Everything I Know About Watchmaking in Five Minutes

Рет қаралды 7,009

Күн бұрын

The title of this video is a lie. I actually thought I could do it in five minutes and then literally talked about myself for fifteen minutes before I even started talking about watchmaking.
That said, in this edited version I do essentially cover everything that I know relatively quickly. I think it's a good overview of what's involved in basic vintage watch restoration and maintenance from the perspective of the minimal set of inexpensive tools needed, where by "basic restoration" I mean opening, cleaning, polishing, reluming, and resealing an old wristwatch without getting into the movement. Movements may come later, as I get better at working with movements, but for now there are a lot of under $100 vintage watches out there that can be cleaned and restored without rebuilding the movement (assuming that they're working in the first place), and that's both fun to do, relatively easy, and relatively inexpensive in terms of tools.Those same skills are also useful for maintaining one's own vintage watch collection, and are also a great entry point to watchmaking to find out if you really want to go deeper and learn to restore movements or if you just want to be able to keep your own watches clean, lumed, and sealed without having to pay a professional watchmaker to do that for you.
For in-depth videos about how to do (and how NOT to do) any of this, please see my other videos. And please like, share, and subscribe. Until I have over 1000 subscribers youtube takes 100% of the ad revenue and I get nothing. My advice to viewers is any time you see any channel that you even remotely like that has less than 1000 subscribers, subscribe, because more creators making better content makes the world a better place.
If you're wondering about the strap saying "LOVE GOD" on it, I stamped that on it myself, inspired by the following:
• Steve Martin-The Love God
www.payphone-project.com/go-t...
Here's my more recent video on where to get an inexpensive geiger counter: • Do This Before You Ope...
#restoration #watchmaker #comedy #watchrepair #watchrestoration

Пікірлер: 42

@blubarb19 7 ай бұрын

That demagnetiser works by holding it on the pad, press the button and then lift it up slowly until about 10cm away all the while keeping the button depressed..

@IShootWatches 7 ай бұрын

Holy crap, that video is so old I did not know that at the time! Thanks for pointing out that I did it wrong! I should delete this video! For now I'll pin your comment so that hopefully other people will see your comment and do it correctly! In any case thanks!

@NaNByZero 2 ай бұрын

Exactly. But don’t worry. You are not the first one who did it wrong on video. 🕐⚙️🍸

@tonyclements3599 2 ай бұрын

This was a great video,very informative and easy to watch.

@TerryMurrayTalks 2 ай бұрын

Thank you for the video, some very useful learner tips given. As a 73 year old, five minutes that see like an hour are very welcome. 😉

@IShootWatches 2 ай бұрын

Thanks Terry! I just checked out your channel and subscribed because it looks like you've got some great tips on mini studio stuff! Watching your mic test now!

@eltopohd Жыл бұрын

Nice video quality! Keep doing videos like this and I’m sure you will grow fast!

@IShootWatches Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@illuminatii604 Жыл бұрын

This channel is now the real deal. That's what I'm talking about. Good shit homie. Keep up the good shit.

@IShootWatches Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@MiguelBricaBrac 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for this. Long video, but very instructive for the starting enthusiast. So many of these tools are a waste of money and to have someone explain why such tool is not worth the expense saves us with limited budget but ample desire to learn hobby. Have a great one.

@IShootWatches 9 ай бұрын

Thanks Miguel!

@JDRichard 5 ай бұрын

Good video and very informative

@IShootWatches 5 ай бұрын

Thanks JD. I'm afraid to make a similar video today because the vintage tools that I've bought since making this will no longer fit on my desk! 😂😂😂

@shipmate3577 Жыл бұрын

This is a Top 5 video on watchmaking I have seen, and I've watched a lot. I like how you go through everything and do comparisons with named brands and Chinese/cheaper versions. Can you get sick from wearing the radioactive watch... if you wear it everyday, all day for decade or more? 13:21, don't give up to ROLEX. You are better than that man.

@IShootWatches Жыл бұрын

Thanks! From what I’ve read, wearing a sealed radioactive watch is generally not dangerous. However, ingesting or inhaling the radioactive dust that may be loose inside them is not good. About Rolex, I live in Geneva where Rolex is an important company. It behaves like one of the best public benefit corporations in the world and donates billions of dollars to the local university and the city, most of which is directed at the arts. Are Rolexes overpriced? Yes. But no one forces anyone to buy a Rolex. And every Rolex sold benefits the community I live in, so I like Rolex. That said, I also have huge concerns about income and wealth disparity globally that privileges some to have the disposable income or inherited wealth to buy expensive of Rolexes while others starve. I just don’t blame Rolex for that.

@dsmmovies 2 ай бұрын

Brilliant video thanks.

@IShootWatches 2 ай бұрын

It's actually starting to get embarrassing as I've learned a lot since then but since my channel is honest I'll leave it there! That said I appreciate your comment. This video does show that one can have a lot of fun (and do a lot of damage) with a relatively minimal investment in tools. 😂😂😂

@jprichard 2 жыл бұрын

Great stuff! You remind me of me. Looking forward to more videos. Thanks!

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I hope that you're not as much of an idiot as I am because I don't respond well to competition ;)

@delfinmontoya6 2 жыл бұрын

thank you, for all you have had show us.

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

Sure! Thanks for watching. Please subscribe if you haven't already ;)

@jwoodyr1 2 жыл бұрын

To demag something with the demagnetizer you own, you're supposed to slowly move the item away from the unit while holding the button.

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment! You're right! I do remember reading that in the instructions. I should have moved it away more slowly. I believe that the demagnetizer is flipping the fields back and forth quickly, and if you move the object itself away too quickly it can end up magnetized by the last orientation of the powerful magnetic fields being created by the demagnetizer. Moving it slowly has the effect of gradually (and evenly) reducing the power so as to not leave the object in one state or another.

@jwoodyr1 2 жыл бұрын

@@IShootWatches I also remove the watch I'm wearing when I use the demagnetizer.

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

@@jwoodyr1 That sounds like a good idea as well. Thanks!

@michaelpetrik334 3 ай бұрын

Hey Dayton, can you tell me which microscope you have? Maybe post a link to it. Thanks.

@IShootWatches 3 ай бұрын

Sure, thanks for asking. The (affiliate) link is s.click.aliexpress.com/e/_Dm3HajH

@mintychris1 Жыл бұрын

Do you take the movements apart, clean, lubricate and re-assemble?

@IShootWatches Жыл бұрын

Yes, thanks for asking! In this video I did a complete restoration except the mainspring and the automatic rotor mechanism: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/o9OFjbKJntTbe58.html

@KiwiJohnno74 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, can you post a link for that Geiger counter please?

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your question! The NetIO GC10 that I use is no longer made. However, it uses an SBM-20 geiger muller tube, which is also used in the GQ GMC-300E and other geiger counters, so in theory if you find one of those it should perform similarly. Stian with Vintage Watch Services uses a GQ GMC-300E as shown in the video linked below in which he also talks about the dangers of radium and shows the protection that he uses: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hJyfg8lktdeakok.html

@KiwiJohnno74 2 жыл бұрын

@@IShootWatches Thanks for the info. I'm just getting into repairing/servicing watches, and I've brought a bunch of old russian junkers from Ebay... I probably should make sure none use radium, but it sounds like it is unlikely.

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

@@KiwiJohnno74 I suggest that you take some pictures and post them to reddit.com/r/watchrepair and reddit.com/r/watchmaking and ask for feedback to find out if anyone has a strong opinion about whether they have radium lume or not. These two forums usually yield helpful responses very quickly and it free to sign up and post if you're not already a member.

@kanius 2 жыл бұрын

What are the two boxes behind you counting up?

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

Seconds in 100ths. I made those counters to test still camera synchronization. They synchronize perfectly with each other and can count seconds in various resolutions up to 1/100,000ths of a second, i.e.: 0.00001.

@kanius 2 жыл бұрын

@@IShootWatches Thats so freaking cool.

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

@@kanius Thanks!

@Chrisamic 2 жыл бұрын

The correct tool for holding a stem is a pin vice. The Chinese ones are cheap and they do work, but they are a bit clunky. You also need to sharpen/condition your tweezers. Also lightly abrade the working surfaces of the tweezers - you'll find they will hold parts much more easily with almost no pressure (that tip I learned from Kalle Slaap, a Dutch watchmaker. Oh, and don't use your brass tweezers to remove things like canon pinions - they are soft and will bend. The presto tool actually works quite well for removing the canon pinion. For hands the levers are much more delicate and precise. The correct use of the demagnetiser someone already mentioned, however I'd also add that you shouldn't run it for more than few seconds at a time. The high current that is used in the coil will overheat the coil very quickly. There's no advantage to holding the target on there and running it for long periods.

@IShootWatches 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, thanks for all of those tips, Chris! I really appreciate them all! Kalle is great! I've been watching his videos and I recommend his videos to everyone. He's so enthusiastic. For those who don't know his channel is Chronoglide Watchmaking: kzfaq.info

@richardharris2042 Жыл бұрын

Search for pin vice to hold a stem.

@IShootWatches Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I actually have several that I use for holding tiny drill bits for detailed hand work on printed circuit boards (drilling out vias, etc), I just didn't think of using them 😀