Man, no disrespect to the other more established and respected watchmakers on youtube, but the information in your videos is pretty much all, and I mean all the left out information from every other video. As a self learning watchmaker, your channel is absolutely a gem of a resource. Thank you a million times over!
@@watchrepairtutorials I love it man. Thank you. Looking forward to cramming in all your vids. I've subbed. I've been learning on my own for the last 12 months as a career change due to covid destroying my industry. Sadly watchmakers near me are far and few, and the ones that I have found which are too far to travel to, but I tried to anyway were severe alcoholics who polished off an entire case of premixed cola and bourbon while "interviewing" me by putting a customers clock in front of me, hitting it with a hammer and asking me to show them how to fix it. Uhmmmm. WTF? I wish I made that story up. Another guy I only spoke to over the phone, as they attempted to tell me they had no work, it was a dying art and that I should give up and try something else like gardening. Another horologist was actually good, let me work with him for a few days. I loved it. Problem I found was I discovered I didn't want to work in a shop. On the other hand, when I told him I'd rather source faulty vintage watches, repair and restore them, sit at home doing so on my workbench, and hopefully flip them for profit, he gave me a wide eyed blessing and said he wish he pursued that avenue but was too invested in his shop to do so. He offered me any help I needed in the future. Which was really nice. The rest of the time, I've been working through Mark Lovick's online course. However, I will say all these resources are great, but still leave out many details that you are amazingly covering. I can't thank you enough.
Came here to say this. I have been gearing up to give watch servicing a go for about a year now, watching videos on the subject. NEVER have I seen lubrication being applied to this many spots. This is my 5th video from this guy (sorry I don't know your name yet) tonight. I subbed after the 2nd.
@@micnolmadtube buy yourself a non working Seiko on eBay to practice on. Give it a go. As for lubrication, the first thing that surprised me was when I opened a PDF of a Seiko service manual and saw no only how many places you need to lubricate, but how many different types of lube you need. It’ll likely be the most expensive thing you need to buy.
I have been an engineer all my working life and just starting my journey in watch repair. I know when someone is worth listening to and this guy in my view knows what he is talking about. After watching many videos on this subject this will now be my place to follow 👍
Same here, I'm an applications engineer, I've invested in a few very nice watches but also have been collecting vintage for a while. And although I have not attempted to service those watches, I wanted to have the ability to start working on and able to service the majority of my watches. The only thing that I see myself doing after retirement is learning more about mechanical and automatic movements and passing that information and excitement down to my son and grandson. I love my job, but watches consume me in my off time. I actually have a document where I write about everything I've learned. A lot of those notes are verbatim in Alex's voice and instruction. Down to the "let me day that again" stuff.
Alec from the UK: These are outstanding videos. Not the disassembly/assembly 'watch making porn' common on UA-cam. As an aspiring watch maker a few weeks into classes, this is the best resource I've found on this platform! Sharing the link with the rest of my class now.
High torque low speed Mob hp 1300 Mainspring barrel 2nd wheel 3rd wheel Parts that rotate Ratchet wheel Click Motion works on posts Intermediate wheel Cannon pinion outside Barrel arbor shoulder (where it goes into something) End of stem Post for yoke Low torque high speed mob 9010 4th wheel Escape wheel balance wheel Mob 9504 grease or MDX Parts sliding against each other under tension Grooves wheels sit on Cannon pinion Keyless works Small dot of grease in each flat side of stem Ratchet teeth in sliding pinion Each side of groove on winding pinion End of yoke Spot where spring contacts yoke Setting lever Mob 8200 Mainspring Never lube pallet fork (Anything I forgot?)
Brilliant just brilliant 21 mins of straight talking and demonstration covering all you need to know. I've spent hours reading and watching videos and you just nailed it in 21 mins. Thank you.
These videos that you're putting out are just absolute gold. I am a hobbyist and have used your videos as a guide to the work that I am doing. I cannot thank you enough. I don't thank you on every video but I should.
At 13:00, "So, never, ever lubricate the pallet jewels." At 18:47: "It's not going to be a great lubricant for the pallet jewels" Was 18:47 meant to be "pallet stones?" Best lube video out there especially when it comes to the keyless works. I've seen many but your procedure is all common sense and well thought out. Keep them coming.
Hey man, In my head pallet jewels and stones are the same. So yea, the pallet forks PIVOT jewels would never get lubrication. The pallet stones get the 9415. At 18:47, I must have been talking about using 8000 to practice with. It’s better than nothing, but not great.
How great it was to have found your channel. I'm a computer engineer with the mission of restoring some watches I got from my father, two of them are over 100 years old (pocket watches: omega and cortébert) and a Cartier wrist watch, so I have the mission to maintain these jewels within the family tradition where it is in the third generation with me. Therefore, I decided 30 days ago to start my studies to find out how to restore them, but I ended up falling in love with the art of restoring mechanical watches. I believe mechanical watch restoration has become my new hobby. Currently I have gone through the planning phase, purchasing tools, component analysis, cleaning and reassembly (where I am in the phase of studying lubrication). I will finish with polishing the case, as I am still in the learning phase about this final part. Your channel is certainly far ahead of the tips I got on the internet. I've already been through about 20 tips channels, but your channel has very perfect classes. So I want to express my gratitude for your shared knowledge and also declare my respect for you. I wish you great success and prosperity.
Excellent. I’m sure you will do well as troubleshooting is 100% analytical thinking. If you hit a roadblock in your studies, you should consider my course on watchmaking as much of the information you need will not be found on the internet.
@@watchrepairtutorials Definitely. You have a convert. Both your channels are such a help. I find them great for explaining it in layman's terms that make it stay in the aging brain. Plus it is a good refresher for things that get forgotten over time. Look forward to all upcoming videos. You have a convert! Thanks for all your effort.
Eventhough I’ve been warmaking for about 2 years and am quite comfortable taking on an array of services, I will always come back to these videos as they have the best information out of any videos on UA-cam. They are are extremely informative and will make anyone a better watchmaker. Thank you for your service! (No pun intended)
Thanks so much for this video! This was super helpful information for me as a hobbyist watchmaker. I was blown away with the miniscule amount of oil that is needed and how easy it is to over lubricate a movement. Thanks, again!
Thank you for another outstanding video. I’m getting ready to do my first lubrication of a vintage watch. I find myself watching your videos more then once taking notes before I attempt oiling.
Another important lesson. Thank you very much taking the time to explain all these concepts in a clear and no bulls**t way. The syringe tip is amazing!
Thank you for uploading these videos. I've been a watch enthusiast since I was a child and I recently decided to start working on watches in my free time. These videos are a godsend. I admire your knowledge and I'm looking forward to everything you share with us. Greetings from Luxembourg!
Thank you so much for refraining from the elitist attitude and telling people what cheap oils they can get to practice with! For real, it sucks how many people seem unwilling to answer that simple question. I don't care if the oil isn't going to last a life time, I don't care if it doesn't last a week! I just want to buy an old cheap movement, tear it down and put back together 15 times and see that balance wheel fire up when I'm done. That's it. I swear some people forget that they once sucked at this too.
The fact of the matter is that it takes a while to learn how to properly lubricate a movement and there’s really no reason to use the high price correct lubricants because you’re probably gonna be over lubricating it anyway.
What a great channel. You'd think things such as getting oil out of the bottle, into a pot and onto the tip of an oiler would be trivial maters, but I'm still pulling my hair out over such things. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. You have a new subscriber.
Thanks Phil, It’s just like anything else to are trying to repair, you don’t know, what you don’t know. I try to bring actionable content on subject that one one hand is simple but that can get real complicated real fast. Welcome aboard.
Hey man, Hope to see you here again. Just remember that what I’m showing here is just a way to get started. The point I am trying to make is that you don’t have to have a expensive machine. They are nice to have as I use both a 4 jar Zenith machine and an ultrasonic machine for various cleaning but you can get good results with a little ingenuity.
I am a newbie here getting into Watch making. Absolutely Love the way you teach, the fantastic energy you bring in in rendering your material and how you reinforce so it sticks. Thanks a million Alex!!
This video is well worth keeping on my workbench's iPad. Before lubricating a freshly cleaned movement, I spend 20-minutes and watch this vide once again. If the rest of you ureally like this video, you're gonna love Alex's advanced videos on his Patreon channel. .
@@watchrepairtutorials I've watched it several times, Alex, I just thought I'd let you know that I watch it regularly. Up late? I'm retired and a night owl. I like being up when everyone else is asleep. It's quiet, no traffic on the roads, the 24-hour stores are vacant and the service at the open eateries are first-rate. This is north Houston - it never closes.
@@watchrepairtutorials That's about right. I'm up all night and a portion of the morning too. I was getting ready to oil a movement and watched the video once again. I have several vidsoes of yours that I watch again before digging into whatever needs to be done. They are that good.
This channel is incredible. You give us all the detailed information that everyone else leaves out. Such an incredible resource. I do have one question though: how does one polish something as small as an oiler?
Thank you Steve. I have found the easiest way to do. It is on the rotary tool with a hard felt wheel. Do you load it up with a fine polishing paste like rouge or the Polinum that I used and you just lightly touch the tip to the wheel as it’s spinning. You only want to do it for a second or two at a time and then check it because if you leave it on too long, it could burn through the tip of the oiler.
Stumbled across your videos a couple weeks ago and have learned so much from you so far. As a total noob to this, your channel is an invaluable tool as someone doing self study on watch making. Thank you!!
Just discovered your channel. I have learned alot already. I have a 1 jewel Endura Time that runs sluggish after 4 hours or so. It was my first watch from 8th grade in 1976. I think my mainspring needs a cleaning.
Thanks Alex, this is the best explanation I have seen so far on YT. And now I realise I have to take apart the watch I recently oiled, clean it and do it again, but now in the correct way 😅
The best lubrication video I have ever seen anywhere and the hardest to learn is (NOT TO OVER OIL) also USE Microscope to oil a watch 😃 also I like the 9404 grease best but seldom see it recommend! KUDOS MATE
I believe I have read that when you write something down that you are trying to learn you retain more of the information. You must be serious about learning. Let me know if I can do anything to help.
When you say never lubricate the pallet jewels. Do you mean never lubricate the pallet fork Jewels that come in contact with the escape wheel? Or the pallet fork pinion jewels? Thanks for the great information!
The pinion jewels. I know that was confusing. The pallet stones and escape wheel teeth is one of the highest friction points of the watch and should be lubricated with 9415
Probably a dumb question, but how do you polish the oiler? The clear pictures of the actual oiling and greasing are absolute gold. A big head start on developing oiling technique.
The easiest way to do it is with a rotary tool with a hard felt pad and using green Dialux compound or any high polish compound. You can also use 1500 to 2000 grit sandpaper to polish it.
To the point and easily understood although detailed. Excellent lessons for us newbies. Thank you, liked and subscribed, now watching all and saving them. I cannot thank you enough.
Very informative video. Your explanation is very clear and understandable. I like how you showed the examples of were to lubricate and how it should look like on the movement. This gives me a good perspective of what I need to mimic. Thank you.
Thank you for the explanation about lubrication and the pallet jewels. I see some of the advanced watchmakers lubricating the surface of the pallet jewels, but they also say you absolutely must use Fixodrop... but never explain why except to say that it "keeps the lubricant in its place." Your explanation now fills in the gap in that concept for me. Since Fixodrop and the recommended jar for it are so expensive, I think just avoiding lubricating the pallet jewel is the wiser and more affordable course of action, so thank you for giving me the permission I need to just not bother. :)
First things first. The friction between the pallet stone and escape wheel teeth is one of the highest in the movement and should always be lubricated with 9415z I always treat pallet stones and escape wheel teeth with epilame. I didn’t include it in this video because this is for beginners who need to learn and practice proper lubrication first before adding another step.Epilame will not be effective if the lubrication is not done correctly.
Did I learn anything at all? I learned a lot! Especially about polishing the oiler, the direction to use it and how to move the wheel to check the amount, thanks so much for everything you have taught. Interesting that you use a grease for keyless works, usually the tech guides for ETA will suggest HP-1300. Something thicker does seem to make more sense, but I guess the torque is not that much.
Yeah, this is one of those areas where it can get pretty controversial, and people are very opinionated about what you should use. In certain areas of the movement, like the keyless works, where amplitude is not affected, you certainly have more options. I grew up using Molykote DX which is a grease. For me it makes a little more sense to have something that clings to the parts better than an oil where are you have metal on metal friction. Oils tend to be attracted to sharp inside corners which is one of the things that holds oil where a pivot in Arbor come together. But oil also tends to creep around curved areas. That’s why I use 9504 in the keyless works because I feel it stays in place better.
Thank for the videos. Every day I learn something new I have elginlord watch and star get delay I’m afraid to star open up . I not awatch maker but I goin start er with you explanation will help thank s again
Alex.. man, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to share your years of first hand hard earned knowledge. I'm a principal network engineer and at 50 am just gathering up the tools to start my watchmaking journey. I'm literally binge watching your channel! If not done already, maybe you could do a series on magnification. If I can see what I'm working on I can fix it.. but it hasn't been easy finding a combination or light and lens that I'm happy with. Thanks again!
@@watchrepairtutorials😂. I’m moving from purchasing and learning about watches into disassembly and reassembly. I’m totally fascinated about the precision engineering involved. Your channel is a gold mine for people like me. 🙏
@@mwade6982 I appreciate that. Videos that I make are specifically for people just like yourself. The ones that are trying to learn the broader concepts to watch repair.
Whew. Being a complete beginner, these details are invaluable and the step by step process is very much appreciated. I might have never stumbled onto the techniques of picking up various amounts of oil with different angles and speed. Obviously, it's going to take a few pages of notes and several re-watches (sigh) to get these details in my head. A couple of questions: You showed accidentally getting a puddle of oil around a jewel. How do you go about cleaning up the "spill"? Do you do lubrication using a loop or a microscope? Would appreciate a video on selecting a binocular microscope if possible. The Chinese microscopes are fairly affordable and I have other projects that would help spread that expense. Finally, seeing what tools you use has helped trim down the initial shopping list built from reading various forums. At this point, I'm just enjoying the videos and learning.
The over lubrication example was excessive for sure. In reality if it that bad you should probably strip it down and re clean all the parts. Small mishaps can be cleaned up with a Qtip and IPA or Hexane. I do 90% of my work under a microscope with a Barlow lens which gives me more working room. I really only work on the bench when I need to do horizontal work like jeweling or staking work. I plan on doing a microscope video down the road but, I would check out Amscope if you are in the market for one. The tools for starting out are pretty basic. As you get further down the road you will need to start adding more tools. I typical recommend to build your skills with what tools you have and the tasks that are performed with them like lubrication before moving on to other tasks. no need having a bunch of stuff you can't use
Thanks, Alex. I bought a set of oilers and I use the largest one to remove oil/grease from the bottles and the smaller ones to oil jewels and other places. I also bought an Obama automatic oiler to collect although I don't use it.
@@watchrepairtutorials Yep, a lot of tools come in handy for other things. I bought a couple of tools from a guy in the UK that thought that they were made to install watch hands. What they really were was Accutron Index wheel finger/collet tools. I was so afraid that someone else would see the photo that revealed what they really were and outbid me, but nobody did. I also have a genuine vintage set of Dumont Bulova Accutron tweezers. I've never seen another pair like them so far.
Thanks, Alex from South Carolina. You do such a fine job at explaining the important details of bench work in all your videos but this one was especially important to me. Everyone else seems to...eh...gloss over the...uh...finer points of oiling... ...a wonderful job with the macro cinematography, too. You've captured some very compelling details...
@@rehajm nice, we love Beaufort. There is a great little Mexican restaurant right on the Main Street across from the boats that’s really good. I am outside New Bern.
Brilliant video. I’ve just started my journey , there is so much to learn and this video gives a lot of useful information. You have earned yourself a subscriber. 😋
This is great, best on youtube. Any chance for an advanced lubrication video showing braking grease for automatic movements, as well as how to oil the reversing gears? Maybe talk about epilame?
I already did. The Braking grease is demonstrated in "How to Get Higher Amplitude from your Mainspring Barrel" and lubricating reverser wheels is done in, "Beginners Guide to Working On Automatic Watch Systems".
Love it! Every other video i watched has so little info. You sir...rock. im certainly not a horologist but i was able to restore my grandfather's mantle clock and that got me hooked. I carry a pocketwatch and its been slow/stopping. Time to lubricate! And now i know. Now...... Watch me destroy this watch.....lol
very grateful just to mention it would be very better if you show picture of watch parts you mentioned in the beginning as it is very difficult to imagine for someone in the first step on the road
Thank you for your reply. I plan on remaking these videos one day and I appreciate your input. That is something that I will incorporate into the new ones.
Super helpful!! I've watched several videos on oiling, and had gotten the idea of grease vs thick oil vs thin oil, but the oiler technique and amounts were totally missing!
What do you think about using Moebius 8301 and its best use? When is it best to use instead of 9504, and can I get away with these being the only two greases I use, or should I also have 8200? My current lubes are all Moebius: 9010, 9104 (HP-1300) and for grease: 9504 and 8301 (Grease). Super helpful video, I only ask because I got some conflicting suggestions from another source indicating that 8301 was more versatile than I think it actually is...
As far as I’m concerned, 8200 or 8300 or even 8301 are strictly for lubricating a main spring that’s being reused. Considering that there should only be an extremely thin film. I don’t see the advantage. If you have 8301 there’s really no purpose for getting 8200.
A syringe is a great idea, have a bunch of insulin sized ones with the small needles. Don't need 'em for myself, thank goodness. I was thinking less oil would be achieved by removing the oiler fast. Lots to learn.
Hi Alex, Thank you so much for this super useful tutorial. Today i got a super cheap watch that i really like , sadly there's no good watch maker in my area, so i decided to try and service it myself, i know i will most likely end up doing worse than those watchmakers but i find this job intresting and fun , the problem is that am on a real small budget, can i just use mobius 8000 on all lube points ? Of course, I am doing this on a 3$ watch that needs a service. Thanks a lot!
You can, but you won't get good performance. 8000 is too thick for the fast moving pivots and too thin for the slow moving pivots so amplitude will be affected. And you definitely don't want to use it on the Pallet stones or you'll probably end up with oil on the hairspring. I would suggest that you just have a little fun and don't worry too much about the performance because most likely you're not gonna get something that you can wear on the daily that has any accuracy at all.
Thank you for your lessons, they really help beginners like me. I have a question. What is the proper way to lubricate wheel jewels? From the inside of main plate and bridge(s), before installing the wheels? Or from the outside, after installing the wheels? I saw videos where some do it from inside and others from outside.
In most cases you are oiling from the outside of the plate or bridge. This is the side with the oil sink. There are occasions where you apply the oil directly to the pivot shoulder then install it into the jewel. For example like the barrel arbor before it’s installed in the barrel or a seconds wheel that is installed into a hollow center wheel. Basically, the rule of thumb is you need to oil it first if you can’t get lubrication directly to the pivot shoulder that rides on the jewel.
Alex, just curious, you said you don't care for the larger oilers, but which ones were you using in your demonstrations? I'm assuming the finest point one would be a good place to start?
The pivots of the pallet fork are not lubricated but the impulse face of the pallet stone is lubricated. This is where the escape wheel tooth slides across. The impulse jewel is never lubricated .
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Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Wish i would have seen this video before buying D5. Is there any versatility in the D5, or would you rather step on the watch? lol. Hopefully, you will be kind to respond to me like you did to so many others. Ty!
No you are ok. Most of the industry has changed to all at synthetic because the shelf life is longer. I think D5 has a shelf life of 3 years if you keep it in the dark.
First off, thank you for making all of these incredibly helpful videos. It is much appreciated! My question: I pretty much know or have the rest, but I'm starting to get into working on movements and I am going to buy an st36 to practice on first. My question is about what lubricants I need and I might as well get what I need to move on to automatics as well. Likely my next step will be for Seiko 7s or NH movements as I have many around. I need: 9010 HP1300 914? 9514? ? What else? Molykote? Some type of braking grease for autos? What's the most economical option? Am I being refunded on what I need? I have ideas of what else I need or can use, but I figure it's better to ask and be sure. I know this question has been asked countless times. Especially on Reddit. But honestly it's a little hard to find a straight answer on what I need. Sure, lots of answers on what I could use. But it's a little difficult to weed through all of the answers. Thank you very much for your time
Hey Man, you are most welcome and thank you. Here is what I would recommend: 1) fast wheels- 9010 2) slow wheels- HP1300 3) Pallet stones- 9414 4) Grease-I use 9504 but Molykote DX is more than fine and cheaper 5) If you are going to be working on newer movements or Seiko's sometimes the mainsprings are reusable so after you clean them you need to use 8200 grease to lubricate the spring. 6) for automatic barrel I would just use 8213 . Its still very good. I use Kluber P125 but its way expensive. Most watchmakers who are certified by companies like Omega have to use it which is why you see people talking about it. I'm still not convinced its any better 7) if you are going to be working on a lot ETA automatics with reverser wheels you need Lubeta V105. If only once in a while you can make it yourself. The recipe is in one of my lubrication videos. Now, for oilers I use only the smallest, Bergeon black, but honestly any one will do, especially if you polish the tip. *-Am I being refunded on what I need?-* I don't understand this question Watch my lubrication video's. Its especially important around the escapement.
@@watchrepairtutorials thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed. I much appreciated the time taken for such a detailed reply. My question was: Am I being REDUNDANT on what I need. Damn auto correct haha. You've answered that question. Thanks again man. Seriously!
What I use is a hard felt wheel on my rotary tool. I use the Polinum and with the felt wheel rotating, I just touch the tip of the oiler to it. Lite touches, it doesn’t take much.
Thank you Alex, that worked like a charm! Different question: I want to replace the oils in my oil cups. After watching your video and you special tip, I was wondering how you clean your oil cups before putting new oil in. Do you have a tip?
it depends on where you are in your learning journey. If you’re relatively new, then probably the best one to start with would be Henry Frieds book “ The watch repairers manual” or The Joseph Bulova school of watchmaking and repair.
One thing is for sure, unlike when I didn't have any basic knowledge about watches, I'm really learning a lot from rewatching the videos now. Do you have any plans to write guidelines on which order would be best if I were to study in conjunction with your online course and videos uploaded on UA-cam?
Not really. The youtube videos can supplement the course to so extent but the servicing of the ST36 as well as servicing any watch is covered in more detail in the course. Don't substitute HP 1000 for HP 1300. Stick to the correct viscosity of lubricants.
A novice question on the point of the pallet jewels. If oil is supposed to stop parts of the watch from wearing out (among other things), but oiling said jewels is detrimental to the longevity of the service life of the said watch... wouldn't that mean that the unlubricated pinions on the pallet fork would wear out over time as the fork moves continuously back and forth (shortening the life of the watch)?
Lubrication on pivots in jeweled holes is mainly there to reduce friction. The pallet fork only rotates on about a 10-15 degree axis so the benefit would be very minor initially, but will really affect the amplitude as the oil dries off. The 2nd issue is that because the top pivot is so close to the pallet arm, oil spreads down the arm and contaminates the pallet fork slot and impulse jewel slowing or stopping the movement. The one exception to this are some larger size vintage pocket watches.
"Hi there! For beginners, I recommend starting with a basic oiling set that includes these essentials: • Start with Moebius 9010 for the balance escape wheel and 4th wheel • Moebius D-5 or 9104 for the 3r, 2nd and barrel arbor • Molykote DX or Moebius 9504 for the sliding parts, like the keyless and ,motion works. • Moebius 9415 for the pallet stones. Think of oils as tools not consumables. Without the proper lubrication you will be fighting amplitude problems. If you just are looking for something to practice with and are not concerned with amplitude you can use moebius 8000 everywhere except the pallet stones as there really is only one option there. You can see all my recommendations here. watchrepairtutorials.com/lubricants/
Yeah, dont think I will find any techincal sheets for my pre 1900 pocket watches, so this is awesome! Would you use any different lubrication for brass holes vs jewel holes?
I use a rotary tool with a hard felt wheel. Load a little polishing compound like Dialux green. Use a slow speed and just make small touches to the tip of the oiler. It doesn't take much.
Please clarify the thinking on pallet stones. I expected use of a 941 or lighter oil than 9415 grease. I have 941, 9010, D5 in pots. Should I get 9415 specifically for pallet stones? Very work and thanks for list of lubes. Loved your tip on polished oiler!
Welcome Norman, Glad you asked for clarification. Traditionally 941 is used for slow beat movements, 18000 and less and 9415 which is the same thing as 941, but formulated for fast beat movements. Most watchmakers I know just use 9415 for all pallet stones. There’s not really a significant issue using the 941 so I would use it up and then next time you buy some, just switch to the 9415.
I use a hard felt pad on my rotary tool loaded with a fine polishing compound. Polinum or diamond paste. With the wheel running at a low RPM, you just touch the tip to the felt pad. 1 second at a time or it will be gone.
Hi Alex, another great video, thanks so much. Is that just "regular" polystyrene you put the oilers in (like the stuff used for packaging), or is it of a particular type?
Thanks Mr. Barker. This is the one I use. www.esslinger.com/bergeon-spongeous-block-watch-oiler-cleaner/ I’m not sure if there’s other generic ones, there maybe. You could check around to see if there’s any alternatives but will Tell you that they last forever. It’s dense but not to dense to break the tips on the oiler
Man, no disrespect to the other more established and respected watchmakers on youtube, but the information in your videos is pretty much all, and I mean all the left out information from every other video.
As a self learning watchmaker, your channel is absolutely a gem of a resource. Thank you a million times over!
Thank You so much. Hence, my channel name.
@@watchrepairtutorials I love it man. Thank you. Looking forward to cramming in all your vids. I've subbed.
I've been learning on my own for the last 12 months as a career change due to covid destroying my industry. Sadly watchmakers near me are far and few, and the ones that I have found which are too far to travel to, but I tried to anyway were severe alcoholics who polished off an entire case of premixed cola and bourbon while "interviewing" me by putting a customers clock in front of me, hitting it with a hammer and asking me to show them how to fix it. Uhmmmm. WTF? I wish I made that story up.
Another guy I only spoke to over the phone, as they attempted to tell me they had no work, it was a dying art and that I should give up and try something else like gardening.
Another horologist was actually good, let me work with him for a few days. I loved it. Problem I found was I discovered I didn't want to work in a shop. On the other hand, when I told him I'd rather source faulty vintage watches, repair and restore them, sit at home doing so on my workbench, and hopefully flip them for profit, he gave me a wide eyed blessing and said he wish he pursued that avenue but was too invested in his shop to do so. He offered me any help I needed in the future. Which was really nice.
The rest of the time, I've been working through Mark Lovick's online course. However, I will say all these resources are great, but still leave out many details that you are amazingly covering. I can't thank you enough.
Came here to say this. I have been gearing up to give watch servicing a go for about a year now, watching videos on the subject. NEVER have I seen lubrication being applied to this many spots. This is my 5th video from this guy (sorry I don't know your name yet) tonight. I subbed after the 2nd.
@@micnolmadtube buy yourself a non working Seiko on eBay to practice on. Give it a go.
As for lubrication, the first thing that surprised me was when I opened a PDF of a Seiko service manual and saw no only how many places you need to lubricate, but how many different types of lube you need. It’ll likely be the most expensive thing you need to buy.
I agree.
I have been an engineer all my working life and just starting my journey in watch repair. I know when someone is worth listening to and this guy in my view knows what he is talking about. After watching many videos on this subject this will now be my place to follow 👍
It’s an honor to have you here Robert. Not all watchmakers look like doctors. 😄
Same here, I'm an applications engineer, I've invested in a few very nice watches but also have been collecting vintage for a while. And although I have not attempted to service those watches, I wanted to have the ability to start working on and able to service the majority of my watches. The only thing that I see myself doing after retirement is learning more about mechanical and automatic movements and passing that information and excitement down to my son and grandson. I love my job, but watches consume me in my off time.
I actually have a document where I write about everything I've learned. A lot of those notes are verbatim in Alex's voice and instruction. Down to the "let me day that again" stuff.
Same here. Electrical engineer. Dunno how I missed this hobby for most of my life. Glad to be here!
As a novice watchmaker, I have learned so much from you. Thank you for all you do.
I appreciate that! let me know if you need anything.
Here be nuggets of gold
The shock system and pallet stone lubrication is coming up next. There may be a couple Nuggs in it.
Aye, the syringe tip is so simple it's brilliant. But does the oil degrade the rubber plunger in the syringe?
Alec from the UK: These are outstanding videos. Not the disassembly/assembly 'watch making porn' common on UA-cam. As an aspiring watch maker a few weeks into classes, this is the best resource I've found on this platform! Sharing the link with the rest of my class now.
Alec my man, how are you. Where are you going to school and what to you hope to do when you finish your studies?
High torque low speed Mob hp 1300
Mainspring barrel
2nd wheel
3rd wheel
Parts that rotate
Ratchet wheel
Click
Motion works on posts
Intermediate wheel
Cannon pinion outside
Barrel arbor shoulder (where it goes into something)
End of stem
Post for yoke
Low torque high speed mob 9010
4th wheel
Escape wheel balance wheel
Mob 9504 grease or MDX
Parts sliding against each other under tension
Grooves wheels sit on
Cannon pinion
Keyless works
Small dot of grease in each flat side of stem
Ratchet teeth in sliding pinion
Each side of groove on winding pinion
End of yoke
Spot where spring contacts yoke
Setting lever
Mob 8200
Mainspring
Never lube pallet fork
(Anything I forgot?)
That is a good recap
Good one 👍🏻
I have no idea what these terms are,I'm new,have a tool kit and fixed my 1st watch...I need to SEE what those parts are so I'll watch the full vid.
Brilliant just brilliant 21 mins of straight talking and demonstration covering all you need to know. I've spent hours reading and watching videos and you just nailed it in 21 mins.
Thank you.
Thanks brother.
You are a godsend for new watch hobbyists!
Thank you. I hope these videos help
Best lubrication video I've seen so far. Thanks for teaching us.
If you liked that one, you are going to love the next one coming out.
These videos that you're putting out are just absolute gold. I am a hobbyist and have used your videos as a guide to the work that I am doing. I cannot thank you enough. I don't thank you on every video but I should.
Glad to help! Comments are great thumbs up for help even more.
At 13:00, "So, never, ever lubricate the pallet jewels."
At 18:47: "It's not going to be a great lubricant for the pallet jewels"
Was 18:47 meant to be "pallet stones?"
Best lube video out there especially when it comes to the keyless works. I've seen many but your procedure is all common sense and well thought out.
Keep them coming.
Hey man,
In my head pallet jewels and stones are the same. So yea, the pallet forks PIVOT jewels would never get lubrication.
The pallet stones get the 9415.
At 18:47, I must have been talking about using 8000 to practice with. It’s better than nothing, but not great.
How great it was to have found your channel.
I'm a computer engineer with the mission of restoring some watches I got from my father, two of them are over 100 years old (pocket watches: omega and cortébert) and a Cartier wrist watch, so I have the mission to maintain these jewels within the family tradition where it is in the third generation with me. Therefore, I decided 30 days ago to start my studies to find out how to restore them, but I ended up falling in love with the art of restoring mechanical watches. I believe mechanical watch restoration has become my new hobby. Currently I have gone through the planning phase, purchasing tools, component analysis, cleaning and reassembly (where I am in the phase of studying lubrication).
I will finish with polishing the case, as I am still in the learning phase about this final part.
Your channel is certainly far ahead of the tips I got on the internet. I've already been through about 20 tips channels, but your channel has very perfect classes. So I want to express my gratitude for your shared knowledge and also declare my respect for you. I wish you great success and prosperity.
Excellent. I’m sure you will do well as troubleshooting is 100% analytical thinking.
If you hit a roadblock in your studies, you should consider my course on watchmaking as much of the information you need will not be found on the internet.
This guy is the best for practical straightforward information on watch making and repair. No BS just the straight skinny.
No BS man. No BS
I can watch this multiple times. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Brilliant video, the best one I’ve seen so far on oiling. Great tip to polish the oiler too.
Thanks Phil, I hope you follow along.
@@watchrepairtutorials Definitely. You have a convert. Both your channels are such a help. I find them great for explaining it in layman's terms that make it stay in the aging brain. Plus it is a good refresher for things that get forgotten over time. Look forward to all upcoming videos. You have a convert! Thanks for all your effort.
Eventhough I’ve been warmaking for about 2 years and am quite comfortable taking on an array of services, I will always come back to these videos as they have the best information out of any videos on UA-cam. They are are extremely informative and will make anyone a better watchmaker. Thank you for your service! (No pun intended)
That’s quite a compliment, Jacob thank you.
Thanks so much for this video! This was super helpful information for me as a hobbyist watchmaker. I was blown away with the miniscule amount of oil that is needed and how easy it is to over lubricate a movement. Thanks, again!
lol. It’s hard to wrap your head around $30 a bottle until you realize how long it will last.
Dear Teacher. Thank you so much for your lesson.
You are welcome!
Thank you for another outstanding video. I’m getting ready to do my first lubrication of a vintage watch. I find myself watching your videos more then once taking notes before I attempt oiling.
That’s awesome. Pretty soon it will be second nature. Thanks for joining.me
I started repairing watches a while ago and he was and stil is my main teacher. He is truly the best advisor you can have
Thank you my friend. For me there is no greater satisfaction than hearing from someone I helped. 😀
Another important lesson. Thank you very much taking the time to explain all these concepts in a clear and no bulls**t way. The syringe tip is amazing!
Thanks Stephen, I’m working on the balance and pallet fork lubrication video now.
Thank you for uploading these videos. I've been a watch enthusiast since I was a child and I recently decided to start working on watches in my free time. These videos are a godsend. I admire your knowledge and I'm looking forward to everything you share with us.
Greetings from Luxembourg!
You can do it my friend, just take it slow
Thank you brother for sharing your knowledge with us, I have never seen such a complete explanation, but simple, greetings and hugs from Puerto Rico
You are very welcome my friend
Thank you so much for refraining from the elitist attitude and telling people what cheap oils they can get to practice with! For real, it sucks how many people seem unwilling to answer that simple question. I don't care if the oil isn't going to last a life time, I don't care if it doesn't last a week! I just want to buy an old cheap movement, tear it down and put back together 15 times and see that balance wheel fire up when I'm done. That's it. I swear some people forget that they once sucked at this too.
The fact of the matter is that it takes a while to learn how to properly lubricate a movement and there’s really no reason to use the high price correct lubricants because you’re probably gonna be over lubricating it anyway.
Your presentations are easy to follow. Thank you for showing the WHY & HOW steps that are often glossed over!
You are so welcome my friend. The “why” matters.
What a great channel. You'd think things such as getting oil out of the bottle, into a pot and onto the tip of an oiler would be trivial maters, but I'm still pulling my hair out over such things. Many thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience. You have a new subscriber.
Thanks Phil,
It’s just like anything else to are trying to repair, you don’t know, what you don’t know.
I try to bring actionable content on subject that one one hand is simple but that can get real complicated real fast.
Welcome aboard.
Another self learning watchmaker here! Love this video. Big thanks.
Hey man,
Hope to see you here again.
Just remember that what I’m showing here is just a way to get started. The point I am trying to make is that you don’t have to have a expensive machine. They are nice to have as I use both a 4 jar Zenith machine and an ultrasonic machine for various cleaning but you can get good results with a little ingenuity.
@@watchrepairtutorials I am still at the very begging of watchmaking so there is a lot of "ingenuity" going on here so your videos are a big help.
First time i understood how the keyless works functions❤ Thank you.
Happy to help!
I am a newbie here getting into Watch making. Absolutely Love the way you teach, the fantastic energy you bring in in rendering your material and how you reinforce so it sticks. Thanks a million Alex!!
Welcome aboard!
Hands down the bests watch repair channel! Thank you very much sir!
Very welcome. You’re very kind thank you.
This video is well worth keeping on my workbench's iPad.
Before lubricating a freshly cleaned movement, I spend 20-minutes and watch this vide once again.
If the rest of you ureally like this video, you're gonna love Alex's advanced videos on his Patreon channel.
.
Are you telling me you just watched this video. What are you doing up so early?
@@watchrepairtutorials
I've watched it several times, Alex, I just thought I'd let you know that I watch it regularly.
Up late?
I'm retired and a night owl. I like being up when everyone else is asleep. It's quiet, no traffic on the roads, the 24-hour stores are vacant and the service at the open eateries are first-rate.
This is north Houston - it never closes.
@@tropicalspeed Oh ok buddy. When I saw the comment, it said it was 2 minutes old and that was 6:30 ESt.
@@watchrepairtutorials
That's about right. I'm up all night and a portion of the morning too.
I was getting ready to oil a movement and watched the video once again. I have several vidsoes of yours that I watch again before digging into whatever needs to be done. They are that good.
This channel is incredible. You give us all the detailed information that everyone else leaves out. Such an incredible resource.
I do have one question though: how does one polish something as small as an oiler?
Thank you Steve. I have found the easiest way to do. It is on the rotary tool with a hard felt wheel. Do you load it up with a fine polishing paste like rouge or the Polinum that I used and you just lightly touch the tip to the wheel as it’s spinning. You only want to do it for a second or two at a time and then check it because if you leave it on too long, it could burn through the tip of the oiler.
@@watchrepairtutorials Thanks!
Stumbled across your videos a couple weeks ago and have learned so much from you so far. As a total noob to this, your channel is an invaluable tool as someone doing self study on watch making. Thank you!!
Welcome aboard Daniel. Let me know if you have any questions.
Im seriously learning more on these videos than anywhere else! Thanks!
Happy to help in the watch Journey Stephen.
Just discovered your channel. I have learned alot already. I have a 1 jewel Endura Time that runs sluggish after 4 hours or so. It was my first watch from 8th grade in 1976. I think my mainspring needs a cleaning.
Welcome aboard! I hope to see your progress John
Thanks Alex, this is the best explanation I have seen so far on YT. And now I realise I have to take apart the watch I recently oiled, clean it and do it again, but now in the correct way 😅
Glad it helped you. Just consider it practice. It's the only way to learn my man. 👍
The best lubrication video I have ever seen anywhere and the hardest to learn is (NOT TO OVER OIL) also USE Microscope to oil a watch 😃 also I like the 9404 grease best but seldom see it recommend! KUDOS MATE
Thank you Amanda. Always great hearing from you.
If you get a chance let me know the brand of mesh you ordered for the acrylic crystals
Awesome video and you have a very neat and careful technique
You’ve raised the bar and given me something to aim for as a beginner
Bravo
You don’t know, what you don’t know. Now you do. Thanks Rich.
I takes notes from your videos. Most valuable lesson learn from you. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience.
I believe I have read that when you write something down that you are trying to learn you retain more of the information. You must be serious about learning. Let me know if I can do anything to help.
When you say never lubricate the pallet jewels. Do you mean never lubricate the pallet fork Jewels that come in contact with the escape wheel? Or the pallet fork pinion jewels? Thanks for the great information!
The pinion jewels. I know that was confusing. The pallet stones and escape wheel teeth is one of the highest friction points of the watch and should be lubricated with 9415
@@watchrepairtutorials okay thank you!
Great question
Probably a dumb question, but how do you polish the oiler?
The clear pictures of the actual oiling and greasing are absolute gold. A big head start on developing oiling technique.
The easiest way to do it is with a rotary tool with a hard felt pad and using green Dialux compound or any high polish compound.
You can also use 1500 to 2000 grit sandpaper to polish it.
@@watchrepairtutorialsMakes sense, thanks.
To the point and easily understood although detailed. Excellent lessons for us newbies. Thank you, liked and subscribed, now watching all and saving them. I cannot thank you enough.
I am glad you are hear, my friend.
Very informative video. Your explanation is very clear and understandable. I like how you showed the examples of were to lubricate and how it should look like on the movement. This gives me a good perspective of what I need to mimic. Thank you.
Hey Doug,
Hope you follow along.
Thank you for the explanation about lubrication and the pallet jewels. I see some of the advanced watchmakers lubricating the surface of the pallet jewels, but they also say you absolutely must use Fixodrop... but never explain why except to say that it "keeps the lubricant in its place." Your explanation now fills in the gap in that concept for me. Since Fixodrop and the recommended jar for it are so expensive, I think just avoiding lubricating the pallet jewel is the wiser and more affordable course of action, so thank you for giving me the permission I need to just not bother. :)
First things first. The friction between the pallet stone and escape wheel teeth is one of the highest in the movement and should always be lubricated with 9415z
I always treat pallet stones and escape wheel teeth with epilame.
I didn’t include it in this video because this is for beginners who need to learn and practice proper lubrication first before adding another step.Epilame will not be effective if the lubrication is not done correctly.
Did I learn anything at all? I learned a lot! Especially about polishing the oiler, the direction to use it and how to move the wheel to check the amount, thanks so much for everything you have taught.
Interesting that you use a grease for keyless works, usually the tech guides for ETA will suggest HP-1300. Something thicker does seem to make more sense, but I guess the torque is not that much.
Yeah, this is one of those areas where it can get pretty controversial, and people are very opinionated about what you should use.
In certain areas of the movement, like the keyless works, where amplitude is not affected, you certainly have more options. I grew up using Molykote DX which is a grease. For me it makes a little more sense to have something that clings to the parts better than an oil where are you have metal on metal friction.
Oils tend to be attracted to sharp inside corners which is one of the things that holds oil where a pivot in Arbor come together. But oil also tends to creep around curved areas. That’s why I use 9504 in the keyless works because I feel it stays in place better.
Thank for the videos. Every day I learn something new I have elginlord watch and star get delay I’m afraid to star open up . I not awatch maker but I goin start er with you explanation will help thank s again
You can do it!
Alex.. man, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to share your years of first hand hard earned knowledge. I'm a principal network engineer and at 50 am just gathering up the tools to start my watchmaking journey. I'm literally binge watching your channel!
If not done already, maybe you could do a series on magnification. If I can see what I'm working on I can fix it.. but it hasn't been easy finding a combination or light and lens that I'm happy with.
Thanks again!
Then you should check out the game changer video.
@@watchrepairtutorials yes that video is gold!
Another important lesson,Thank you,Hello from Canada
Thank you for all your lessons BIG help
Glad to hear that William, hope it helps you out.
I just started with hobby I was able take nh35 and out back together great video
Awesome man. Keep it up
Stumbled across your channel this morning. Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with us newbies👌
You are so welcome! What took you so long?
@@watchrepairtutorials😂. I’m moving from purchasing and learning about watches into disassembly and reassembly. I’m totally fascinated about the precision engineering involved. Your channel is a gold mine for people like me. 🙏
@@mwade6982 I appreciate that. Videos that I make are specifically for people just like yourself. The ones that are trying to learn the broader concepts to watch repair.
Camera angles and picture sharpness is awesome. Very informative. Great job. Love to know your camera set up.
Whew. Being a complete beginner, these details are invaluable and the step by step process is very much appreciated. I might have never stumbled onto the techniques of picking up various amounts of oil with different angles and speed. Obviously, it's going to take a few pages of notes and several re-watches (sigh) to get these details in my head. A couple of questions:
You showed accidentally getting a puddle of oil around a jewel. How do you go about cleaning up the "spill"?
Do you do lubrication using a loop or a microscope? Would appreciate a video on selecting a binocular microscope if possible. The Chinese microscopes are fairly affordable and I have other projects that would help spread that expense.
Finally, seeing what tools you use has helped trim down the initial shopping list built from reading various forums. At this point, I'm just enjoying the videos and learning.
The over lubrication example was excessive for sure. In reality if it that bad you should probably strip it down and re clean all the parts. Small mishaps can be cleaned up with a Qtip and IPA or Hexane.
I do 90% of my work under a microscope with a Barlow lens which gives me more working room. I really only work on the bench when I need to do horizontal work like jeweling or staking work.
I plan on doing a microscope video down the road but, I would check out Amscope if you are in the market for one.
The tools for starting out are pretty basic. As you get further down the road you will need to start adding more tools. I typical recommend to build your skills with what tools you have and the tasks that are performed with them like lubrication before moving on to other tasks. no need having a bunch of stuff you can't use
Thanks, Alex. I bought a set of oilers and I use the largest one to remove oil/grease from the bottles and the smaller ones to oil jewels and other places. I also bought an Obama automatic oiler to collect although I don't use it.
Perfect. That big old yellow one is also good for adjusting collets.🤙
@@watchrepairtutorials Yep, a lot of tools come in handy for other things. I bought a couple of tools from a guy in the UK that thought that they were made to install watch hands. What they really were was Accutron Index wheel finger/collet tools. I was so afraid that someone else would see the photo that revealed what they really were and outbid me, but nobody did.
I also have a genuine vintage set of Dumont Bulova Accutron tweezers. I've never seen another pair like them so far.
Thank you for such an amazing video, keep it up. I have learn so much in just 1 video. Once again thank you
Thanks, Alex from South Carolina. You do such a fine job at explaining the important details of bench work in all your videos but this one was especially important to me. Everyone else seems to...eh...gloss over the...uh...finer points of oiling...
...a wonderful job with the macro cinematography, too. You've captured some very compelling details...
I am in NC. Do you live in SC.
Thanks for the great words my man.
@@watchrepairtutorials Yup. Near Beaufort. I used to live in NC 'by the zoo' as we used to say...
@@rehajm nice, we love Beaufort.
There is a great little Mexican restaurant right on the Main Street across from the boats that’s really good.
I am outside New Bern.
Thanks for the great vid! I'm just starting to dabble and have fun, so your links were appreciated!
Good luck. Stick around, there’s a lot more coming.
Brilliant video. I’ve just started my journey , there is so much to learn and this video gives a lot of useful information. You have earned yourself a subscriber. 😋
Great to hear, Thank you
If I forget something ,I'llcome back to the Lesson#9,Alex, Happy New Year. Itzhac
Happy new year my friend
This is great, best on youtube. Any chance for an advanced lubrication video showing braking grease for automatic movements, as well as how to oil the reversing gears? Maybe talk about epilame?
I already did. The Braking grease is demonstrated in "How to Get Higher Amplitude from your Mainspring Barrel" and lubricating reverser wheels is done in, "Beginners Guide to Working On Automatic Watch Systems".
@@watchrepairtutorials Thank you! I watched those when they came out, but clearly forgot they mentioned those.
Love it! Every other video i watched has so little info. You sir...rock. im certainly not a horologist but i was able to restore my grandfather's mantle clock and that got me hooked. I carry a pocketwatch and its been slow/stopping. Time to lubricate! And now i know. Now...... Watch me destroy this watch.....lol
A man that carries a pocket watch. You are truly a classic.
Hello! What is the best way to polish the oiler tip, from your experience?
I use a rotary tool with a hard felt pad charged with Polinum but you can use and high gloss metal rouge or compound
very grateful just to mention it would be very better if you show picture of watch parts you mentioned in the beginning as it is very difficult to imagine for someone in the first step on the road
Thank you for your reply. I plan on remaking these videos one day and I appreciate your input. That is something that I will incorporate into the new ones.
Super helpful!! I've watched several videos on oiling, and had gotten the idea of grease vs thick oil vs thin oil, but the oiler technique and amounts were totally missing!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks very much for this video. Cleared up any questions I had!
Glad it helped!
What do you think about using Moebius 8301 and its best use? When is it best to use instead of 9504, and can I get away with these being the only two greases I use, or should I also have 8200? My current lubes are all Moebius: 9010, 9104 (HP-1300) and for grease: 9504 and 8301 (Grease). Super helpful video, I only ask because I got some conflicting suggestions from another source indicating that 8301 was more versatile than I think it actually is...
As far as I’m concerned, 8200 or 8300 or even 8301 are strictly for lubricating a main spring that’s being reused. Considering that there should only be an extremely thin film. I don’t see the advantage. If you have 8301 there’s really no purpose for getting 8200.
A syringe is a great idea, have a bunch of insulin sized ones with the small needles. Don't need 'em for myself, thank goodness. I was thinking less oil would be achieved by removing the oiler fast. Lots to learn.
Just FYI. I’ve heard the insulin syringes are too fine to take up oils.
@@watchrepairtutorials Bummer. I have a few with inch long needles that I used to inject vitamin B, those will probably work.
Hi Alex, Thank you so much for this super useful tutorial. Today i got a super cheap watch that i really like , sadly there's no good watch maker in my area, so i decided to try and service it myself, i know i will most likely end up doing worse than those watchmakers but i find this job intresting and fun , the problem is that am on a real small budget, can i just use mobius 8000 on all lube points ? Of course, I am doing this on a 3$ watch that needs a service. Thanks a lot!
You can, but you won't get good performance. 8000 is too thick for the fast moving pivots and too thin for the slow moving pivots so amplitude will be affected.
And you definitely don't want to use it on the Pallet stones or you'll probably end up with oil on the hairspring.
I would suggest that you just have a little fun and don't worry too much about the performance because most likely you're not gonna get something that you can wear on the daily that has any accuracy at all.
Alex, this was an excellent video! Nothing but back to back great tips and advice. Right on!
Thanks Mike.
Thank you for your lessons, they really help beginners like me.
I have a question. What is the proper way to lubricate wheel jewels? From the inside of main plate and bridge(s), before installing the wheels? Or from the outside, after installing the wheels? I saw videos where some do it from inside and others from outside.
In most cases you are oiling from the outside of the plate or bridge. This is the side with the oil sink.
There are occasions where you apply the oil directly to the pivot shoulder then install it into the jewel. For example like the barrel arbor before it’s installed in the barrel or a seconds wheel that is installed into a hollow center wheel.
Basically, the rule of thumb is you need to oil it first if you can’t get lubrication directly to the pivot shoulder that rides on the jewel.
This is so good. Thanks for sharing all your experience and bonus tips. Years of advice right here.
Thank you Jim. Good to have you here
Incredible video! I am definitely in love with this channel!!!!!!!
Thank you so much Francisco stay tuned, there’s much more coming
Alex, just curious, you said you don't care for the larger oilers, but which ones were you using in your demonstrations? I'm assuming the finest point one would be a good place to start?
Correct. I personally only use the finest tip
Very good Alex, thanks!
Thank you
Valuable information and techniques. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
So pallet jewels and impulse jewel are not to be lubricated ..what about the lever pinions?
Thank you for this most useful lecture /demo .
The pivots of the pallet fork are not lubricated but the impulse face of the pallet stone is lubricated. This is where the escape wheel tooth slides across.
The impulse jewel is never lubricated .
@watchrepairtutorials Thank you very much
Awesome again! Nice tip on polishing the oilers, I never thought of that. Thank you!!
Thanks buddy. Try it it works.
Hi Alex - how do you polish the oiler tips, then? Thanks for this excellent video series.
A great source of information here and your other tutorial videos. You deserve more subs. Thanks for the resource.
Much appreciated!
Good tutorial, thanks a million.
Alex could you please add the types of lubricant you use on the description?
The oils are in the description. Was there something else you needed?
Hi Alex, This video, I found the most interesting to watch, (pardon the pun). The tip using the syringe was a great idea. Thanks again. (UK)
it definitely prevents a lot of waste
I use liberty oil because I don’t have much money. It works awesome for me
I had to look it up. Interesting.
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great video Alex, thanks for sharing
You got it Pipo
Fabulous wealth of information thank you!
Thank you my friend. Come and see me again
Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge. Wish i would have seen this video before buying D5. Is there any versatility in the D5, or would you rather step on the watch? lol. Hopefully, you will be kind to respond to me like you did to so many others. Ty!
No you are ok. Most of the industry has changed to all at synthetic because the shelf life is longer. I think D5 has a shelf life of 3 years if you keep it in the dark.
First off, thank you for making all of these incredibly helpful videos. It is much appreciated! My question: I pretty much know or have the rest, but I'm starting to get into working on movements and I am going to buy an st36 to practice on first. My question is about what lubricants I need and I might as well get what I need to move on to automatics as well. Likely my next step will be for Seiko 7s or NH movements as I have many around.
I need:
9010
HP1300
914? 9514?
? What else? Molykote?
Some type of braking grease for autos? What's the most economical option?
Am I being refunded on what I need?
I have ideas of what else I need or can use, but I figure it's better to ask and be sure. I know this question has been asked countless times. Especially on Reddit. But honestly it's a little hard to find a straight answer on what I need. Sure, lots of answers on what I could use. But it's a little difficult to weed through all of the answers. Thank you very much for your time
Hey Man, you are most welcome and thank you.
Here is what I would recommend:
1) fast wheels- 9010
2) slow wheels- HP1300
3) Pallet stones- 9414
4) Grease-I use 9504 but Molykote DX is more than fine and cheaper
5) If you are going to be working on newer movements or Seiko's sometimes the mainsprings are reusable so after you clean them you need to use 8200 grease to lubricate the spring.
6) for automatic barrel I would just use 8213 . Its still very good. I use Kluber P125 but its way expensive. Most watchmakers who are certified by companies like Omega have to use it which is why you see people talking about it. I'm still not convinced its any better
7) if you are going to be working on a lot ETA automatics with reverser wheels you need Lubeta V105. If only once in a while you can make it yourself. The recipe is in one of my lubrication videos.
Now, for oilers I use only the smallest, Bergeon black, but honestly any one will do, especially if you polish the tip.
*-Am I being refunded on what I need?-*
I don't understand this question
Watch my lubrication video's. Its especially important around the escapement.
@@watchrepairtutorials thank you so much! That's exactly what I needed. I much appreciated the time taken for such a detailed reply.
My question was: Am I being REDUNDANT on what I need. Damn auto correct haha. You've answered that question. Thanks again man. Seriously!
Hi Alex, do you have a tip on how to polish the tip of an oiler?
What I use is a hard felt wheel on my rotary tool.
I use the Polinum and with the felt wheel rotating, I just touch the tip of the oiler to it. Lite touches, it doesn’t take much.
@@watchrepairtutorials ok thank you very much! I am using dialux blue and green. I suppose this will achieve similar results.
@@chris9413 use what ever is the finer of the two. If it’s too course it will take off the tip.
Thank you Alex, that worked like a charm!
Different question: I want to replace the oils in my oil cups. After watching your video and you special tip, I was wondering how you clean your oil cups before putting new oil in. Do you have a tip?
@@chris9413 yea man, just did it today. I just use a qtip dipped in hexane or IPA.
Thanks for the tips and videos. Do you have a video of books or list of books that you would recommend?
it depends on where you are in your learning journey. If you’re relatively new, then probably the best one to start with would be Henry Frieds book “ The watch repairers manual” or The Joseph Bulova school of watchmaking and repair.
Hi Alex - did you mention what type of oil / grease to use inside the mainspring barrel? I know some guys mention something about breaking grease?
I’ve done a video on mainspring barrels, but if you’re just starting out 8213 would be a good breaking grease.
One thing is for sure, unlike when I didn't have any basic knowledge about watches, I'm really learning a lot from rewatching the videos now. Do you have any plans to write guidelines on which order would be best if I were to study in conjunction with your online course and videos uploaded on UA-cam?
Also, you told me that I can use D5 as a substitute for HP1300, so is there any problem if I use HP1000 as a substitute for HP1300?
Not really. The youtube videos can supplement the course to so extent but the servicing of the ST36 as well as servicing any watch is covered in more detail in the course.
Don't substitute HP 1000 for HP 1300. Stick to the correct viscosity of lubricants.
Thank you. What kind of brush you use When you handwash movement?
I'm using brush made of human hair, but these days I find it too soft to clean off.
@@dekim4866 I use an inexpensive artist brush, small bristles, maybe a centimeter long.
A novice question on the point of the pallet jewels. If oil is supposed to stop parts of the watch from wearing out (among other things), but oiling said jewels is detrimental to the longevity of the service life of the said watch... wouldn't that mean that the unlubricated pinions on the pallet fork would wear out over time as the fork moves continuously back and forth (shortening the life of the watch)?
Lubrication on pivots in jeweled holes is mainly there to reduce friction.
The pallet fork only rotates on about a 10-15 degree axis so the benefit would be very minor initially, but will really affect the amplitude as the oil dries off.
The 2nd issue is that because the top pivot is so close to the pallet arm, oil spreads down the arm and contaminates the pallet fork slot and impulse jewel slowing or stopping the movement.
The one exception to this are some larger size vintage pocket watches.
hi alex, I'm a newbie and I want to know your recommendation on a beginners set on oiling/lubricating the movement
"Hi there! For beginners, I recommend starting with a basic oiling set that includes these essentials:
• Start with Moebius 9010 for the balance escape wheel and 4th wheel
• Moebius D-5 or 9104 for the 3r, 2nd and barrel arbor
• Molykote DX or Moebius 9504 for the sliding parts, like the keyless and ,motion works.
• Moebius 9415 for the pallet stones.
Think of oils as tools not consumables.
Without the proper lubrication you will be fighting amplitude problems.
If you just are looking for something to practice with and are not concerned with amplitude you can use moebius 8000 everywhere except the pallet stones as there really is only one option there.
You can see all my recommendations here. watchrepairtutorials.com/lubricants/
Yeah, dont think I will find any techincal sheets for my pre 1900 pocket watches, so this is awesome! Would you use any different lubrication for brass holes vs jewel holes?
Not really.
Hello, I was wondering how you mirror polish the oiler tip
I use a rotary tool with a hard felt wheel. Load a little polishing compound like Dialux green. Use a slow speed and just make small touches to the tip of the oiler. It doesn't take much.
Hi Alex, if you come across my question, please tell me what you storage under the first lid of your oil cup? Thanks for all your support so far.
HP1300
Please clarify the thinking on pallet stones. I expected use of a 941 or lighter oil than 9415 grease. I have 941, 9010, D5 in pots. Should I get 9415 specifically for pallet stones? Very work and thanks for list of lubes. Loved your tip on polished oiler!
Welcome Norman,
Glad you asked for clarification. Traditionally 941 is used for slow beat movements, 18000 and less and 9415 which is the same thing as 941, but formulated for fast beat movements.
Most watchmakers I know just use 9415 for all pallet stones.
There’s not really a significant issue using the 941 so I would use it up and then next time you buy some, just switch to the 9415.
Awesome video thank you so much. Question... how do you go about polishing your oilers? What do you use?
I use a hard felt pad on my rotary tool loaded with a fine polishing compound. Polinum or diamond paste.
With the wheel running at a low RPM, you just touch the tip to the felt pad. 1 second at a time or it will be gone.
Hi Alex, another great video, thanks so much. Is that just "regular" polystyrene you put the oilers in (like the stuff used for packaging), or is it of a particular type?
Thanks Mr. Barker.
This is the one I use.
www.esslinger.com/bergeon-spongeous-block-watch-oiler-cleaner/
I’m not sure if there’s other generic ones, there maybe.
You could check around to see if there’s any alternatives but will Tell you that they last forever. It’s dense but not to dense to break the tips on the oiler
@@watchrepairtutorials thanks Alex !
Great stuff man. Where can I find technology sheets?
Depends on the caliber and when it was made as they are not all available to you.