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Tim, if price is not a concern, you can go on the Bergeon/horotec site and outfit yourself nicely for about 60k 😆
For the rest of us, there’s my Canadian brother…. Uncle Larry’s watch shop, he supplies many vintage tools of good quality at a fair price.. I’m in no way related to Larry’s only that he’s a fellow Canuck and I owe him the life of my first three grand kids
Of course there’s eBay but it might be cheaper going the Bergeron route these days, plus you have to fight with 40 other bidders.. Apart from yourself, there appears to be several thousand other new watch buyers on the prowl, so eBay is becoming amazon and not an auction house 😆
Thanks Chris,
Maybe I should reword that a little? Hahaha, I went on the Bergeron site, and you really are spot-on – that stuff is EXPENSIVE. I’ll be asking Uncle Larry if I can come on as a “nephew.”
Awesome advice!Best,
Tim
😆 Yes sir, the words… second & mortgage come to mind when you go to the Bergeon site, or the Horotec page, although the latter does have a lovely 7 piece screwdriver set for $1200
Larry is one of the good guys & a member of this forum, although he’ll probably cringe and feel like I’m shamelessly plugging his site, well I am, because I’ve always had a good experience..
Hey Tim, nice work on the list, looks like you been bitten by the bug for sure
…..The balance holder you refer to is a “balance tack”, I would also keep and eye out for let down tools, a good case knife (a quality case knife makes all the difference in my opinion) and maybe even a rubber case opener, they come in handy…..There will be tons of other specialty tools for the future of repairing…things like a staking set, jeweling tools, possibly a lathe and so on BUT you have a pretty good handle on getting started and these other things can be picked up as you find the need for them. You do not necessarily need a mechanical cleaning machine at first, get the solution and you can clean by hand and take your time looking for a GOOD machine if you want one. The first one I bought became a rebuild project and cost me alot more than I wanted to spend at the time. The mainsprings can also be bought as you go too, be careful of old stock mainsprings as they can be rusty or broken……another option could be to borrow all your brothers tools and forget to give them back for 3-4 years, then ask him for a fully outfitted Lorch K-D 50 for Christmas 😆 WilliamThanks William!
I knew I forgot something
I’ll add the letdown tool(s) to the list for Uncle Larry.All good info William. I am sensitive to most chemicals (think hyper-smelling nose and headaches!), so I think I do need to look at that mechanical cleaner. What I would say about your situation is that – almost everything – seems like a rebuild project in your shop! Haha I think you got thE OTHER bug…like the rebuild bug or something along those lines
I quite like your approach; after all, many things just need a little boost (think dryer heating element), and then they’re fine! I actually picked up a dryer on the side of the road and brought it home back in the 90’s. I had that thing running perfectly in a matter of hours, after a run or two to the parts store. The exterior of that thing was like brand new!One question I do have is, do you buy all your tools and supplies (like mainsprings) locally, or do you need to have everything shipped? Just curious because Hawaii is so remote, there are a lot of things that we either can’t get, or are a hassle/cost too much in shipping.
I like you’re idea…I’m coming over there Joe!
Tim
Hey Tim, like William said, good list, but I would also eliminate a couple of items that I PERSONALLY find no reason to use, and these are my own reasons which others may not agree with, but we all have our own ways..
I would say adios to the sawdust, this comes from WAAAY back when they used to use cyanide and all kinds of nasty stuff for cleaning, and possibly before mass electricity connections 😆 These days we have small low temp tiny ovens or, like I use, the hairdrier I no longer need for hair, it dries parts in a minute after blowing them with your blower
Not sure what you mean by a mainspring holder/pusher? But if you’re buying a winder, that will push them in whilst holding them in place.
The jewel pushers….. I use pegwood pushers that I round out to fit various sizes. The jewel pushers you purchase are either metal or brass and can/do crack jewels if you’re not careful.. If you have a staking set, there are enough stakes to use as pushers if need be.
A cannon pinion puller is also a good idea, until you become proficient with tweezers 😆
A MUST HAVE is a staking set, you will need one, it’s the staple of the watch repairer. You will be faced with many broken staffs, you’ll have to use the stake to change them. May as well get it now, you will be using it..
Also a roller removing tool, preferably one that works with the staking set. The clamp type make me nervous as you could use too much force and snap the staff, some roller tables are on super tight.
You will also be faced with broken/cracked jewels, so some form of jeweling device. Most of the old pocket watches have rub-in jewels, so you will need to pick up a tool for this purpose.
If you’re going for screwdrivers, spend the extra cash and buy the Bergeon set.
As for loupes… I use the 3x 5 and 10. get a good set as the cheapies tend to distort.
A balance tack…. Try to get accustomed to removing the balance cock and wheel separately, it’s a lot safer, IMHO, than allowing the wheel to dangle on the hairspring while trying to remove the arm, especially on 16s where the wheel can and does get caught under the gear. I never use my tack because I don’t let the weight of the wheel, roller table and staff, pull at the spring, just my thing 😮
Bernie – Great advice! How much did your Clock US cost? Your system looks to be very well thought out – and a better option for me starting out.
Tom – Thank you, and it’s my pleasure meeting you!
Thanks for all the good stuff there, William. Uncle Larry is checking on those books for me.
Chris, as always – as ever – the walking watch encyclopedia
Great info, will use all…Thanks again, guys. I really, really appreciate all of your good help.
Best,
Tim
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