These very small size zero pocket watches were made in Switzerland and are easily replaced for less than $100. The question is are they worthy of repair.
Hi JD, this video raises and deals with a great point. It's an issue which I've recently encountered as a beginner; the old, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!' I bought a 1904 Waltham 15 jewel (220 movement) pocket watch recently, "untested," with the assumption that I would tear it down, clean, fix what's broken, new mainspring, etc. Out of the box, the movement looked clean, ran well, with good amplitude (for a 120 year old watch) and was accurate to about 30 seconds a day. I grappled with this strange and unfamiliar situation for a couple of weeks, and did the following: I de-cased it, cleaned the case ultrasonically, did a light lubrication on the movement, and still feeling a tad guilty, left it at that. Thank you for assuaging my guilt! Garry
@@garryrindfuss5349 no problem at all. We all come up with the situation where a watch does not need to be serviced as it just doesn’t make sense, from an economical standpoint, and from a use standpoint. if I service a watch and then it sits in a drawer for five years after I serviced it, then why did it need to be serviced?
The Rode is a great little watch and worth servicing. I’d be surprised if it needs parts beyond a mainspring. It might need the shake on the barrel arbour tightened (close holes on barrel bridge and dial plate). The other watch is not running great, but unless the owner wants to use it regularly, I’d leave it alone. If the watch is ever to be used on a regular basis, then it should definitely be cleaned and lubricated. The cost of doing so is more than the watch is worth, though.
The movement on the second watch looks closer to an ST69. In my opinion you've already spent more time on the second watch than it's worth. I agree, it runs well enough to perhaps spend a minute or two on regulating it, and then send it. I feel the first one would be worth the time to size and install a mainspring. Cleaning and lube would be debatable depending on the findings from inspection and the grapher.
I’m not familiar with JLC 150, they certainly make some tiny calibres, though. Their smallest, the LeCoultre 101 dates back to 1929 and is still the smallest watch movement produced. It is only 14mm long × 4.8mm wide × 3.4mm tall. It is beautifully made too…if you can see it.
@@mercuriall2810 I think as I get older right on the patients too services is ridiculously small watches. There’s just too much risk and damaging the hairspring
@@JDRichard I think it’s more a case of getting comfortable with little movements. Seeing your excellent work on that badly kinked tiny Tudor hairspring leaves me in no doubt regarding your fine motor skills. I’m 47, so I can’t speak with personal experience of being any older than that. I found little movements challenging to reassemble until I did enough of them to get comfortable with them. You get a feel for it and they’re no longer intimidating. There are no tricks, it’s just practice. I know watchmakers who are significantly older than you and they still have a very deft touch with little movements. They’ve told me that they found them very tricky to begin with too. You’ve got the same innate ability without a doubt. If you were to buy a bulk lot of little movements and service them back to back you’ll get comfortable with them before long. You’ll wonder what all the fuss was about. I certainly did. You’ll also suddenly find larger movements suddenly seem huge and so much easier to work on. So it pays dividends for pocket watch service, too. Given this is a hobby for you, there’s no need to learn and practice on small movements. If you don’t want to, by all means leave them alone. But please know they’re just something you can get used to, and you have what it takes to get very confident with them. It’s quite rewarding, too. The one key is magnification. If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it.
swiss ladys movement. not worth the time. other watch is barely worth your time no mention of it in bestfit or ranfft. so youll probably have to measure original spring and custom order from cousins
They are beautiful
Hi JD, this video raises and deals with a great point. It's an issue which I've recently encountered as a beginner; the old, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!' I bought a 1904 Waltham 15 jewel (220 movement) pocket watch recently, "untested," with the assumption that I would tear it down, clean, fix what's broken, new mainspring, etc. Out of the box, the movement looked clean, ran well, with good amplitude (for a 120 year old watch) and was accurate to about 30 seconds a day. I grappled with this strange and unfamiliar situation for a couple of weeks, and did the following: I de-cased it, cleaned the case ultrasonically, did a light lubrication on the movement, and still feeling a tad guilty, left it at that. Thank you for assuaging my guilt! Garry
@@garryrindfuss5349 no problem at all. We all come up with the situation where a watch does not need to be serviced as it just doesn’t make sense, from an economical standpoint, and from a use standpoint. if I service a watch and then it sits in a drawer for five years after I serviced it, then why did it need to be serviced?
The Rode is a great little watch and worth servicing. I’d be surprised if it needs parts beyond a mainspring. It might need the shake on the barrel arbour tightened (close holes on barrel bridge and dial plate).
The other watch is not running great, but unless the owner wants to use it regularly, I’d leave it alone. If the watch is ever to be used on a regular basis, then it should definitely be cleaned and lubricated. The cost of doing so is more than the watch is worth, though.
The movement on the second watch looks closer to an ST69.
In my opinion you've already spent more time on the second watch than it's worth.
I agree, it runs well enough to perhaps spend a minute or two on regulating it, and then send it.
I feel the first one would be worth the time to size and install a mainspring. Cleaning and lube would be debatable depending on the findings from inspection and the grapher.
@@fredflintstone8048 YabaDabaDo. I totally agree with you.
lift angle?
@@hellothere312 Total Brain Fart.
Small? Have a look at JLC 150 movements JD 😂
@@tomholloway7566 Correct. But as I get older, bigger seems smaller.
I’m not familiar with JLC 150, they certainly make some tiny calibres, though.
Their smallest, the LeCoultre 101 dates back to 1929 and is still the smallest watch movement produced.
It is only 14mm long × 4.8mm wide × 3.4mm tall. It is beautifully made too…if you can see it.
@@mercuriall2810 I think as I get older right on the patients too services is ridiculously small watches. There’s just too much risk and damaging the hairspring
@@JDRichard I think it’s more a case of getting comfortable with little movements.
Seeing your excellent work on that badly kinked tiny Tudor hairspring leaves me in no doubt regarding your fine motor skills.
I’m 47, so I can’t speak with personal experience of being any older than that.
I found little movements challenging to reassemble until I did enough of them to get comfortable with them. You get a feel for it and they’re no longer intimidating. There are no tricks, it’s just practice.
I know watchmakers who are significantly older than you and they still have a very deft touch with little movements. They’ve told me that they found them very tricky to begin with too.
You’ve got the same innate ability without a doubt.
If you were to buy a bulk lot of little movements and service them back to back you’ll get comfortable with them before long. You’ll wonder what all the fuss was about. I certainly did.
You’ll also suddenly find larger movements suddenly seem huge and so much easier to work on. So it pays dividends for pocket watch service, too.
Given this is a hobby for you, there’s no need to learn and practice on small movements. If you don’t want to, by all means leave them alone.
But please know they’re just something you can get used to, and you have what it takes to get very confident with them. It’s quite rewarding, too.
The one key is magnification. If you can’t see it, you can’t fix it.
swiss ladys movement. not worth the time. other watch is barely worth your time no mention of it in bestfit or ranfft. so youll probably have to measure original spring and custom order from cousins