Finally, a definitive, common sense, and valuable lesson on the watchmaker student's most significant fear, all in one place! Thanks, Alex. Well done as usual.

Hi Alex, I'm new to watchmaking as a retirement hobby (about six months in), and find your lessons so valuable. I can't thank you enough... Here's a little story about my first experience installing an Incabloc spring. Hope it makes you smile! ...that Incabloc spring though! Oh my, I was about to voluntarily launch the little devil it into orbit myself just to get even with it! On reassembly, It had sproinged out of its hinge mount. Luckily it didn't go too far. My tweezer work became profoundly ungraceful and the little rascal kept sproinging away as I tried to re-seat it. Last time it tried to escape, it lodged itself in the movement, jammed between the pallet fork and escape wheel. Grumble... Disassemble... Once recovered, the Incabloc spring got a week-long time-out for bad behaviour in my parts tray. During that time, I enjoyed some Scotch, finished a book I was reading, watched some watch assembly videos, and read everything I could find about Incabloc springs. I finally got the frisky little spring back where it belonged after we had a little time apart. Shortly thereafter, I had a running movement. Yay!

Great tips on this very fiddly work. Thank you Alex for the great work you are doing. One of the little tricks I use is to remove shock springs submerged in cleaning fluid. Less likely to ping, and when they do, the fluid keeps it from joining the swiss space program.

Thanks for the tips on these shock springs Alex, they can be quite impossible at times. And the Polident for dials is absolutely genius !!! Thank you

Just the lesson I needed to build up a little confidence. Thank you Alex for the great lesson.

A timely video! Having lost both diafix springs from the barrel and train bridge of my first scrap 7s26 practice movement, I will definitely be making this pegwood notch tool. Dealing with the shock jewels has been a challenge. Have another homemade tool to deal with diafix: a hairspring tapered pin stuck into pegwood. This is small enough to insert into the other side of the diafix setting. Oil placed on the pivot hole will then flow down the pin onto the cap jewel as the pin is inserted. Skills have been improving as I practice on the Diafix and Diashock. A few scrap bridges and mainplates to provide replacement springs and cap jewels if one is lost has been very useful.

Thank you once again!!! Already waiting for the next video. Best from Rio-Brazil!

Thanks for this video. Today I was force to make one of them tools for the small Kif springs. On the larger ones I never have much problems using just a pair of tweezer to remover and install but that small one there was no joy. Took about 15 min to shape the ped wood and get the spring installed .

Thank you for all the tips... the last one with the seiko shock absorber worked amazing woth the stick.. I was having so much trouble getting the jewel spring back in and was ready to give up until i saw this video.. That was so good .

After setting up a good workspace and acquiring various tools, binging your videos finally gave me the last bit of confidence I needed to put everything into action. I spent some time with an ST3620 (Chinese 6498 clone) movement that had arrived in non-working order, and unfortunately in the course of practicing with it I lost _both_ (!!) Kif shock springs. So that movement is now for practice and spare parts, and that's fine. Today I spent some time with another Seagull 6498 clone (ST3621) which uses Incabloc style shock settings, and sadly I managed to lose one of the end stones from that as well! It wasn't launched at high velocity from my tweezers, but nonetheless it is _gone_ 😆. I was annoyed with myself, but I decided to try one of the end stones from the ST3620 (that had Kif springs), and it seemed to fit and work just fine on the ST3621's Incabloc setting. After lubricating the end stones, the escape wheel teeth (probably not enough yet), escape wheel pivots and other gear train pivots, the performance of the movement is completely transformed. It was "working" before but very hard to regulate because the amplitude would nose dive to about 160-170 deg. in the dial up position. Now I find the amplitude is about 240 deg. in dial up & down positions, and the rate is quite consistent between these two positions. It's nice to have a win after losing some parts! I think it's best to shrug off the early failures & just keep practicing. One rule I've made: I don't like to handle shock springs with tweezers _unless_ they are somehow secured. Often it seems best to reach for the Rodico. That's wonderful stuff. A few questions! 1. Would you expect the end stones from the ST3621 (with Kif settings) to work on the ST3620 (with Incabloc style settings) since these are both Seagull clones of the 6498? I'm glad the part seems to be interchangeable. 2. Is there a way I could stock up on shock setting springs and end stones of the movements I'm spending the most time with (currently Chinese 6497/6498 clones)? Determining exactly what parts I'm looking for seems like a bigger obstacle than actually sourcing them. There's also a set of 3 tools for Kif springs that I've added to my next order from Cousins. I'll do better with those in the future! 3. Is it normal for new movements to be provided without enough lubrication? Perhaps the thought is that if the movement is fully lubricated at the factory, then sits in a warehouse for a few years before being sold, it may actually need a full service (with cleaning) when finally deployed in a watch, whereas a dry movement would still be _clean_ after sitting & therefore the cleaning step of service could be skipped. My limited experience with Seagull movements suggests the manufacturer phones in the lubrication (if they do it at all), and I wonder how it is with Seikos like 4R3x/NH3x for example and Sellitas. 4. Is there a staking set you'd recommend? There's an Indian-made set on Cousins that's tempting, but since I'm quite committed to this now I wonder if I'd be better off in the long run by spending more. I've taken your sound advice about mainspring winders, and I've decided to just get a red (clockwise) Bergeon handle + only the the red #11 winder for the 6497/6498 clones initially. I think the #11 is probably usable for the 6497-2 and 6498-2 as well, though the #12 is called for on those movements. Anyway, soon I'll be trying out my ultrasonic cleaner. It's nothing fancy, but it's a 40 Khz unit and has a heating function (no degas). Thanks again for all the detailed instruction, so clearly presented. 👍

Thanks again for another great and very instructional video Alex

Many thanks. Another master class explained methodically and with simple tips to follow to minimize the "jumping" hazard of working with shock springs...

There are many top watchmakers, but Alex is the best when it comes to teaching. Extremely useful. Thank you.

Our Lord and Savior has blessed us with another great video. Thanks for making this. I requested this video a while ago.

I love your straight forward no nonsense instruction techniques. I have watched many… far to many watch repair videos, but you not only explain the how but the why. Thank you so much

Thank you for your lesson. I'm just a hobbyist getting started, I chose a hamilton 770 for my first service. Dame what a mistake that was. My ignorance has cost me bucks, I had that hair spring looking like a bird nest. It is working now after a donor movement. Thank I will try a 747 I like hamilton. I've been getting a lot from you lessons and I know it takes a lot of time. So think you . Billy

Thank you! I have yet to attempt removing any type of shock spring. This was an easy to watch and learn tutorial. I feel confident now attempting this task. Thanks again!

I had to come back and watch this again. You make it look so easy! Just did a single slot KIF and that quite possibly could qualify as one of the most stressful things I've had to do! Had to stop, take a break and go back at it. Finally got it tho. Thanks bro.

Thank you Alex, that is the best explanation I have ever see so keep the videos coming please.

Once again great video, Alex. Thank you for taking the time to put all this together for us. Please keep it up. Looking forward to the next video =)

Awesome bonus tip. So brilliant. I just binge your videos. It's all brilliant and so motivating and encouraging for us novices. Thank you so much for your work and dedication.

Another informative vid Alex. I too struggle with the rectangular diashock springs used by Seiko on the 7S26 movements and others. Just a complete PIA. Nice to see how to make a simple install tool out of peg wood. Got to give that a try. One thing I have found useful on the vintage Seiko diashock kif style springs with single cutout is to note the spring has a flat surface side and a rounded surface side. I believe installing the spring with the rounded surface side facing up allows for an easier install of this style spring. Hope you plan to do a segment on diaafix setting and proper lubrication and installation of those springs. Always a challenge even with an automatic oiler.

Hi Alex thank you for your informative video I have a helpful tip for anyone who misplaces a cap jewel. Ruby Jewels fluoresce under UV light. I have a small UV torch which I got from a hardware store. If a capstone goes astray I turn down the lights and use the UV to track it down.

Thanks for another great lesson Alex!

Thank you Alex for another great video. And tricks on re installing an Incobloc spring that pops out. Took me about an hour to re install one that popped out.

Ha, just lost the jewel of a Seiko Diashock, my practice movement, trying to reinstall the clamp without that tool with the cutout. In retrospect it makes sense that you need something like that. Thanks for your series that is showing the "less than optimal" path, also.

Thank you for another great video.

Great tips and excellent information

ive been waiting for this one alex. Great video!

Alex. Just to keep you updated. I know I'm a bore, but I am getting a good sense of achievement. Just fitted my first KIF Single Cut Out spring. No 'ping'. Won't inform on the next ones. As you said. Practice, practice, and more practice." The things you do on a Sunday", my bride has just said to me. Ah well.

Thanks Alex, just made my kif tool for an ETA 2824-2 and it worked perfect.👍

Your tip (from a previous video) about Hexane has been invaluable. Have been practicing removing the 7s26 balance from the cock and some simple hairspring manipulation (trying to correct terminal curve). Realized there was some contamination on the spring as some outer coils stuck to one another. A brief soak in Hexane solved that problem. Will be using that to clean balance springs and pallet forks.

Just used your tip for fashioning peg wood to install a kif spring - worked a treat 🙌… great videos. Have learnt a lot, especially from the bonus tips. 👍

Beautiful Seiko SNZH, classic never goes out of style

this information is worth a lot of money! thank you for sharing .

Alex. I did it. I DID IT. Woohoo! Sorry, did not mean to shout. Well actually I did. I removed a jewel from an incabloc in an ETA2789. Opened as per your system. Removed the jewel from the chatone, washed and oiled. Put it back together. Did it a second time. Gosh what a feeling. Thank you.

As usual, another fantastic tutorial here. These shock springs can really turn a simple job into a total pain in the ass, and like with many things, it's due to the tools being used. These homemade shock spring tools will make the job much easier, thank you so much for sharing them!

Very valuable lesson. Thanks a million.

Abso flipping brilliant. Guess what I have been trying to do all last week. You are a jewel.

Thank you again, Alex, for another great video! I learn from each of these - and much from this one as well. Your tutorials have transformed my watch repair skills, as I’ve been applying the things I’ve learned to each new challenge. And they’ve made a big difference in the quality of the watch performance, in terms of amplitude and regulation. Sometimes I have to re-clean the balance cap jewels a few times before I get the perfect circle of oil, but the performance in the end is worth all the effort. You are the master!

Thank for not only this one but all your comprehensive and well made videos, you have a subscriber here. I do have one question- If one were to say break or lose (asking for a friend), an Incabloc spring…is there a knack to insert a new one? This may be how the second went missing. Asking for a friend ofcourse. Thanks again brother, great stuff!

Alex, eres un genio. Sometimes I have spent more than two hours looking for a spring, they seem to have a life of their own. I even lost it once and for all and on the steering wheel bridge I did have it but for the bottom part, since I couldn't get it and I was really angry, I had an idea...I know it's crazy but it worked...I put a piece of pressurized rodico . It works perfectly although my idea is to put a spring in it when I can find one. I will put your teachings into practice. Thanks Alex.

This video is pure gold

Thanks for the informative video. A few years ago I bought a pack of five movements on ebay, NOS in a little tray. They were cal. FE 233-60 handwind, never been used, but very old and the lubricants were all gummed up. I bought them to practice on, and for that they served the purpose. They had those 3 notch KIF chatons. After much struggling, I finally had the idea of drilling the end of a pegwood or toothpick and using it to depress and rotate all 3 tabs into their notches at the same time. It worked but I always wondered what a pro would do. Nice to see that I wasn't so far off with my solution after all. Keep up the great work Alex.

Thank you, I am new to this and was panicking about the Seiko Diashok

Great tips here!I am just getting into watchmaking and these tips and instructions are invaluable. I was beginning to think I was going to have to buy a tool(s) for every one-off need.

Οne of the best advanced lessons. Τhank you very much dear.

Thanks Akex! Great video. I wish I saw this before I lost my incabloc spring 😞

Excellent tutorial Alex. I've read about using pegwood tools but to see it in action makes all of the difference. I am busy servicing an AS 1686 which doesn't have the standard Incabloc and is more similar to the Diashock but is probably a Kienzle three legged spring. The pegwood tool will be essential to refit this as growing an extra arm is not an option.

I wish I had this video last week. Haha Thank you though! I will now know

😉Thank you to my Patrons. As an added benefit all new videos will be available on Patreon, ad free. Enjoy and thanks again. Aaron Levine bill doog Chris Fish. Gregory Corna Heath Payne John Boyarsky Khronosbest Marcel Gustafson Mike G Mike Maltese Paul Schumacker Ray Everett Steve Stroschein Timothy Chaney Vincent Tiger

Thank you !

THANKS,,,,Good video

Thanks

Polident - Brilliant!

Good stuff! I’ve luck using a very pointy peg to move and position springs… maybe it’s more forgiving than metal.. either way I need to make those peg wood tools!! Thank you for posting!

Great video as always Alex! I'm a Seiko guy so I've only deal with Diashocks, both 3 pins and the newest 2 pins. I've never had a problem with them but I find the newest much more difficult to put back in place. What I still don't dare to remove are the Diafix. Those are too small and not having an automatic oiler I wouldn't be able to properly oil them. I just try to oil them thru the jewel hole. I know it's not a good idea, but I don't feel comfortable handling them.

Many thanks for taking the time to show us the way to be better watchmakers! I hope you may find interesting to make a video explaining how to install back the incabloc spring. Do you take the complete incabloc systems out, both lower and upper, to reinstall the springs? Thanks

Very well explained, Sir. I would like to know if we can get spare incabloc shock springs if the one in the watch is damaged. Then how to fix the shock spring itself?

Your videos have been absolutely awesome and a great alternative to traditional learning materials. Thank you for sharing your tips and experience with us. Also, on the topic of shock springs, do you have any tips for reinstalling a dislodged Incabloc spring (one that has come out of the jewel hinge)?

More fantastic content Alex! I spent all of yesterday trying to adjust beat error for the first time. I didn’t suceed🙁I even bent a pivot and a spring😒. I’ve got it Mack to about where I started! Can you do a video on this? The most difficult part I found was not knowing how far to turn the sprint stud. What ever I did didn’t equate to the change on the timer graph. Also I took the balance apart, I didn’t trust doing it with the balance complete. Anything you can do to help to show me would be fantastic! Ta.

Enjoyed the video. Quick question for you. Can the spring itself be replaced on an incobloc? I have a 2824-2 mainplate that has only a single spring end. The other one is broken off. I have seen replacement springs on Cousins but can't find anywhere about replacing them. In essence the mainplate is pretty much useless in that the jewel will not stay in place correctly with only one arm holding it in. Thanks in advance.

Gracias por compartir amigo. Un saludo desde España.

Another good video. Now I have even more confidence to crack my first movement. A single jewel Endura Time A7 circa 1976 with an inoperable day wheel and tight main spring. It will only take 1 or two rotations of the crown. I can't see a stem release pin. Stem removal trouble shooting video please. I have another watch that the crown is loose on the stem.

Great Video! My only question is what do you use as a amateur watchmaker to see the jewel springs? I am not sure if I want to invest in a $700 microscope. Are there any alternatives you recommended?

Hi Alex. New watchmaking hobbyist here. Watching you make the pegwood tool, I had a thought: Could you just use a suitably sized watch hand pressing tool to manipulate the jewel setting spring? Also, instead of a sewing needle, could an oiler be used or are they too flexible? My oilers are actually in the mail at the moment, so I haven't even handled one yet. Thanks for all the great videos. You are very good at explaining things clearly and concisely. Cheers! - Ben

That is a fantastic trick for the Diashock, but I want to know how many takes did it take for you to get the two ends started? I struggled for over an hour and could not do it with the pegwood tool. I finally just used my tweezers to do it, not that was any easier... I just got lucky that one end went in and the other I was able to wiggle in as well... I want to learn these diashock springs as I don't know how to oil the balance wheel any other way than to take both springs out. Someone mentioned that you can clean these (have to take them out), but oil them with the stones and springs in place. That sounds fine for the bottom one, but the one where the balance staff is attached to the hairspring, I can't see how you would do this without messing up the hairspring. I know I need an automatic oilier to do this, but I would still think the oilier needle would touch one of the hairsprings. Maybe tomorrow I will try this again and oil the end stone (I have yet to be able to get the other half on it nicely and I always have a hard time trying to find the smooth side vs the curved side.... need to get a microscope 😀)

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Hi Alex,Clining the Dial in ultrasaund or alcohol is not good ?

GREAT LESSON!!! THANKS. ( WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE A COMPLETE , TUTORIAL ' HOW TO SERVICE THE COMPLETE BALANCE WHEEL, & HOW TO FIX THEM ' MY NH35 DOESN'T COME ALIVE BUT I DON'T SEE ANY DAMAGE ON IT ; SUCH BEND, OR KINK . 🙏 THANKS A LOT, ( YOUR VIDEOS ARE VERY CLEAR, AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND )👍.

Hi Alex, so the three piece KIF spring tool set is no good to use? I've been looking at a set but don't want to buy them if they are all show and no action, so to speak, Thanks, Steph (your apprentice!).

So I had to share a tip to your other viewers-I was making another 3 notch pegwood KIF tool but I don't have the Horotec kit. I do however have Dremel countersink bits that work the same and are only 5 bucks a piece.

Hi Alex, here's a question about procedure when working on shock springs based on my experience. I'm not brand new to this but only been doing it for three years. The first time I worked on a Novidiac spring I had no problem removing and replacing the lower balance jewel and spring. Then I flipped the movement over and replaced the balance and quickly launched the top jewel spring into outer space. I immediately realized what I was doing wrong; I was trying to remove the spring when it was "loaded" under tension. Thereafter, I remove the balance then remove the lower spring and jewels and set them aside, I replace the balance, clean and replace the top jewels, again remove the balance and then replace the cleaned lower jewels and spring. Then finally replace the balance again. This sounds like a lot of double work but it is much easier to work on springs when they are not under tension. I think this would apply to any type of shock system, even the lyre type Incabloc which I think would be less likely to jump the jewel block if not under tension. I never see the "pros" do this in any video, the balance is always swinging when they do the upper jewel. Do you agree with this? Is there any drawback from doing this? Sure, the jewel hole aligns better if the balance is in place but I would think that if it isn't the jewel would self align in the jewel block...any comment?

Takes a couple of minutes to meassure it and make that tool - and the 3 edged KIF is installed at 1st Attempt :) And best Thing: All i needed was at Hand, so no waiting till new Tools from China would arrive next month or so.

6:30 thanks for showing this, but I have a question/problem. My incabloc spring fell out of the balance bridge, how, hell if I know, but I cannot for the life of me get it back in the slot. Do you have any videos or tips for getting the spring back in the slot?

can you tell us a little back story? how long you have you been working on time pieces?

How do I replace a broken incablock spring?

I used your solution for the Seiko DiaShock spring and it work great. Had no idea how to do this prior. I also found this video that does something similar so I tried it as well with success. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ZsyDp7CiqL6deI0.html I made my tool by taking a round toothpick and measured down the length until it was 1.8mm in diameter which I measured as the inner diameter of the spring assembly where the jewels sits. I cut it at this point and used a nail file to smooth the end so it was flat. Then I used an Xacto knife to hollow out the inner diameter of the toothpick to 1.2mm (the diameter of the jewel) by twirling the knife around the center of the end. Sanded the end of the toothpick with a nail file and put a little bevel on it. From there, I did what the KZfaq video showed. Both methods work. The DiaShock is a real bear! Thanks for all your videos!

My wife is after your blood Alex, i stole one of her machine needles lol. simple but effective cheers...

Update cleaner watch

if a spring or jewel disappears, always check your arm hair before crawling around the floor.

After this I hope there will not be flying springs and stones any more. :)

Don't even try to learn to set the bridge train diashocks in seikos with tweezers. I swear it's f'ing impossible. I see people do it and i have no idea how they do it. i see them get the end of their tweezers in the tiny microscopic rim inbetween the cap jewl and the retaining ring of the spring while simultaneously having their tweezers go through the very corner of the the spring. Even with dumont number 3 and 5's sharpened to the finest needle point imaginable the points still cannot get in that space without pushing aside the cap jewel and trying to fold down the other side of the spring just shoots the jewel out the side. I finally broke down and fashioned a tool out of a thin plastic knitting needle so it doesnt' shed or deform and i just do it that way. While it's impressive af skill to be able to set those with tweezers i can't for the life of me even conceive of how people actually do it. EDIT: Wow that diashock tool is brilliant. I've only seen people use the one you used for the 3 pointed spring which is what i use. I'm making one of those tonight. That is brilliant.

Brest vidéo again Alex. Diafix are scary. Tackled my first four on a alors Marvel and managed to not loose anything, but that’s the kind of stuff that separates children from men 😄