away. I did a similar detail in old store rooms, no watches though. Might have taken a few if I did 😜
I figured it was new old stock or something. There is no way that watch say combat or event a speck of dirt.
Sir, I sat here enthralled during the whole presentation.
Anyone who can strip something as fine as that and return it to it's former glory has my full respect.
Thank you
I was thinking of Right to repair, but this, even if there is no ounce of electronics... I am taking this to a professional, this I do not dare to open and do what he has done.
@@CMDRSweeper well right to repair ensures a professional like him can work on a myriad of watches and not just one brand.
When items such as watches stop working,people tend to just throw them away so it is a real pleasure to see this skill in action.
Having worked as a manufacturing jeweller for 25+ years I know the frustration of working on a small part and it launching into orbit.
Dont work in a room with carpet.....
Years ago I modified a version of an old "jeweler's table" for fine electronics work. The integrated lens hoods and sweeps and catch drawers are a big time saver, they've caught all sorts of tiny parts which would've disappeared.
That is a shame
@@ferce889 I found that out the hard way. It took me about 15 minutes to search and find a small part that I dropped in a 12" x 12" area!
In another life, I used to be a aircraft instrument technician, working on general instruments - like RPM, compass, etc. Lots of small screws and pivots. In our shop was a guy who claimed to have the best eyesight in the world, and whenever one of us drops a small part on the tiled floor, we'd call out "Argus!" (Argus being the multi-eyed mythological god) which our friend responded to. He would crawl around for hours sometimes, until he found the part and triumphantly yell "Argus!!!" when he finds the part. Ah well, we were young and bored... One day I will tell you about the dragsters we built out of tachogenerator bearings for wheels with heatshrunk sleaving tires and copper pipes usually used to to evacuate gas from the instrument casing. Spin it up with an airgun, and be prepared to be awed by the speed!
How you remember where every part goes and what is does, is nothing short of incredible!
As a watch enthusiast and collector this is compulsive viewing, you make it look easy but true professional’s always do. Keep up the good work.
Im a watchmaker, that’s something that happens very often. Sad to see the previous watchmaker wasn’t competent enough to see that. Great work👍🏻
He may have been competent, but just didn't want to mess with it.
I wonder how long this took, and then compare the cost of that time to the value of the watch? It is sometimes the case that it isn't worth the time/cost to repair. On the other hand, as it's a military watch with sentimental value, I'm surprised the watchmaker didn't just put a figure on it anyway to sort it out.
@@scottspeig I thought that, also. He could have given the man a price and the choice.
@@scottspeig I'm thinking it was just clickbait
We have customers nearly everyday who want old watches like this fixed, then you give them the price,
The biggest problem with fixing watches to day is time, and getting parts
You spend 2 hours restoring / servicing the watch the get caught out owing to one $2 component you can't get,
Sure you can spend 2 hours o the net trying to find the parts and 3 weeks later when they arrive there the wrong bit
It is easier to hand them back and work on the easier paying jobs.
Send an old watch of that era to Omega or Rolex and the quotes start at $2,000
So I think the watchmaker did the right thing and we don't know if he did a quote.
What a great find and fix! Had a similar experience with some 80-year-old fishing reels from my grandfather. I'd been keeping his equipment in storage for about 10 years and took his reels to a professional tackle store. When they saw what I'd brought to be serviced (6 reels in all) they went and got the owner who was a gentleman in his late 60s (I'd guess). He carefully went through all of them and showed me how all of them wouldn't reel, where there was corrosion, and told me, "They're all ruined with grit and so are the gears, you can hear it. They're not worth repairing," and bid me a good day. Needless to say, I was devastated. I felt so much guilt because all I could think was that I should have done more to protect them instead of just storing them in a tackle box. After thinking about it I decided I had nothing to lose taking them apart to try and clean them. I purchased some reel oil and figured some warm soapy water and some careful drying couldn't do any harm. Well, much like a pocket watch those reels are comprised of very simple gears, axels, and one or two small springs. I mapped each piece on paper, carefully cleaned each with soap and water, gave them a bit of reel oil, and put them together. Each one reeled with a smooth and elegant grace! I'm glad your friend thought to bring this piece of history to you!
"Not worth repairing" from a shop usually means that they could repair it but they would have to charge you several times the price of new ones to cover the costs and they don't want an argument with every customer who brings in old gear about the cost of repair. Sometimes if you explain the item has sentimental value and you're prepared to pay what it costs to fix they will take it.
@@raccoontrashpanda1467 I agree! Which was why I brought the reels in and explained I had inherited them and was motivated to repair them since I now had the money to do so. My story is accurate. The most skilled and knowledgeable person is who the younger staff sent me to and that person told me point-blank they *couldn't* be repaired, not they *shouldn't* be repaired or he *wouldn't* repair them because it would be cost-prohibitive. I actually would have been ok with any of those three choices because the outcome would have been the same with me getting reel maint. supplies. My point is, trying to repair something that's broken is okay if it's not exceptionally dangerous to do so. I know I'm glad I did. :)
@@uqox You should've taken them in after you got them back in working condition just to rub the guy's face in it. lol
@@number3665 Maybe, just maybe....Uqob is a gentleman without an axe to grind. ie. He's not a dick.
P
It's easy to watch your videos because you speak so well. No ums or overuse of the word like. No speech tick. Very rare and so enjoyable. You sucked me in with my curiosity of how things work but I stayed because your narration is perfect.
This is from a professional tech with 44 years experience. One does not need schooling to be a professional. It's call working experience. You have plenty of that. A professional is also defined by his ethics, craftsmanship, attention to detail and care one puts into their work. A hobbyist is a person that messes with things and still has a lot to learn, does not use the necessary tools and protocols and just doesn't understand tech info or what to do when faced with challenges. Sir you are a professional. Just because this may not be your main occupation dose not disqualify you. This is now your passion and your second job. But it's never a job when you have passion, that's a job that's loved. Good work. If i find my dads old Elgin from ww2 I'm going to send it to you to repair.
It's amazing that you call yourself a "hobbyist" when one sees your work. Plus it's very well explained, easy to understand (even for the passionate newbies like me). Hats off Sir!
Thank you :)
Forrest does work with more care than many 'professionals'. Its a joy to watch him, and also the Nekked Watchmaker. Entertaining and educational, good production values too.👍👍
I wholeheartedly agree! You’re not a hobbyist…
@@WristwatchRevival Marshall…how would you feel about servicing and re-luming a birth-year Tudor Prince I’ve just bought for my 40th? It’s in the states waiting to be shipped to me in the UK, but perhaps it could come via you first? 🙂
He is only a hobbyist in the sense that you can't make a living doing these exquisite restorations -- his standards are too high for a professional...
Wristwatch Revival is our sensei.
I would suggest that the screw coming loose bent the tooth on the cog and that was what caused the original problem.
Nice that your time and effort resulted in a working piece of history.
I hope the owner realizes the high quality of your workmanship.
Great Job man. The “Professional” that said it’s not worth his time should be ashamed of himself.
That is a pretty rad watch.
I wore this watch for 30 years in my USAF and civilian pilot career. My fellow pilots lusted for them.. I had 3 of them. My first was my dad's WWII vintage watch that I inherited. Your vid caught my eye immediately. Thanks!
As an amateur watch collector, I was truly amazed how you were able to take that watch apart and put it back together so easily. You have a great talent.
I've had many jewelers and watchmakers tell me that a stopped watch was unfixable. I have concluded that that they are either lazy, incompetent or both. Very disappointing.
It helps to take picture as you go. Once you did one though, you can kind of do the rest easily. Manual watches all share same/similar mechanism and automatic is just that + auto winding complication at the top. other complication just add more shits in the dial side.
You may see yourself as "only a hobbyist", but your work ethic, attention to detail, and great attitude exudes a level of professionalism I think we'd all love to see from anyone who does it for a living.
Probably the loose screw was early in the watches history causeing erratic operation.. The watch was the shelved, hence thecgreat condition today.
I am an electrical engineer, perfectionist and OCD, there is something very calming about these videos. I don’t know what it is but I love it.
Any watch shop that says this isn't worth their time has no idea what a gem this is! No respect for the rich history of mechanical watches. That's surprising. This thing is sparkling clean for what it is!
I've never seen inside of a watch like that before. What amazingly fine machining. I can't wrap my head around working such tiny delicate pieces of metal into something so perfect and percise. I know it's old news to many, but I find that absolutely incredible.
Yes and they also make them for 5 dollars in china. How is that possible?
@@1marcelfilms Automation and parallelization. If you construct a factory line that efficiently solves a difficult part, you can then simply multiply it, which denominates the price. plus, obviously, you have cheap labor doing one thing at a time.
"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs" - Henry Ford.
Here "hard" really means delicate/expensive. That said, what people miss to appreciate is the attention that goes into tooling.
That part around 17:30 when Wristwatch Revival is putting the main spring back is one of those moments that are typically very difficult for the rest of us, because of two key concepts: 1) the man's patience, 2) the actual tool he uses, which he wouldn't have had if he wasn't already into wristwatch repair. That tool is a piece of engineering and a lot of thought and experience got into it. Now imagine tools like it that help you build the watch from the scratch...
Well, in many ways it is easier to build a new watch than to repair an old one, let me say it this way. Now imagine such tools in series with a half a dozen of human labor stations along the way. Now copy these parallel to each other... Congrats, you can now build hundreds of these watches per day. In the end, all you care about is quality assurance which becomes the core facility of your watchmaking enterprise, simply because your tests need to be prudent and efficient. This is what truly differentiates your business from anyone else's. And it is especially hard to estimate how long the watch will run without waiting for that much time, and this will directly affect the brand's market position and value... Obviously if we move past the subjective beauty of the actual design.
So what's essentially the hardest thing in this business, people rarely even think about, everybody fixates on that one thing that's actually solvable -- precision and miniaturization -- and it has been solved, obviously. The other part, well, umm, not so much. Everybody kind of moved into electronics, exactly to move away from the tiny winy mechanical parts, and you don't need as much human labor, the QA tests are much easier, the design is more open towards form, and the actual function is several magnitudes more accurate and robust.
It is only now that we can truly appreciate the precision mechanics of the past. Back then everybody understood what went into it, and it wasn't really that special, it was a craft like any other, nowadays it looks like Willy Wonka's factory, exactly because we have to reinvent not only the mental attitude, but the tooling as well, the two components that make this job much simpler to comprehend.
Same here!
@@1marcelfilms Easy, pay your workers like garbage.
I'm right there with you. The precision and mathematics required in the gear ratios alone boggle me.
The irony of a watchmaker saying "it's not worth his time" is more amusing to me than it should be.
What a gorgeous piece, though. Definitely worth fixing!
Agreed a watch maker saying eh this isn't worth my time to fix does seem 1) a rather ironic statement and 2) fairly ignorant or short sighted to turn away business but who knows. There's good reason I found a local to me watchmaker that can do this kind of work for relatively inexpensive rates and he makes a good living restoring and selling vintage pieces.
@@icalexander it could also easily mean that “I think you’re too smart of a customer so I doubting can upsell or overcharge you.”
@@icalexander To an extent, I can see why it wouldn't be cost effective for a professional shop.
First of, they usually require buying a whole watch/movement just to get replacement parts, and the more rare and unusual movements can end up costing more than the watch itself.
Another thing is that and a lot of vintage movements aren't shock resistant, so that makes them tricky to warranty.
Still though, if I were a vintage watch collector, I would have done the same thing and found someone who specializes in repairing vintage watches.
Furry lol
@@xiopia3940 Hehe, that's cute. You think I'm ashamed of being openly furry.
Remember:
The difference between professional and amateur is merely whether or not one gets paid to do it.
There is no explicit difference in skill, expertise, enthusiasm or knowledge. It's just one gets paid and one doesn't.
I say this because its clear the "professional" had no enthusiasm for his work and is not nearly as competent as Marshall is.
Also look at the word Amateur. It has the same root word as amorous. This is because by definition an amateur does what they do *because they love it.*
Marshall is the perfect amateur. He is as competent and enthusiastic as any pro because he loves it so much.
Not being a pro doesn't mean he is necessarily less capable. It means the opposite. And I hope to be the same way, except I plan to make it my forever career.
Thanks for these videos.
The other "watchmaker" probably took the back off and couldn't figure out where the battery went... It's difficult to gand anyone who actually works on watches anymore, a lost art.... Thanks for keeping it going
You mean the "battery replacement specialist" ?
@@user-iw2mo7yu4d They usually are able to fit the bracelets plus change them and straps too, so not THAT Specialist. ;)
Took my Bulova Devil Diver to a ‘master watchmaker’ for full service some years back. 10 minutes after I picked it up, I checked the time. Couldn’t see a damn thing through the crystal- completely fogged up. Pretty sure he had just dunked the whole movement in his ultrasonic cleaner and done nothing else. Went straight back there and told him to do what I’d paid him to do. Ran ok after picking it up the second time. Needs servicing again… Marshall?😉
the youtuber dunked his finger in the grease jar, contaminated. you should use a clean screwdriver.
Visit NYC. There's dozens in Manhattan.
You Sir have the smooth voice of a beat poet... I never get tired of listening and watching your beautiful work
Unlike a professional, a hobbyist has the luxury of time. They can create a labor of love for the simple joy of doing it.
What an incredibly gorgeous piece. And hey, if not for that watchmaker we would've not had the chance to see it in all it's pristine detail on this channel so I'll just call it a lucky coincidence :)
it’s very common for professional watchmakers to pass on low end watches. I doubt he even opened it.
@@MrMadvillan Why would they do that for such a nice historical piece? Don't they charge the same either way? Or is it the assumption that they won't be able to fix a junky watch?
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 sure, you could charge more than the watch is worth for the service and that’s the clients prerogative, however a good watchmaker will be busy enough to have a choice of what they take, like some only do Swiss pieces. The misconception is that the watchmaker is waiting around for that job. More so, service is very different than restoration, it’s a ‘project’ and objectively these ww2 watches are fairly generic and some would argue not really meant to be serviced - being that it’s destined for war. Marshall is doing a disservice to profession watchmakers’ with this kind of video, I suppose to feed the ego.
@@MrMadvillan Wow, those are pretty harsh words. He seems to care about what he's doing and constantly says he's a hobbyist. What more do you want? I very much doubt that he's cutting into their business by showing his personal projects, in fact some professional channels have offered him high praise.
@@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017 its even in the description: the "professional couldn't do it, but I, the amateur can." As far as what's on my bench, no matter how hacky the previous work was done(or in this case not done), it's not fair to make assumptions. But yeah marshall sure is making assumptions to make himself look good. And tbh I've been a sub for a while and have had no problem with his work.
I think traditionally, soldiers used to set their watches by the mortar commanders time. For a couple of reasons, but mainly so they didnt arrive on the target at the same time as the bombs! Thank you for the video, its really interesting. Now I see why good repairers charge what they do.
I had a similar experience 10 years ago, with a near mint 1950's Crest with power reserve I'd given to my son, I took it in for a service & the young watchmaker said it wasn't worth servicing & he could sell me a modern watch for the same as it would cost to service, I told him it had sentimental value & he agreed to take the job on. when I went to pick it up he started telling me that he was surprised & didn't expect that it would have the movement it did. Knowing what it was I just smiled & nodded politely.
This is great. The attention to detail is top notch. You said this was from world war 2. The intricacy and how small the parts are amazes me that it was made that long ago.
Being a tool and die man for 32 years it's a pleasure watching a craftsman at his trade, I have a watch my father wore in Germany and Korea and it resembles that watch but I always left it like it is because it stoped working when he was on a ship coming back home to NO.LA. from overseas and I'm not going to wear it but keep it with his uniform display box.Thank You Jake Bissel
Nicely done! My father was a Corpsman on Okinawa and I’m a USMC infantry vet myself. Love to see your appreciation and care in this restoration!
Never thought I'd enjoy watching watch repairs. Your commentary & professionalism is awesome. Love watching your repairs.! 👌
Wow, super cool. That’s my Dad’s watch from his time in WW II. I got his watch after he passed 9 years ago. I wear it a few times a month, and still pretty accurate. Thank you.
As far as army watches go, the old soviet ones have to be some of my favorites, amazing craftsmanship and design for the time
Vostok watches have a fascinating story. I personally love the Slava Medical Pulsometer watch.
I had one a long time ago And I lost it like an idiot. Had like the little Soviet star on it and a air plane emblem which I think it might have been some kind of Soviet air men or airborne watch.
Marshall, I absolutely love how you explain every detail of the watch on every video, never assuming that everyone watching your video knows all the parts of the watch and how to diagnose each section. Thank you.
You watch repair people amaze me by how patient & precise your assembly & disassembly skills are..I enjoy watching your videos sir..👍
Dude!!! What a relax time! I'm into watches for quite a while and you my friend you're a pure inspiration. Thank you. Thank you for the quality time offered. Keep carry on!!
When I was in the army I was once issued a Hamilton brand military watch. I can't remember what year it was or what happened to it - whether I turned it back in or whether I still have it. They were issued to us as expendable items, so I don't think we would have been required to turn it in. It was very simple - like the watch shown - but, if memory serves, it really didn't hold up that well and crapped out after a while. I might still have it, but finding it would probably take me the next twenty years.
I had the same experience your friend had when I took my Russian military airborne forces watch to a watchmaker in Germany. He told me it would cost me more than the watch was worth to have him repair it (I'd traded a Dutch soldier a brand-new American rucksack purchased from supply on my dime for that watch). Then he quoted me more than my meager military family budget would allow so I never did get it taken care of.
Thanks for these videos. Before the military I was a mechanic for about seven years and all things mechanical fascinate me. I've always been curious about horology but I'd never even dreamed about tinkering with something as small as a wristwatch. Now, after watching your videos for a while I can see that it's not as intimidating as I'd imagined. I used to teach a class every fall semester at North Seattle Community college and my classroom was next door to where the horology course was held. I often thought I'd like to take that course but I'm an old dude and I hear there is/was a long waiting list. I figured I'd probably be planted in the ground before I got in. LOL
LOL Mike, I think it's time you checked that wait list again! I felt exactly the same way you did before I started the hobby, but someone with your experience and expertise will be able to pick it up fast I bet. Go for it I say :) It's also not a bad hobby for the rainy PNW days :)
@@WristwatchRevival - Well, thanks, I will. IF I could get in that would probably be a better use of an old retired fart's time than sitting around watching UA-cam videos all day.
I bought a Hamilton vietnam(my) era mechanical watch this year.
O
@@mikeohandley6765 Why not check out online horology courses while you're waiting too? It never hurts to get your head around the basics like terminology, history, etc before you start a course... and the one positive this pandemic has gifted us is a plethora of online courses & content from professionals _and_ passionate amateurs wanting to engage with people who want to learn 👍
It's amazing to me that someone could take such tiny machines apart and remember which little screw went where. I've been a pretty competent diy mechanic for my whole life and have taught myself quite a lot. But I don't think I could ever muster the patience and skill to do this. Nice presentation though, really well done.
Comes from repeated repetition...Like, how you take a transmission to a specialist if you wan't it fixed right...%95 of all reputable mechanics wont touch a transmission, because of their detail required in re-assembling them...
@@brentfarvors192 b/c automatics are garbage and should be banned
@@TheGuruStud Not all are "garbage"...
As a transmission builder and lifelong DIY automotive tinkerer. Working under the scope on PCB level repairs I find relaxing. Takes a bit of practice on junk you don't care about. Soon you catch on.
Just browsing the UA-cams on my lunch break and this video is in my feed for some reason. First of all, regardless of you being a hobbyist or not, what you're doing is nothing short of professional. Your excitement and joy is also addicting and kept me watching for the entirety of this lengthy video. I can't imagine working so precisely on such small parts.. my hands shake too much. Great video!
I love sitting watching you take the watches apart and back together. I said to my wife it’s interesting and I would love to do this. But I don’t think I have the patience. She agreed then laughed
What a joy to watch! You have the most amazing demeanor and you educate without arrogance. Just a pleasure to watch. Your skill level, sets you apart. Your friend should know what an honor it is to know you!
Something to think about.. When the mainspring is “overwound” (no such thing), however, what happens with a dirty mainspring, the higher the wind, the more bound up (coiled) the spring is the tighter the leaves bite down on dirt. This causes the mainspring to cease releasing (locked up). But loosening the main spring, you release the coil allowing the dirt to be released and unlocking the mainspring. In your case the releasing of the spring for disassembly and then the rewinding, but not fully, allowed the spring leaves to slide without the high tension with a fully wound spring.
This resulted in the the watch functioning. These are special watches and thanks for the expert restoration. Your truly are out of the realm of the hobbyist. Now find that Patek Phillipe at the flea market and get it running!!! Cheers, Geoff
Of course one should watch the video to the end! How the hell can a single tooth be bent like that unless it was installed that way. Hence the excellent condition of the movement and case. Probably put aside at the factory as a non functional new watch. Then forgotten about. But hey, that would never pass quality control on any watch maker. And the those movements still have NOS parts available let alone donor watches.
''just a hobbyist''
your work is a work that many pro's cannot accomplish....
love yoyur videos
Marshall I am not a watch enthusiasts and I just came across your UA-cam video and I clicked on it. I tell you Sir, you are so good doing the job and the best part is your commentary making it so interesting to watch. My hat's off to you Sir.
With the little I know and have seen around watchmaking, this is a really good presentation of how well everything works in such a delicately balanced piece.
I truly enjoyed seeing this video from start to finish, and for highlighting such a beautiful artifact of our shared history. I really hope that this piece will last for many more generations to come.
I often think of the scene from "The Enemy Below" when Ensign Merry's hand is maimed in a depth charge crushing accident. The Captain (Robert Mitchum) expresses his well-wishes to the young man, offering encouragement to his life, since he is to be sent home upon returning to port. The young Ensign appears saddened at the prospect and says: "I was a watchmaker."
Seeing you get this old war horse running again instantly reminded me of that scene, not to be glib, but that each person had a part to play in that effort and the watchmaker was no different. Outstanding work! You earned a subscriber.
You are a good person
@@gavenowens7154 Most of us are. Just too much noise in the world today. Its theraputic to remember the veterans who faced immense challenges and soldiered on.
I worked for years as a custom jeweler. One of the things I learned over time was watch repair. I would work on just about any kind of watch, but what I saw was, many watch repair people were watch snobs. They would only work on the finest Swiss watches. If the watch happened to be Japanese or American, they wouldn’t touch them. And from what I’ve seen, most people don’t own Swiss watches, and that’s even more so since the advent of Apple Watch and cell phones. I’ve enjoyed watching your videos, keep up the great work.
ETA movements mean that "the finest" of Swiss movements are pretty average
@@boredincan No they're not. ETA is not bad at all, like it or not, the watch industry is probably better off with it. In-house movements may be more interesting, but most of the time won't be better. I think the word 'average' as we tend to use it doesn't really apply to a lot of the watch industry.
I have a 1921 IWC wristwatch in solid 18K and it needed a full service and because the screws holding the dial in place were rusted, the watchsmith said he couldn't do it. I pressed him and he said he would let it soak for a week. This worked and he took it apart and put it back together. New mainspring. It runs perfectly now and I am v happy. I saved a piece of history.
Watching your videos has something satisfying even though I'm not into repairing watches. Nice job.
Anyway about the radium thing: Please buy a Geiger counter and check every clock before handling it. There were different paints used in A-11, some with radium some without. From the look I'd say this one contains radium though I might be wrong. Please keep in mind, that the phosphors in the paint that make it glow have long degraded after 50+ years, the paint will completely dark in the dark, but yet the radium content is almost the same as when they were manufactured. Sometimes when you put it under a UV light you can see tiny parts that are still fluorescent, if that is the case, it is almost certainly radioactive. Those miliary watches contain lots of radium so even with a cheap Geiger counter that cannot detect alpha radiation, you will instantly be able to tell if it does contain radium.
Great advice. Thank you for that.
As long as he doesn't repair them on a regular basis and not chip paint of the watchhands it should be fine. Unless inhaled or ingested these old paints don't really pose a threat. That's what killed the Radium Girls btw. ingesting Radium on a regular basis, not the radioactivity of Radium by itself, alpha decay isn't really harmful unless you are exposed to a large quantity (radiation burns) or ingest them. α-particles get blocked by skin.
There's not nearly enough radiation to be harmful, and it's not the most dangerous type of radiation either.
I have very little experience with mechanical watches; I've never thought about watch repair; I haven't owned a watch in decades.
Here I am, bingeing these vids and now wanting a vintage watch.
Dive in I say :)
You do some great videos! Good dialogue and super interesting to see there are so many different movements. I hadn't a clue.
To me the best part of this video is you saying at the very end how proud you are because you should be. Man, you don't get that these days and I appreciate it. I'm a fan of anyone for taking old things bringing them back to their former glory! Keep on keeping on!
WHy can't I stop watching this guy's channel? Truly fascinating!! I new watches were complex but dang this is incredible
I found this channel from when you mentioned it on Limited Resources. I just wish I knew about it sooner! This is the kind of thing I've found myself watching lately -- woodworking, leatherworking, gem cutting, and now watch repair. It is very satisfying to watch someone who is great at what they do, keep up the good work.
Watching this channel really brings me back to when I worked on the 8-day aviation clocks in the mid 00's. Granted the clocks I worked on where about 3 times bigger but the fundamentals are the same. One big difference is how much power was in the main spring that would regularly chip off winding gear teeth when we let the power out (it was a common issue that pilots would over-wind the clock).
I have the original 8 day clock in my 1947 Cessna 140….and it still works!
@@TheAirplaneDriver Not surprising. Personally I love old aircraft analog instrumentation. Most of it was surprisingly simple like the bar-alt just being a bladder hooked up to a needle or the AoA indicator lights just being cams on a shaft pushing on mechanical switches. Even the turn rate indicator was just a 2-3" gyro that'd even function when we hooked up a couple of the wires backwards (granted it did point the wrong way, but it did so very accurately!).
@@Najolve It is amazing how the airplane and systems have held up over the past 75 years. There is a small pile of light powdery stuff from the dials sitting on the bottom of the clock behind the glass (I assume radium? 😳) but otherwise it works just fine.
Another great video Marshall. It's amazing how you bring these pieces back to life. You should be very proud. Good job my friend 🙂.
The concept of showing off a watch, wrapped around backgrounds with assorted textures, not just arms, is rather brilliant. I haven't seen that before
Had my grandpa's watch, just like this. He was a WW2 pilot. Haven't seen it in a decade.
Watching this makes me wanna search everything i own, find it, and send it straight to you.
Price non-factor.
Great video.
You have blown my mind with this reassemble, hats off to you sir. I sent my watch to longines to be fixed in Switzerland due to battery leakage. They said the watch is old and maybe beyond repair, I didn't believe them for some reason because they offered me a other watch but they keep my one!!!! It was my 21st birthday present from my parents, and I wanted to give to my son on his. Love your enthusiasm to detail.
Well done sir. Love these old military watches.
4:42 WOW! Thank you soooo much for this tip!
As a long long time locksmith that has recently got into watch tear down and rebuilds all of your vids have just been amazing! I have really learned lot with you as you learned....
Thanks!
What an amazing thing for me to stumble upon your channel today. I used to listen to limited resources religiously from scars to khans and you helped me win so many drafts. I have since dropped off because in 2015 I got my first watchmaking job and it has taken up the time I used to spend drafting too much. I absolutely love hearing you explain all the watchmaking principles in a very similar way to the mechanics of magic. I have not heard many of these principles explained so succinctly. Congratulations on the channel. The tech side is ahead of the curve already for watchmaking channels. The store I work for now is just about to launch our own watch UA-cam so i know how hard that kind of thing can be!!
I had a brother in law who used to fix and rebuild watches as a hobby. His dad was a certified watch repair person so that's who he learned from. He did absolutely amazing work. Just like this video only John didn't have all of the specialized tools shown here. Fascinating video and fascinating work to see.
Really impressive. Thanks for sharing
It wasn't worth the watchmaker's time? In just saying that it merely shows his arrogance, whereas handing it back after leaving a screw floating about inside clearly demonstrates his incompetence and lack of professional pride. I wouldn't want his time - paid or otherwise. You've put the watchmaker to shame, thank you for sharing your passion and skills with us. That watch is beautiful.
if i ever needed a watch repaired i would want a person just like you to do the repair because it's obvious that your care very much about your work and that you care about the watch. keep up the good work sir
16:29 for the (likely) reason why this watch didn't/couldn't run. Great closeups of the problem. Loved the profile ones showing how far off kilter that gear tooth was.
That was great! I had a great uncle that was obsessed with military watches, I got to see his WWII which I remember being very clean, but not THIS clean! His obsession started with a WWI watch that I also handled as a kid... it had that separate seconds dial you spoke of and the watch band holds were just bent metal arches on either side. Getting to go inside was a real treat! Getting to feel like I understood that, while delusional, was even more fun!
"An professional by word is a amateur, an amateur by word is a professional" So you're a amateur? O no I am sure in what I see, pure professional acting, doing, explaining and telling. Bravo I love it and thinking of a new hobby.
You are a professional and great person to fix this watch in a historic way.
A nice addition to your channel would be to see the reaction of the watch owners if they would be willing. The work is simply splendid, and I'd love see your aunt's reaction for instance when you handed the heirloom back to her, or in this case, your friend from the Seattle Watch Club.
This is truly a dying art and I love to see people like you doing this as a hobby - very nice! I had an old watchmaker when I was a youth (he was already very old in the 1990s) and I used to bring him my father and grandfather's old watches (that I had inherited), but when he went, I no longer knew what to do with the old time pieces.
I know nothing about watch making but your videos are enthralling and I thoroughly enjoy your commentary. Great job!
Thank you for a fantastic presentation of watch servicing and restoration. I always avoided watches but not any more! I am enthralled by your knowledge and have learnt so much in just a short space of time. I was mesmerised! Mark, High Peak, UK
Absolutely amazing work Marshall! Keep it up 🤘
Thank you!
*Funny, had similar watchmaker experience with a 1952 rectangular Elgin. Repair shop had it 90 days, called me up and said it's free but they've done nothing to it and just have no time. Came back with a giant replacement screw and locked in position. Never sorted it back out, but ... life. 70 year old micromachinery hard to bring back to perfection.*
I'm going back in time to watch more videos (new subscriber) and I'm finding them very entertaining.
So very interesting and articulate.
Yes Marshall, Thank you!
@@WristwatchRevival Marshal any idea where I can get a replacement winding stem for the 539? Or are they similar enough to an ETA that I could use one of those?
What does he use to open up the back? A magic 8ball?
It is amazing that how much high quality stuff was expendable in WWII.
Mechanical marvels and human lives alike
Crazy to look back on.
Or how low quality modern stuff is "/
Very much appreciated showing yourself at work, true professional. , rare breed these days.
You sir, are an excellent teacher. You do not need to refer to other people as "the experts" :) But I understand your modesty. That's what makes you so good.
im not even a watch guy and found this watch gorgeous the instant i saw it. so glad you could get it to run again!
also loved the commentary! very engaging and informative
Please do a video explaining how you got into this!! I find it amazing that you have such a deep knowledge of every component of the watches you restore even though you say you're just doing it for a hobby, and it'd be awesome to know how you got into it/how you obtained all your knowledge. Fantastic video btw!
As someone who breaks stuff by looking at it I could never do this. Your speaking voice is fantastic and explanation of process is amazing! I don't even own a watch and I've subbed. Keep doing what you are doing and thank you so much. I also can't imagine where or how much these extremely specialized tools must cost, must be a small fortune.
I've been learning about watches from this channel. I first started watching this channel because of the tools used.
Love the “sleuthing” you did to uncover the problems. And as others have said, that you can lay all the parts around Willy-nilly and get them all back is def evidence of your skill and experience. Kudos! 🍺🤩
WOW! Just WOW! I’ve always found the inner workings of watches fascinating and you had me locked in from beginning to end. You made it look so easy. Great job!!! A new subscriber and fan!!
I am having a really hard time watching your videos and not buying old watches to rebuild.. I made custom folding knives and crave precision.. This is another level... Nice work.
I don't have a want or need to buy or wear watches but omg I just found this channel and I'm obsessed with the inner workings of watches now.
I remember when I was in Army basic training in 1969 and bought my first good watch, a Zodiac with a fourth hand that functioned as a compass, from the post exchange at Ft. Gordon, GA. I wore that watch through basic, AIT and my various duty stations over the next two years. Other than having the crystal repolished periodically due to the abuse it was subjected to it ran accurately and flawlessly, until it was stolen from my personal belongings by some hospital employee where I was a patient in the early 70s.