“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.” Francis of Assisi When I want to relax and get some like guidance I come to my brother the Nekkid Watchmaker, appreciate you man!
Joe, in the automotive world they call that case material 'pot metal', used to be used for doorhandles and the like on cars. It's frequently plated in Chrome and is a Zinc alloy and really is awful. Great work as always 😊
@@mikezimmermann89 "ZAMAK" (or sometimes "Zamac"), actually, but yes. Zinc/aluminum alloy with a few other things. At least this one is good enough quality not to have zinc pest!
There are two kinds. You with the watch and its stories. Me with the owner and the devastation he must have felt when it was lost. I pray that someone sees this that knows
I appreciate your helping hands. You revived this bombarded old watch. Corrosion eats its parts like cancer and does not show any mercy to its age or identity. With little aid, you infused new life to this old standing survivor. Now, it can run for generations. Message delivered 💪✌️✌️✌️
My dad is an Austrian master watchmaker, he worked for Glass in Birmingham in the early 70's. Long gone now. I wonder if he serviced that watch in the day.
You're right ! It's the infamous "zamac". Once I have a very bad experience in cleaning my carburetor with ultrasonic bath.... Avoid to use the ultrasonic machine it's create worse condition after !
Joe: just thank you. Words are not enough to explain how much your work enriches the rest of your human community. But I will say my cares melt away when I spend time with you watching you do what you do and listening to you thinking out loud. Balm.
One look at that watch, and we all know how courageous you are, fearless in fact… wow! I haven’t seen you in a while. It’s good to hear your voice, my friend.
You bring such humanity to watch restoration. I am usually so cynical of human nature. You prove me wrong. Thank you for another wonderful video one of my favourites
Absolutely wonderful restoration, now this will be my new hobby , buying old watches n trying to restore them , thanks for your efforts on making these videos , ppl get a lot to learn off them. Protesting has become very difficult as Plod is becoming very harsh and record everything to make your life difficult, just bullying people after the marches
I have greatly enjoyed your work and almost every aspect of your videos. Been watching you for years now and the only bad thing about your videos is that there are not enough of them. I’ve learned a lot of history about your profession, very entertaining from your children pestering you to your talents. So thank you for sharing.
Your craftsmanship and attention to detail are truly inspiring.👏 The custom dial work is pure art-thank you for sharing your incredible skills with us!
You could try a first plating with copper. Builds up quite thickly, leveling pits a bit more and can be polished to a high shine. When done, a rhodium flash to barrier and then the final gold plating.
Not sure copper would take to Zamac alloy. Even copper strike solution might not work... I wonder if a zinc passivation plating layer would work as a "bonding" coat, prior to copper strike?
@@fredfred2363zamak is Zink, Aluminium, Magnesium (or variously Manganese) And (or variously Antimony) Kupfer. (Copper), and is imminently platable, especially by copper.
I've bought a couple of cheap and cheerful so-called "Frankenwatches" from watchmakers in India. I knew what to expect. One was Swiss Made "Oris" with at least some of the matching parts; looks good. The other an Indian brand with a lovely picture of Nehru on the dial; looks great! Both neat and tidy, mechanical movements of course. Great prices (under $20 shipped) and I'm perfectly happy with them. I'll do it again someday. Great fun.
Well done, Joe. You really showed all your skills (& your heart) with this one. I didn't believe there was anything you could do with it when I first saw it, but you have made it look beautiful!
Hi Joe, I love watching your videos. Braking the setting lever spring is exactly what happened to me when restoring an EB1268. With me it broke in the US-cleaner. My EB 1268 was in a quite similar, if not identical case. I hope to finish the project some day, the movement is ready, but still have to dive in with the plating process. 😀
Wow! Miracles happen, and that watch looks amazing!! UA-cam is merciless, so keep up the fight, and I'll find you to watch more of these deeply satisfying videos!!!
I think for automotive restoration the usual way to deal with pitted "pot metal" like this is to plate it thickly in copper, and then polish the copper to a good surface -- which means adding enough copper to have some measurable thickness so you don't polish through it. And then the nickel or chrome plating is done on top of the copper surface. You might need to mask off the inner round parts when doing the copper plating to avoid building up thickness that makes things not fit.
It's plain to see that the love of your craft keeps you young and satisfied. But if your eyes ever start to fail you, may I suggest you take up writing murder mysteries. You have a knack for the suspenseful
You've worked with some truly beautiful and expensive watches, so it was nice to see a more common, inexpensive example featured for you to work your magic on. To its owner, it was very much valued and loved. You've given it a new life and I'm happy to see that you'll be wearing this Resistance watch! Onward!
Beautifull result, from Sows Ear to Silk Purse. Well done Joe, your skill and patience are something to behold. Thanks for sharing. The metal without doubt is Zamak also called 'Pot Metal', In the motor industry it was often refered to as 'Monkey Metal', very unfair to Monkeys I think. The Corrosion/Erosion appeared to be typical of exposure to Salt, either lost on a Beach somewhere or in salt water. It was comparable to the kind of deterioration that used to be a common sight on car door handles or other car parts exposed to road salt. Now... Off I go to investigate a new Blogs site I just heard about😉. Thanks Joe and assistants.
I really liked the matte finish of the case. I would have liked to have seen the stem blued because it had a nice sort of blued look before the refurbishment. Thanks for the video!
Greetings, good sir. This looks like a total rework, or even something you chuck in the bin. Even when it was new, it was a proper POS. So much to do. Time to relax and watch you do your magic.
That' s incredible! Pot metal i exactly what thinking. My father taught me that term. Hey Joe, thank you so much for the content, always WATCH for new videos. Lol Every TIME you add new content, it is a surprise gift to me. I especially appreciate the new life you've brought to something that some may consider "junk". I've been labeled junk in my past, but I thank God every day that He offers redemption for us all. I love you Joe, keep up the excellence.
Amazing work as always. With regards to the dial I have a suggestion: you could have powdercoated the dial with e.g. black instead of just painting it and then laser the surface. This is way more durable and looks fab.
Hey buddy its been awhile sense ive sent you a message and find this relation one sided as I sit here and watch your videos being a 63 year old man who has been married to the same woman for 40 years. I truly love your calming voice and anyone can tell that you love your craft and your family which makes me admire you and your talent and what you do with these watches that much more. I just wanted to say hello again and if you are in the fine state of Virginia and close to Buckingham Va. stop by and say hello because you have a friend in me!! God bless you and your family, stay healthy my friend!!
Interesting experiment. I love the engineering side of watchmaking. I used to do a lot of similar hand-tool work and machining at a slightly larger scale. I've always wondered how the fine markings for high-quality metal rulers, micrometers, watch faces etc. were done. Some kind of etching maybe. The precision has to be very high otherwise the eye easily sees the irregularities, and it was perfected 100 years ago or more. I would probably have replaced that nasty metal with a donor case, and probably the dial too, since the movement seemed quite nice. Interesting to learn that nickel can fill out cavities to some degree. Maybe a drop of solder might have filled it, but maybe it's no good for plating.
Beautiful restoration work, Joe! You are an inspiration and master craftsman. Thank you for sharing. Congratulations to watch winners. Don't become a pray for scammers.
IIRC.....I saw a movement like that in either a Roamer Popular or an Union Special, which was a very interesting South African house brand of American Swiss Jewellers.....and further to the comment below about 'pot metal'; yeh, it looks like pot metal. What happens is that the zinc particles melt and then solidify at a much lower temperature than the other materials used in the alloy, which could be lead, tin, iron and so on. This causes air bubbles to be trapped in the casting, which appear to be what you are dealing with on the lug of the case. Its a horrid material. Just visited your website, bought ya a coffee ( and coming from a former British colony myself, I don't mind if you have a cup of tea instead)....and I wish you and your family everything of the best always. UA-cam, lovers tiff.....well put. Be blessed always.
Each one of those olive leaves were ones that we took for granted. Thank you for your kind reminder of what is important in life. There is far too much today that distracts us, especially those of us who have the responsibility to wake the others, and to not turn away from the pain and the misery. FP Furthermore, at 20:44 potentially the Zn metal in ZAMaK (Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, Copper spelt Kupfer in German) alloy is reacting with water to form ZnO, a protective layer. Zamak by itself is fairly susceptible to corrosion and pitting you saw is evidence. Oh and give yourself more credit for your electroplating work! You did great!
Your are amazing; a watchmaker filled with mercy and humanity. You are so smart my dear brother.
“He who works with his hands is a laborer.
He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman.
He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
Francis of Assisi
When I want to relax and get some like guidance I come to my brother the Nekkid Watchmaker, appreciate you man!
Real wisdom is precious. Have to keep this with me for the rest of my life. Thanks buddy.
Well said back there! Now I know I'm an artist!
Wise words 👏
"Let me get on the plank then you selfish cow" made me nearly spit out my coffee as I was not prepared lol
Same. Had to play it for the wife. We get a chuckle out of that movie.
That was a great one 😂
I’m currently in A&E having my sides stitched up!😂😂😂😂
@@nicholasscholl7227what movie?
@heyjohnsmith Titanic
Joe, in the automotive world they call that case material 'pot metal', used to be used for doorhandles and the like on cars. It's frequently plated in Chrome and is a Zinc alloy and really is awful. Great work as always 😊
My guess on the metal is ZIMAC (a form of “pot-metal”). Awful stuff, as you say.
I was just thinking if someone in the comments would confirm my suspicion on it bein a Zinc casting alloy.
@@mikezimmermann89 "ZAMAK" (or sometimes "Zamac"), actually, but yes. Zinc/aluminum alloy with a few other things. At least this one is good enough quality not to have zinc pest!
@@mikezimmermann89 It is my guess too. Zamac is used to make things like door handles (for home) and Matchbox car. Among other things.
I was going to post the exact same comment.
That’s pot metal
Joe again you astound us. No one would ever envisage such a phoenix from the flames, another beautiful restoration. Thankyou for bringing joy.
I just love you as a person, you must be a great father, I needed to laugh a bit, thanks
So if you drop your watch in the ocean then dry it in a bonfire, we know a guy that can bring it back to life. Great work, Joe.
So good to see you back !
If only everything that is a little bit broken and lost could be restored by your inspired craftsmanship
The eight service marks on the case back for that modest movement is just awesome. Imagine the stories that watch could tell.
There are two kinds. You with the watch and its stories. Me with the owner and the devastation he must have felt when it was lost. I pray that someone sees this that knows
I appreciate your helping hands. You revived this bombarded old watch. Corrosion eats its parts like cancer and does not show any mercy to its age or identity. With little aid, you infused new life to this old standing survivor. Now, it can run for generations. Message delivered 💪✌️✌️✌️
The restoration is truly remarkable, and it's delightful to hear the lively sounds of children in the background.
Not only are you a talented craftsman, but a lover of people who are hurting. Keep fighting for peace my friend!!
I had low expectations of the case ever looking nice again. nice restoration. well done.
Keep your bright outlook brother. As for being my favorite watchmaker? You remain!
My dad is an Austrian master watchmaker, he worked for Glass in Birmingham in the early 70's. Long gone now.
I wonder if he serviced that watch in the day.
Well done for sticking to your cause Jo and wearing it proudly.
The case is made of zamac. That is very easy to injection mold. It is also the material that carburetors are made of. It is a zinc aluminum alloy
In germany we say Zinkpest. A lot of Zink cast toys from the 40 and 50 are eaten away and the corrosion are in the metal so you cant grind it away.
You're right ! It's the infamous "zamac". Once I have a very bad experience in cleaning my carburetor with ultrasonic bath.... Avoid to use the ultrasonic machine it's create worse condition after !
@@Mksz-h in the Netherlands we also call it zinkpest.
Excellent video once again Joe. You’re a true artisan, going above and beyond 😉😉👍👍👍
A case only a mother could love. Well done, and keep speaking your truth Joe.
Joe: just thank you.
Words are not enough to explain how much your work enriches the rest of your human community. But I will say my cares melt away when I spend time with you watching you do what you do and listening to you thinking out loud.
Balm.
Peace to you and your family Joe. You're on the right side of history my friend.
Another spectacular project!!!!! Repair, reuse.🙂
One look at that watch, and we all know how courageous you are, fearless in fact… wow! I haven’t seen you in a while. It’s good to hear your voice, my friend.
You bring such humanity to watch restoration.
I am usually so cynical of human nature.
You prove me wrong.
Thank you for another wonderful video one of my favourites
I'm much pleased by your sharing time with us and watching you redeem something neglected to a new potential. Thank you.
Absolutely wonderful restoration, now this will be my new hobby , buying old watches n trying to restore them , thanks for your efforts on making these videos , ppl get a lot to learn off them.
Protesting has become very difficult as Plod is becoming very harsh and record everything to make your life difficult, just bullying people after the marches
Thanks for sharing, poor thing might have ended up in the bin if anyone else had taken a look at it.
Mate, you’re a ray of humanity, humaneness. Not sure of the wording, not a native user of English. You get my point bud. Keep on going!
Perfectly well said!
That looks fantastic!
You’re back!! Thank God! You sir are a genius, artist, craftsman!
Thank you for your stand, I hope that more will join to stop the hate in our world....
Making the dial nekkid and dressing it up again!
I have greatly enjoyed your work and almost every aspect of your videos. Been watching you for years now and the only bad thing about your videos is that there are not enough of them. I’ve learned a lot of history about your profession, very entertaining from your children pestering you to your talents. So thank you for sharing.
Your craftsmanship and attention to detail are truly inspiring.👏 The custom dial work is pure art-thank you for sharing your incredible skills with us!
Much awaited, much appreciated looking forward to excellent work as always from you.
It's gorgeous! Great work! Between you and James Martin I get my horology fix lots!
I giggled at the mixed metaphor at 2:35 😊
it IS possible! Such lovely and meaningful work, Joe! Sumud always.
You could try a first plating with copper. Builds up quite thickly, leveling pits a bit more and can be polished to a high shine. When done, a rhodium flash to barrier and then the final gold plating.
Not sure copper would take to Zamac alloy. Even copper strike solution might not work...
I wonder if a zinc passivation plating layer would work as a "bonding" coat, prior to copper strike?
@@fredfred2363zamak is Zink, Aluminium, Magnesium (or variously Manganese) And (or variously Antimony) Kupfer. (Copper), and is imminently platable, especially by copper.
Your mastery can only be a source of inspiration and learning. Thank you Joe for your beautiful videos that honor you for your skill
I've bought a couple of cheap and cheerful so-called "Frankenwatches" from watchmakers in India. I knew what to expect.
One was Swiss Made "Oris" with at least some of the matching parts; looks good. The other an Indian brand with a lovely picture of Nehru on the dial; looks great!
Both neat and tidy, mechanical movements of course. Great prices (under $20 shipped) and I'm perfectly happy with them. I'll do it again someday. Great fun.
Well done, Joe. You really showed all your skills (& your heart) with this one. I didn't believe there was anything you could do with it when I first saw it, but you have made it look beautiful!
Great work as always Joe. It really makes my day when one of your videos pops up in my feed
Hi Joe, I love watching your videos. Braking the setting lever spring is exactly what happened to me when restoring an EB1268. With me it broke in the US-cleaner. My EB 1268 was in a quite similar, if not identical case. I hope to finish the project some day, the movement is ready, but still have to dive in with the plating process. 😀
I was really sleepy watching this and got the message at the 25:26 time mark, it put a nice grin on my miserable face. Thanks Joe.
I liked the look of the original dial.
Wow! Miracles happen, and that watch looks amazing!! UA-cam is merciless, so keep up the fight, and I'll find you to watch more of these deeply satisfying videos!!!
You have truly been missed! Thank you for all that you bring to us! Also good to hear Trouble’s contribution!😂
The bredth and depth of your artistry is breathtaking.
I think for automotive restoration the usual way to deal with pitted "pot metal" like this is to plate it thickly in copper, and then polish the copper to a good surface -- which means adding enough copper to have some measurable thickness so you don't polish through it. And then the nickel or chrome plating is done on top of the copper surface. You might need to mask off the inner round parts when doing the copper plating to avoid building up thickness that makes things not fit.
It's plain to see that the love of your craft keeps you young and satisfied.
But if your eyes ever start to fail you, may I suggest you take up writing murder mysteries.
You have a knack for the suspenseful
Joe, glad to see you back after seeing your gap video last. Now I have some catching up to do... Glad to hear you moved forward!
Superb video as always, love the new website. Your youtube channel is a great source of relaxation (and awe) for me, thank you.
You've worked with some truly beautiful and expensive watches, so it was nice to see a more common, inexpensive example featured for you to work your magic on. To its owner, it was very much valued and loved. You've given it a new life and I'm happy to see that you'll be wearing this Resistance watch! Onward!
Amazing! You are the BEES KNEES. Keep up the good fight. I hope to keep you on UA-cam, but will follow you on any platform.
Brilliant! A rescue beyond compare, as it's re-born with a new sentiment. Great work by a master watchmaker, and good man. 🤗
Beautifull result, from Sows Ear to Silk Purse. Well done Joe, your skill and patience are something to behold. Thanks for sharing. The metal without doubt is Zamak also called 'Pot Metal', In the motor industry it was often refered to as 'Monkey Metal', very unfair to Monkeys I think. The Corrosion/Erosion appeared to be typical of exposure to Salt, either lost on a Beach somewhere or in salt water. It was comparable to the kind of deterioration that used to be a common sight on car door handles or other car parts exposed to road salt.
Now... Off I go to investigate a new Blogs site I just heard about😉.
Thanks Joe and assistants.
What a master at his work...truly stunning work ❤
what an awesome video again my friend, an absolute beauty of watch , the mod is sweet
I really liked the matte finish of the case. I would have liked to have seen the stem blued because it had a nice sort of blued look before the refurbishment. Thanks for the video!
Greetings, good sir. This looks like a total rework, or even something you chuck in the bin. Even when it was new, it was a proper POS. So much to do. Time to relax and watch you do your magic.
Glad it carries on, lovely job as usual. Great viewing, Thank you : )
That' s incredible! Pot metal i exactly what thinking. My father taught me that term.
Hey Joe, thank you so much for the content, always WATCH for new videos. Lol
Every TIME you add new content, it is a surprise gift to me.
I especially appreciate the new life you've brought to something that some may consider "junk". I've been labeled junk in my past, but I thank God every day that He offers redemption for us all.
I love you Joe, keep up the excellence.
Amazing work as always. With regards to the dial I have a suggestion: you could have powdercoated the dial with e.g. black instead of just painting it and then laser the surface. This is way more durable and looks fab.
Hey buddy its been awhile sense ive sent you a message and find this relation one sided as I sit here and watch your videos being a 63 year old man who has been married to the same woman for 40 years. I truly love your calming voice and anyone can tell that you love your craft and your family which makes me admire you and your talent and what you do with these watches that much more. I just wanted to say hello again and if you are in the fine state of Virginia and close to Buckingham Va. stop by and say hello because you have a friend in me!! God bless you and your family, stay healthy my friend!!
Interesting experiment. I love the engineering side of watchmaking. I used to do a lot of similar hand-tool work and machining at a slightly larger scale.
I've always wondered how the fine markings for high-quality metal rulers, micrometers, watch faces etc. were done. Some kind of etching maybe. The precision has to be very high otherwise the eye easily sees the irregularities, and it was perfected 100 years ago or more.
I would probably have replaced that nasty metal with a donor case, and probably the dial too, since the movement seemed quite nice.
Interesting to learn that nickel can fill out cavities to some degree. Maybe a drop of solder might have filled it, but maybe it's no good for plating.
Great job Joe, you’re on the right side Joe.
Respect to you Joe. Thank you for your humanity.
You are the Bomb when it comes to restoring these old watches you are a true Artist Sir.
Oh my, this is exactly what i needed right now, you are a legend! 😊
🇮🇪💕🇵🇸
A wonderful and artistic beauty again. Thank you you are a true artisan
You are an artist, a great watchmaker.
Brilliant as usually my brother! Love how supportive you are to the core! ✊🏽🇵🇸
Beautiful restoration work, Joe! You are an inspiration and master craftsman. Thank you for sharing.
Congratulations to watch winners. Don't become a pray for scammers.
Wow Joe I love your dial work. What a great use for a simple laser.
Very impressive restoration. Miss your videos, and I hope you stay safe.
Another beautiful job, Joe. Well done!
So the ugly duckling eventually turned into a beautiful swan. You gave it its dignity back Joe and a new life.💖
It was well above my expectations, you did it , fruits of hard work, knowledge and skills, a cool head and beating heart went with your efforts.
Blimey, that one fought you every step of the way. Nice change from your typical content, though. Thanks for sharing, Sir.
Never would have thought it would have turned out so nice. Great job, Joe.
You've got real talent!
Great to have another video from you. Another decent watch out of a terrible one.
A true genius glad your back joe , peace live from B 21
IIRC.....I saw a movement like that in either a Roamer Popular or an Union Special, which was a very interesting South African house brand of American Swiss Jewellers.....and further to the comment below about 'pot metal'; yeh, it looks like pot metal. What happens is that the zinc particles melt and then solidify at a much lower temperature than the other materials used in the alloy, which could be lead, tin, iron and so on. This causes air bubbles to be trapped in the casting, which appear to be what you are dealing with on the lug of the case. Its a horrid material. Just visited your website, bought ya a coffee ( and coming from a former British colony myself, I don't mind if you have a cup of tea instead)....and I wish you and your family everything of the best always. UA-cam, lovers tiff.....well put. Be blessed always.
Nice restoration, looks great.
I would wear that watch proudly! All the work put into it by you and the story behind it would make it fascinating to me. Amazing work as always Joe!
The design on the dial deserves recognition in it's new form, even if 2% of people might not be fans.
Great work, thank you for showing and keep going
As always amazing result ... Thanks Joe for the new video .. Fantastic...
Quite remarkable! I do love it when 'ordinary' things are given the love more valuable items routinely receive.
Each one of those olive leaves were ones that we took for granted. Thank you for your kind reminder of what is important in life. There is far too much today that distracts us, especially those of us who have the responsibility to wake the others, and to not turn away from the pain and the misery. FP
Furthermore, at 20:44 potentially the Zn metal in ZAMaK (Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium, Copper spelt Kupfer in German) alloy is reacting with water to form ZnO, a protective layer. Zamak by itself is fairly susceptible to corrosion and pitting you saw is evidence. Oh and give yourself more credit for your electroplating work! You did great!
Well, it certainly didn’t make it worse! Well done!
Another great save. The dial looks spectacular. Absolutely love it.
Excellent work as always my Friend 👍🙌
Good Man Joe.
Great bit of work Joe
Thank you once again Joe for elegantly passing by almost 27 minutes of time.
Great work on the case. The custom artwork on the dial is beautiful.
A masters job and I a sure you are proud to wear a watch like this one