Pocket Watch Hands/Second Hand Sweeps

[maitai11]

Hi Fellas,

I have several watches that need one or both hands, as well as the second hand sweep. Here’s what I want to do:

Rather than do it by onesies and twosies, I’d instead like to buy a lot- you know, the card with several hands woven into it to keep them safe and displayed. I probably won’t buy a lot all thrown into a jar, but I would really like to get a card with a couple dozen hands on it. But, here’s my real question – will ALL size 16 hands fit ANY size 16 watch, or is it MODEL OR BRAND-SPECIFIC???

Now, I would probably get the correct original hands for a Bunn Special or the like, but for the others, what I’m most concerned about is that they’re straight, all one color, and looking good. I’d also like to know if painting hands with black spray enamel is a possibility…that would be a good fix where hands are present and straight. I just don’t know if there are better paints or techniques to make the hands a nice, shiny, A-1 fix for the watches I service.

Merry Christmas, guys, here’s a watch I just picked up today, for the beauty of the movement. Here it is:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-ILLINOIS-STERLING-17J-OPEN-FACE-POCKET-WATCH-PARTS-OR-REPAIR-NOT-RUNNING-/261706027856?autorefresh=true&nma=true&si=kR7eFDtJ1Ihq9XovM1MnNkwqQcM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557Best,

Tim

[randy]

There are many size variations on them.
Some will fit more than one “maker”, but others won’t. At times, you can trim the tip so that it fits into a smaller subdial, and you can also open or close the hole a bit, to get a proper friction it.
For P/W’s, I think that if you want to simplify this,..maybe only work on one or two makers to start, and then buy the cards that you see for that maker and movement size.
You will also see Bestfit cases on Ebay, that have hands for many sizes/makers. They are a bit more expensive at times, but you have a selection available when you need it.

As for painting the hands,..you can do this, but you have to work out the method for yourself. Tiny hands wouldn’t take much paint, so controlling it could be a problem. You’ll have to experiment. I polish and heat blue mine,..but I’ve also toyed with the idea of using a gun bluing solution such as Brownell’s Oxpho-blue.
Just play with some old hands to see what effects you get and like ???

Best,

Randy

[maitai11]

Thanks Randy!

Those are some very good jumping-off points, thanks so much for all that good information.

Best,

Tim

[randy]

Your welcome !!

[chris mabbott]

Yep to what Randy said, or, I second that emotion

First you get good, then you get fast, or so I’m told. I wanted to learn how to repair original hands as I like to keep watch parts together. I have a gene that shudders when/if I have to replace a part, in my mind, this watch is now NOT original. That’s kinda daft, but it’s my thing.

I practiced on some real nasty rusted hands that I got in a bulk buy, I tried various techniques until I found one that suited me, ah, sweet gratification, once I had the polishing part down, then I practiced the re-bluing, again, through trial and error..
I will say though that you can very easily melt the tips off hands, you can also vaporize a second hand, easy. POOF, where’d it go 😳
For bluing hands, I use brass filings which seem to give a nice deep blue finish as the majority of the heat is spread evenly over the filings before entering the hand at work..
As Randy states… Watch some techniques on metube, read about it in the books you have, then go carefully and have fun..

[Author]

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