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Timefactors Speedbird II PRS-7 Service (ETA 2824-2)

Anthony sent me this lovely Speedbird II PRS-7 watch for a service. The Speedbird II  was manufactured by Timefactors, a British company owned by Eddie Platts who launched the Speedbird II back in 2002. Only 300 pieces were produced, in either black or ivory dial. The production of this watch follows the success of the original Speedbird PRS-1, a design of military influence, in the style of watches issued to pilots of the British Overseas Airways Corporation in the 1950s. It is easy to see why the Speedbird was a success as the watch feels very well built, and looks very smart indeed.

Speedbird II PRS-7

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Omega 2165 Calibre 26.5 Repair & Service

Willy gave me this watch for a repair and service. It is powered by the Omega Calibre 26.5, and was produced during WW2, somewhere between 1939 and 1944 according to its serial number. The watch belongs to his father in law, and will be a present for Willy’s son’s 40th birthday.

The brief was to keep the watch as original as possible, which is like music to my ears. Although this watch could be restored to near new condition, it has aged rather beautifully and it would be a shame to lose its character.

The watch came as a non runner.Omega-2165-service

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New equipment in the workshop (Quartz testing)

I predominantly work on mechanical watches, but having completed my Quartz watch training with the British Horological Institute I thought it would make sense to add servicing of analogue Quartz wristwatches to my portfolio, as there are some really interesting higher end Quartz watches out there.

I recently invested in an essential piece of testing equipment for working on Quartz watches. Although you can theoretically service a watch without it, you would be working blind when it comes to troubleshooting and checking the health of the movement.

Horotec-Flashtest

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Silver Pocket Watch Chronograph

Oliver sent me this lovely pocket watch for a service. It is in a silver case, and has a chronograph complication, with a centre seconds chrono hand and 30 minute register. There is also a seconds subdial at 6 o’clock.

The case and movement have a matching serial number, so it is nice to know that the movement is original to the watch.

After studying the hallmarks on the silver case, I was able to identify the marks of the London assay office used in 1913-1914, so the watch would have been produced around that time. The “sponsors mark” belongs to George Stockwell, who was an importer of cases and watches during that era. Service-Pocket-Chronograph

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CWC W10 Military Watch ETA 2750 – Repair and Service

Here is another British military watch on the blog, this time it is a CWC W10. I recently wrote about the “modern” CWC GS Automatic in this link .

The watch I am featuring today was the original issued watch which inspired the above. It was issued to the British troops from 1976 onwards. This particular watch was issued in 1980, which happens to be the last year of production for this model.

The watch is powered by the manual wind ETA 2750 movement, and has the optional hacking feature. This was required under the specification of the Ministry Of Defence. It is easy to understand the benefit of a hacking function: allowing the troops to synchronise their watches is fundamental for carrying out coordinated actions in the field.

CWC W10 Before After

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Omega Speedmaster 175.0032.1 “Reduced” Calibre 3220 (Dubois Depraz) – Service & Repair

Today I am featuring this Speedmaster 1750032.1. It is the little cousin of the Speedmaster professional “Moonwatch”.  It is similar in appearance, but slightly smaller at 39mm in diameter, which earned it its nickname “reduced”. It is however functionally very different, being an automatic watch rather than a manual wind: it is powered by Omega’s calibre 3220, which is based on an ETA 2892 ebauche with a Dubois Depraz Chronograph module.

The watch came in a very sorry condition, missing its stem and a pusher. I was expecting a replacement of the missing parts and a straightforward service. It turned out to be a very challenging project indeed.

Omega Speedmaster Repair

 

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Sandoz “Submariner” ETA 2836-2 Service

Today I am featuring this Sandoz Submariner divers watch on the blog. The design of this model was clearly influenced by the iconic Rolex Submariner.

The watch is powered by an ETA 2836-2. This movement is part of the same family as the 2824-2 which I have featured several times on the blog . The difference being the Day / Date complication (the 2824-2 is just a date complication).

SANDOZ ETA 2836-2 Submariner Service

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Rado Jubile Battery Replacement, and Why….

Rado Jubile Battery Replacement, and  why battery replacements matter… Or rather how they are executed matters. This is especially relevant on a valuable watch, whether it be from a cost or sentimental point of view, to allow the owner years of reliable service.

This Rado Jubile quartz watch required a battery replacement. This is a simple procedure, but this example is the perfect illustration of the consequences of it not being executed correctly.Rado Jubile Battery Replacement

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Seiko Kinetic 5M62-0BL0 Capacitor Replacement (With DIY instructions)

Today I decided to feature this Seiko Kinetic 5M62-0BL0. It is in need of a capacitor replacement. I will go through the various steps in a bit of detail, as some of my readers may be interested in attempting this themselves. Hopefully this narrative will be of help.

The procedure is achievable for a keen DIY-er. How far one takes it will depend on the level of skills and equipment. A simple capacitor replacement can be done with the movement in situ. However I personally choose to remove the movement to give the case a thorough clean without any risk to the movement. I also pressure test the watch after re-sealing it to ensure that the water resistance has not been compromised.

Seiko Kinetic 5M62-0BL0 Capacitor Replacement

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Longines Hydroconquest Calibre L633.5 (ETA 2824-2) Service

I have already featured several vintage Longines on the blog, so I thought I would write a post about the service of this “modern” Longines Hydroconquest. It is an Automatic Diver’s watch, powered by Longines’ calibre L633.5. As you will see, this movement is actually an ETA 2824-2.

The watch looks very smart indeed, and I am impressed by the build standard, it has a real quality feel to it. It came for a service. The crown was very stiff when winding or setting the time, so I will be investigating this as well.

Longines Hydroconquest Service Calibre L633.5

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