Great to see one of these being refurbished. My 101 year old father still has his RAF issue Bulova with the original A11 markings overstamped by RAF 6B/234 markings. He was a navigator with Coastal Command and might be amused to hear your comment about hacking. Once I said to him something like "I guess it was very important to have your watches synchronized so that you could arrive over the target at the right time". His response was that in practice they were lucky if they got over the target within 10 minutes of each other! One turn of the winder is enough to make it start ticking and I don't think it's ever been fully serviced. It's been demagnetised and at one stage a small speck of dirt was removed from the movement (by a watchmaker who didn't charge for doing it!) but that's about as close as it's got to being properly cleaned/serviced. Dad only wears it very occasionally now but it'll keep going for a day. Keep up the good work.
@@johnhaddock373 wow that’s really nice story, I’d still recommend getting the watch serviced at some point. 80 years of running it’s important to keep the movement clean and fresh oil. You would not run a car that long and a watch in theory runs 24/7 year by year unassisted . With your double stamps it would make yours more prised, not that it’s something you would ever sell.
Just looking over the video again, The second pinion was attached to the cover plate when removed when it cuts away. It must have dropped off unnoticed between the movement and the storage container. Losing this is the best way to ruin your day - glad you found it
Beautiful work, Mike. I think it's fascinating how much of a difference the new strap and polished crystal makes. Suddenly the case, to me, seems to have character instead of just being beat up. Really a beautiful result. Thank you for bringing it back to life.
Big fan of both 40s Bulovas and the A-11s and the dirty dozens as you know. This one came together well, and I'm 100% with you on keeping the condition as it is. It's part of the story of the watch. Imho it still holds up against the modern homages.
Fantastic work, Mike! I love these older Bulova movements. It's straightforward and fairly simple to work on. Your comment about not messing with the hairspring until you've had some proper practice is spot on! I have made that mistake myself, and I can confirm that more practice was needed. Especially when working on smaller movements. Thanks again for the video!
Its showing how much of a life it has had. watch is from 1943 and I think for most of the years after production this watch has been worn on a daily basis. probably until it finally stopped. It earned its rest but I have again woken it up for another few decades with luck.
I loved this video! I can definitely relate to the sentiment around going to bed happy after achieving a milestone in the repair process. Sometimes I refuse to sleep until I have a breakthrough on whatever I’m troubleshooting, and I really have to peel myself away from the bench. Very very nice outcome on this one. The worn case looks great in my opinion as it’s worn pretty evenly all around. - Chris
@@csspinner thanks Chris. I’m often at the bench 1am knowing I am up at 7:30 for work! If I can’t fix or leave ahead of the game I end up thinking about it all day before I can get back to the bench. The patina on this one makes it much more interesting.
Great microphotography, Mike! The clear depth of field makes a difference. And nice work on the service. One thing your videos really help us learners with is the precautions you take with disassembly and reassembly to avoid breaking parts. Would love to see more about precautions, hint hint. I’m with you on case sizes: it’s downright irritating to have fashion dictated to us, and who really wants to wear a chromed hockey puck on their wrist? 2:21 Movement wobbles. Were many vintage Bulova movements poorly supported inside their cases? I’ve had this issue with a few. 12:00 have you tried small amounts of lighter fluid to free up parts? The fluid can be delivered with tweezers directly to the part, like an old fashioned ruling pen to get under bridges and cocks having no slot for a screwdriver, and alongside alignment posts 38:16 I’ve deliberately vandalized movements by scribing an extra line each side of the slot of left hand screws. In 50 to 100 years, that next guy will be someone very unusual and deserves a polite warning. 45:20 I’ve seen some Bulovas scratched up, online and in my collection. Either the metal plate was sometimes soft, or someone’s cleaning method was violent.
Another outstanding video - can’t recommend your videos highly enough! What an interesting watch you got back to life. Great craftsmanship and really helpful explanations. Thank you!
Great job Mike, nothing wrong with this size watch, looks fantastic. Love these Military watches, how good is it to have a piece of history like a A11 Bulova. Love the dial so legible to read time even at 30mm. Your patience getting the Banking pins correct removing the hair spring etc, well done.
@@davidhammond9336 thank you David. Your right. It’s very legible for its small size but that was one of the compulsory requirements . This one has stood up to the test of time really well.
It is really funny: I have just thought about the last evening what about with your A11, when we see the repairing video. I wish all my wishes could come true such a way! :) You made a great job again. It is nealrly magic. A11 is my favourite, it was good to see it to come to life again. The end result.... I can not able to find words. Thank you for this amazing video!
I believe the "dust cover" was actually more used to prevent magnetism. I've seen something similar on wrist watches used for RR service for the same reason.
Great video, really useful for when I start on my Bulova A-11's! On the "blank" caseback, check the inside. Hold it to the light at an angle, and you might see the "ghosts" of the original stampings.
A watchmaker once taught me to remove the pallet fork and make adjustments to center the impulse jewel between the banking pins. Usually that gets you in close to a low beat error. It is less risky, mostly because you have to make fewer intrusive moves IMHO. I do enjoy watching .
Nice work Mike. I was curious to see whether the ultrasonic would've loosened the hour wheel, but alas, for the next one! The watch cleaned up beautifully and the movement looks stunning. I also like the patina. You can at least imagine that it's real battle scars, even if it never saw real battle time! 😉. Thanks for sharing the wonderful restoration work.
This one was really interesting to watch because of its age and the rather gummed up condition. You did a brilliant job. I thought you made a great call by leaving it in a 'as used' condition. The case is so battered it would have been really interesting to know what its owner did. I guess something quite manual. Love your work.
The case actually looks pretty cool like that. Nice and rough. Amplitude could be caused by the 52°angle input which may be different or maybe barrel pivot holes are worn. Overall great to watch and listen to you. Fantastic sweep pivot find!
Thanks, I still might service it again and see if the amp comes up. When all the cameras are in the way I dont think I am as thorough as I would be off camera due being obstructed visually . Finding the pivot was a relief and wore my knees out !
Hi Mike, I was yelling at the screen that second hand “axle” had fallen under the holder and later on that you had forgotten to put it on (my mistake there). 🤣🤣 I love the watch and you did a fantastic job on it. In the comparisons, the homage ones really mess up on the crown. Big, sharp and chunky makes it look like it was stamped out of raw steel and not polished like the original. Just cheap knockoffs is the message I am getting from that. Cheers 🍻
Mike that was a dirty little critter. You handled it just like pro. I enjoy you so much. Thanks. I am just about to start my first watch just waiting to get all the right tools rounded up.
@@chrisorcutt7619 good luck. Keep patient and take lots of photos. It’s difficult at first but once you get some control and confidence with your tweezers the rest will come. Buy a decent pair of tweezers like Dumont. £20+. Sounds a lot but it’s the one tool you use the most. I’ve used Dumont 00 hi tech for years , same pair for 5 years at least . Never looked back once I bought them .
I just got an EBay Bulova A-11 with mil markings on back. DHL Thailand had to process it for Duty fees but should be here by 8 Nov. Saved this vid for rewatching once I have it and can compare the insides.
Great video once more Mike . The quailty of the close ups is next level. Come a long way from your earlier video which all good too. Can you provide a link where to source the pivot polishing pens you use. Cheers T.
Nice watch, great result, and good strap colour. I probably said it a few times before, but 30mm, proper traditional man's size, I'd wear it without a second thought.
Well done , the classic line that had me lol regarding the hairspring tampering "It'll end in tears " , as funny as it was ... never a truer word spoken .
They certainly are a nice practical watch but i was able to handle a Gruen Dirty Dozen only yesterday and I fell in love with it a much bigger watch but full of charm.
Mike, ref beat error, I wonder whether it is best to replace the balance into the movement at a point when the pallet is not inserted. In that way the could balance jewel can be set to the mid point of the banking pins at it’s natural rest position. Would this depend on the balance wheel poise being accurate at first (just a thought). I was wondering whether the force on the pallet would affect where the balance wheel sits. I am early in my journey of watch making, don’t yet have a timegrapher and so have not yet attempted to fix a beat error but love watching your (and others) videos to get some pre knowledge of the challenges to come!
Great job Mike Did you have to straighten the centre seconds pinion shaft or can you get way with manipulating the seconds hand during the final stages of the reassembly?
Nice restoration on an old soldier. I thought the A11’s had a one piece case and a split stem. You remove the movement from the front after removing the stem, crown and crystal.
As far as I can tell, brute force. I would try penetrating oil, or just oil, or WD40, etc. Steel and brass are not that delicate and it's going to be cleaned anyway so it doesn't really matter too much. Oh well.
Loved that video 👏just a quick question sometimes when using my ultrasonic cleaner some parts turn black in colour keyless works ect.. what am I doing wrong? I use the sea lean 2 fluid . Any advice would be appreciated.
Your mixture I would think is too rich. I no longer use anything water based for parts. Sea clean just for stainless cases and bracelets. It does say if anything is plated it will react
@@MyRetroWatches Thank you Mike that’s very helpful. I did weaken the solution but still messed up some of the parts which was so annoying especially on a lovely clean seiko movement. Which solutions do you use?
Michael--I have a Bulova 11AC a friend gave me to take a look at. It was his (deceased father's) watch. I would love to get it running for him. Do you service a 11AC or rough equivalent I might follow?
I have one of these watches, found it at an antique shop. Had a ladies bracelet on it. The bracelet was from the uk, so I assume the watch was issued there as well. Or maybe left after it was used. I was able to get it running well but can’t find a proper gasket for it. Any ideas on a source?
No idea on gasket, there is one on the crystal on mine so I just measured it and found one to fit. Caseback mine is okay but again just measure the inner diameter and work from that
Nice work mate. The sole service looks like it was previously done by a monkey. So many scratches. The result has come out well considering the age, the condition, and the original state of having so much seized up. You've done well mate. Thank you for the effort of recording another cracking video.
I dont often show it because its not that interesting and does take some time and on an hour long video I have to decide what is kept in. A mainspring is unwound from the barrel by hand, I would need a much wider angle to show that all. I then use a spring winder to wind them back in the barrel. In this video I shown the oiling of the barrel and then pushing the spring in using the tool which is over in 2 seconds and not visually entertaining. fitting the arbour is a fiddly job that I often have to use a pin vice to do it and all you would really see is my fingers from any angle of a camera. It is why most likely 99% of other channels do not show this either.
This watch was probably a military surplus watch. After WWII the remaining inventory was sold off and the serial numbers and military markings were ground off.
Is your cleaner fluid contaminated with cloth fibres? On the reassembly there are tons of little fibres over everything and those are going to bind up and cause issues down the road I am thinking :S
I do mention this in the video. I am working in my garage which is also the laundry room. Seems most stuff is in the atmosphere than normal. I spotted most and rodico it out, again a bit in the video. I do miss some because when you film a service you are no where near the movement like I would be without cameras. It does make things much more challenging
I’m sorry but that is nonsense. This A-11 is not a marked issue watch but A11s were issued to aircrews in the USAAC/USAAF, Ord. (Ordnace dept.) watches were issued to ground troops. I have seen both without markings on The case back.
Normally I do not REPLY to myself. But when I do - it is for damn good reason. From '71 --- '74 I chose to dodge the draft having had a lottery number of 52; by spending those 3 years occupying a slot of one of those WW2 ''THEY'' ~ U.S, Paratrooper Sgt, William 'Rock' Gilpin 82nd Abn Div.1/504... half a century ago.
Great to see one of these being refurbished. My 101 year old father still has his RAF issue Bulova with the original A11 markings overstamped by RAF 6B/234 markings. He was a navigator with Coastal Command and might be amused to hear your comment about hacking. Once I said to him something like "I guess it was very important to have your watches synchronized so that you could arrive over the target at the right time". His response was that in practice they were lucky if they got over the target within 10 minutes of each other!
One turn of the winder is enough to make it start ticking and I don't think it's ever been fully serviced. It's been demagnetised and at one stage a small speck of dirt was removed from the movement (by a watchmaker who didn't charge for doing it!) but that's about as close as it's got to being properly cleaned/serviced. Dad only wears it very occasionally now but it'll keep going for a day.
Keep up the good work.
@@johnhaddock373 wow that’s really nice story, I’d still recommend getting the watch serviced at some point. 80 years of running it’s important to keep the movement clean and fresh oil. You would not run a car that long and a watch in theory runs 24/7 year by year unassisted .
With your double stamps it would make yours more prised, not that it’s something you would ever sell.
You should be on TV. What an entertaining video. Your patience is abundant.
Thank you. Closest I got was being on "Would I Lie to You" this year and even then I didnt speak!
Just looking over the video again, The second pinion was attached to the cover plate when removed when it cuts away. It must have dropped off unnoticed between the movement and the storage container. Losing this is the best way to ruin your day - glad you found it
You can see it escaping to the left for a frame or two.
@@gerryodonnell321 thanks. I watched that many times and some of the uncut footage but I could not see it! Either way was so relieved to find it .
Beautiful work, Mike. I think it's fascinating how much of a difference the new strap and polished crystal makes. Suddenly the case, to me, seems to have character instead of just being beat up.
Really a beautiful result. Thank you for bringing it back to life.
@@LifeOfATinkerer thanks. The patina adds to the charm on this one , proved that someone wore it daily for many decades.
Big fan of both 40s Bulovas and the A-11s and the dirty dozens as you know. This one came together well, and I'm 100% with you on keeping the condition as it is. It's part of the story of the watch. Imho it still holds up against the modern homages.
Fantastic work, Mike! I love these older Bulova movements. It's straightforward and fairly simple to work on. Your comment about not messing with the hairspring until you've had some proper practice is spot on! I have made that mistake myself, and I can confirm that more practice was needed. Especially when working on smaller movements. Thanks again for the video!
@@mltrymn1213 thanks. I still don’t like hairsprings but have enough hand control to handle them safely enough .
Thank you Mike for showing us that hell of a battle... and stunning result 👌
@@stephaneedy8255 thanks
Love the final look, the patina is beautiful!
Its showing how much of a life it has had. watch is from 1943 and I think for most of the years after production this watch has been worn on a daily basis. probably until it finally stopped. It earned its rest but I have again woken it up for another few decades with luck.
@@MyRetroWatches I think that's noble, in this throw away society, to have a passion to preserve and repair rather than consume and toss
I loved this video! I can definitely relate to the sentiment around going to bed happy after achieving a milestone in the repair process. Sometimes I refuse to sleep until I have a breakthrough on whatever I’m troubleshooting, and I really have to peel myself away from the bench. Very very nice outcome on this one. The worn case looks great in my opinion as it’s worn pretty evenly all around. - Chris
@@csspinner thanks Chris. I’m often at the bench 1am knowing I am up at 7:30 for work! If I can’t fix or leave ahead of the game I end up thinking about it all day before I can get back to the bench.
The patina on this one makes it much more interesting.
Great microphotography, Mike! The clear depth of field makes a difference. And nice work on the service. One thing your videos really help us learners with is the precautions you take with disassembly and reassembly to avoid breaking parts. Would love to see more about precautions, hint hint.
I’m with you on case sizes: it’s downright irritating to have fashion dictated to us, and who really wants to wear a chromed hockey puck on their wrist?
2:21 Movement wobbles. Were many vintage Bulova movements poorly supported inside their cases? I’ve had this issue with a few.
12:00 have you tried small amounts of lighter fluid to free up parts? The fluid can be delivered with tweezers directly to the part, like an old fashioned ruling pen to get under bridges and cocks having no slot for a screwdriver, and alongside alignment posts
38:16 I’ve deliberately vandalized movements by scribing an extra line each side of the slot of left hand screws. In 50 to 100 years, that next guy will be someone very unusual and deserves a polite warning.
45:20 I’ve seen some Bulovas scratched up, online and in my collection. Either the metal plate was sometimes soft, or someone’s cleaning method was violent.
Another outstanding video - can’t recommend your videos highly enough! What an interesting watch you got back to life. Great craftsmanship and really helpful explanations. Thank you!
@@oengelen3720 thank you for your compliment always keeps me motivated to make more videos
What a cool project. Very nice service and restoration. A treasure for someone to enjoy going forward. Well done.
Thank you very much!
Great job Mike, nothing wrong with this size watch, looks fantastic. Love these Military watches, how good is it to have a piece of history like a A11 Bulova. Love the dial so legible to read time even at 30mm. Your patience getting the Banking pins correct removing the hair spring etc, well done.
@@davidhammond9336 thank you David. Your right. It’s very legible for its small size but that was one of the compulsory requirements . This one has stood up to the test of time really well.
I agree, it turned out fantastic. It shows it age well ! Thanks for another great upload. Keep safe buddy
Thanks 👍
It is really funny: I have just thought about the last evening what about with your A11, when we see the repairing video. I wish all my wishes could come true such a way! :)
You made a great job again. It is nealrly magic. A11 is my favourite, it was good to see it to come to life again. The end result.... I can not able to find words. Thank you for this amazing video!
@@excdracmagyarszarnyak2398 there you go! Been kicking around far too long this watch. Pleased with the result.
Excellent images with the new microscope - amazing detail!
That was one of my favourite videos, Mike 👍 .... it was inspiring. Thanks for sharing it
@@andyfletcher1214 thanks Andrew. Appreciate that.
Amazing video , thank you for sharing .
Glad you enjoyed it
Another great save Mike 👏👍
Thanks Clive.
A great video Mike. The watch turned out really good. I enjoyed watching. Thanks Mike
Thanks Mike excellent video 👍
Cheers
Glad to see this one running again! Good job bringing this back to life. Cheers!
Very interesting keep up the good work. Beginner like me had ago at beat error using a balance tack ended up messing up the hairspring.
Very nice watch. Love it.
Nice work.
Thank you Mike. My mentor. I'm just beginning my hairspring adjustment journey. Great video.
Good luck. I am still rubbish at that.
Looks great :) Great job!
Thanks again for a great video,
Wonderful result. Thanks for the video. Love vintage Bulova watches. Best.
Great stuff Mike, love the old bulovas!
I believe the "dust cover" was actually more used to prevent magnetism. I've seen something similar on wrist watches used for RR service for the same reason.
Thats a good point, I have seen antimagnetic covers before too.
Great video, really useful for when I start on my Bulova A-11's!
On the "blank" caseback, check the inside. Hold it to the light at an angle, and you might see the "ghosts" of the original stampings.
A watchmaker once taught me to remove the pallet fork and make adjustments to center the impulse jewel between the banking pins. Usually that gets you in close to a low beat error. It is less risky, mostly because you have to make fewer intrusive moves IMHO. I do enjoy watching .
Do you mean that you turn the collet with the impulse jewel, with the balance in situ, rather than remove and split the balance assembly?
what a lovely old piece, great video.really enjoyed watching it. More please..
Nice work Mike. I was curious to see whether the ultrasonic would've loosened the hour wheel, but alas, for the next one! The watch cleaned up beautifully and the movement looks stunning. I also like the patina. You can at least imagine that it's real battle scars, even if it never saw real battle time! 😉. Thanks for sharing the wonderful restoration work.
MAGNIFICENT work Mike!
Beautiful restoration, well done!
Great Video Mike. I really enjoyed it.
Thanks !!!
Thank you Simon, you will remember this one from when I bought it.
This one was really interesting to watch because of its age and the rather gummed up condition. You did a brilliant job. I thought you made a great call by leaving it in a 'as used' condition. The case is so battered it would have been really interesting to know what its owner did. I guess something quite manual. Love your work.
Excellent night time video thanks
Looks great. Nice inspiration for me as I get started in the hobby.
Bang on job, Mike!
Nice work Mike!
I really enjoy my tripculor micro! Can't imagine working with out it!!!😊
Great Video Mike! Really enjoyed it!
@@johnmc3562 thank you
Well done! It's really worth restoring...
You really did a very good job .l really enjoyed this video .Thank you so much .
The case actually looks pretty cool like that. Nice and rough. Amplitude could be caused by the 52°angle input which may be different or maybe barrel pivot holes are worn. Overall great to watch and listen to you. Fantastic sweep pivot find!
Thanks, I still might service it again and see if the amp comes up. When all the cameras are in the way I dont think I am as thorough as I would be off camera due being obstructed visually . Finding the pivot was a relief and wore my knees out !
Excellent video and work. I love these A11s and I’m trying to get hold of an original myself.
Hi Mike, I was yelling at the screen that second hand “axle” had fallen under the holder and later on that you had forgotten to put it on (my mistake there). 🤣🤣 I love the watch and you did a fantastic job on it. In the comparisons, the homage ones really mess up on the crown. Big, sharp and chunky makes it look like it was stamped out of raw steel and not polished like the original. Just cheap knockoffs is the message I am getting from that. Cheers 🍻
@@dsb1763 Thanks. Seems many of you saw the pinion but I didn’t even watching it back in edit!
Great video and great piece!
Nice job Mike. That was a challenge!
Great video Mike, well done. Thanks for sharing
Mike that was a dirty little critter. You handled it just like pro. I enjoy you so much. Thanks. I am just about to start my first watch just waiting to get all the right tools rounded up.
@@chrisorcutt7619 good luck. Keep patient and take lots of photos. It’s difficult at first but once you get some control and confidence with your tweezers the rest will come. Buy a decent pair of tweezers like Dumont. £20+. Sounds a lot but it’s the one tool you use the most.
I’ve used Dumont 00 hi tech for years , same pair for 5 years at least . Never looked back once I bought them .
I just got an EBay Bulova A-11 with mil markings on back. DHL Thailand had to process it for Duty fees but should be here by 8 Nov.
Saved this vid for rewatching once I have it and can compare the insides.
Great video once more Mike . The quailty of the close ups is next level. Come a long way from your earlier video which all good too. Can you provide a link where to source the pivot polishing pens you use. Cheers T.
You need a cousins account.
www.cousinsuk.com/search?searchTerm=Pivot%20polisher
Thank you for this fantastic video. I’m learning so much from you. Happy 😃
Well done Mike!
Looks great 👍
Bloody awesome ❤
Nice watch, great result, and good strap colour. I probably said it a few times before, but 30mm, proper traditional man's size, I'd wear it without a second thought.
Nice!
Well done , the classic line that had me lol regarding the hairspring tampering "It'll end in tears " , as funny as it was ... never a truer word spoken .
Love A-11s in my mind they are the perfect watch
They certainly are a nice practical watch but i was able to handle a Gruen Dirty Dozen only yesterday and I fell in love with it a much bigger watch but full of charm.
Mike, ref beat error, I wonder whether it is best to replace the balance into the movement at a point when the pallet is not inserted. In that way the could balance jewel can be set to the mid point of the banking pins at it’s natural rest position. Would this depend on the balance wheel poise being accurate at first (just a thought). I was wondering whether the force on the pallet would affect where the balance wheel sits. I am early in my journey of watch making, don’t yet have a timegrapher and so have not yet attempted to fix a beat error but love watching your (and others) videos to get some pre knowledge of the challenges to come!
Great job Mike
Did you have to straighten the centre seconds pinion shaft or can you get way with manipulating the seconds hand during the final stages of the reassembly?
Quedo muy original y con una vista increíble excelente trabajo.
Salú2 desde Puebla México.
gracias Senor.
Wonder how many times that watch has been apart. What did they use on it, a hammer and chisel? So many scratches!
Very nice Mike, I do like those watches.
Andy UK.
Great video. Smaller than 36mm I feel like I am wearing a kids watch, but a beautiful watch indeed.
Really enjoyed that. How did that the second hand pinion do that? It was there, then gone!
Nice restoration on an old soldier. I thought the A11’s had a one piece case and a split stem. You remove the movement from the front after removing the stem, crown and crystal.
What solvent do you use when the gears are frozen? I know what to do on a automobile but PB Blaster maybe to harsh for a wrist watch.
As far as I can tell, brute force. I would try penetrating oil, or just oil, or WD40, etc. Steel and brass are not that delicate and it's going to be cleaned anyway so it doesn't really matter too much. Oh well.
How did you straighten the seconds pivot? Did I miss that?
Good job on a stuck watch, pity about the scratches.
No, I tried off camera but its too small plus I didnt want to break it. I did straighten the hand but forgot to mention that in the video.
Have you considered a set of plastic tweezers? I find them very helpful.
You got it running that in itself is an achievement
Loved that video 👏just a quick question sometimes when using my ultrasonic cleaner some parts turn black in colour keyless works ect.. what am I doing wrong? I use the sea lean 2 fluid . Any advice would be appreciated.
Your mixture I would think is too rich. I no longer use anything water based for parts. Sea clean just for stainless cases and bracelets. It does say if anything is plated it will react
@@MyRetroWatches Thank you Mike that’s very helpful. I did weaken the solution but still messed up some of the parts which was so annoying especially on a lovely clean seiko movement. Which solutions do you use?
@@MagWatchTime well I have a cleaning machine so specific fluids for that from L&R but they are quite expensive
Michael--I have a Bulova 11AC a friend gave me to take a look at. It was his (deceased father's) watch. I would love to get it running for him. Do you service a 11AC or rough equivalent I might follow?
No. I only have Accutron and one other Bulova on the channel.
I have one of these watches, found it at an antique shop. Had a ladies bracelet on it. The bracelet was from the uk, so I assume the watch was issued there as well. Or maybe left after it was used. I was able to get it running well but can’t find a proper gasket for it. Any ideas on a source?
No idea on gasket, there is one on the crystal on mine so I just measured it and found one to fit. Caseback mine is okay but again just measure the inner diameter and work from that
Nice work mate. The sole service looks like it was previously done by a monkey. So many scratches. The result has come out well considering the age, the condition, and the original state of having so much seized up. You've done well mate. Thank you for the effort of recording another cracking video.
Just got a movement missing the balance spring and entire section relating to holding it. First time trying to get parts together to fix one 🤞🤞
MaMaCoo watches are great and affordable！
was wondering about the main spring and barrel disassembly and reassembly which you seem to have skipped showing
I dont often show it because its not that interesting and does take some time and on an hour long video I have to decide what is kept in. A mainspring is unwound from the barrel by hand, I would need a much wider angle to show that all. I then use a spring winder to wind them back in the barrel. In this video I shown the oiling of the barrel and then pushing the spring in using the tool which is over in 2 seconds and not visually entertaining. fitting the arbour is a fiddly job that I often have to use a pin vice to do it and all you would really see is my fingers from any angle of a camera. It is why most likely 99% of other channels do not show this either.
being an unused watch i wonder if it was packed with grease to be cleaned before use, like rifles with cosmoline
This watch was probably a military surplus watch. After WWII the remaining inventory was sold off and the serial numbers and military markings were ground off.
Is your cleaner fluid contaminated with cloth fibres? On the reassembly there are tons of little fibres over everything and those are going to bind up and cause issues down the road I am thinking :S
I do mention this in the video. I am working in my garage which is also the laundry room. Seems most stuff is in the atmosphere than normal.
I spotted most and rodico it out, again a bit in the video. I do miss some because when you film a service you are no where near the movement like I would be without cameras. It does make things much more challenging
Could you add a link for the pin polisher please?
you need a cousins account. www.cousinsuk.com/search?searchTerm=pin%20polisher
I'm with you on not wiping out the history if it is at all possible. I understand people restoring to as good as new, it's just not for me.
I dont think this one would suit it. There is so much "patina!" it needs to be kept its the charm of the piece.
Interesting how had an old oil turned into a glue
Puoi usare un po' di liquido sbloccante, piuttosto che forzare la ruota bloccata.
Un grande restauro per un orologio meraviglioso 👍🙂
I want to put a drop of oil down in there to loosen it up while you’re working on other stuff for that canon pinion
I have one from 1960. Think it's 32mm ?
Are you farming Cotton ? ;)
NO WAY🤣🤣I just got an A11👍🏻
If the watch did not go to war, she sure battled with you not wanting to give its parts away from the movement 😅
It gave me a battle thats for sure, equally it looks like it went through both wars visually!
먼지제거에 신경쓰셔야겠습니다. 😊
I call these unmarked ww2 watches ‘Captain Mannering’s" as the home guards would have probably used them too. Nice restoration mate.
I’m sorry but that is nonsense. This A-11 is not a marked issue watch but A11s were issued to aircrews in the USAAC/USAAF, Ord. (Ordnace dept.) watches were issued to ground troops. I have seen both without markings on The case back.
Nice work, though "The lady doth protest too much, methinks".
Yeah at 40 c, they won't shrink ;)
haha
705 thumbs uP
''THEY''
They served & defended those lives They did not live,
For They in Their day were They
Normally I do not REPLY to myself. But when I do - it is for damn good reason.
From '71 --- '74 I chose to dodge the draft having had a lottery number of 52; by spending those 3 years occupying a slot of one of those WW2 ''THEY''
~ U.S, Paratrooper Sgt, William 'Rock' Gilpin 82nd Abn Div.1/504...
half a century ago.