I am composing this online guide to pass on the 20+ years of experience, fixing watches, to others who want to discover the art of watch repairing. It is completely complimentary for anybody to use although it is focused on the battery fitter, jeweller or amateur watch repairer who has a percentage previous experience and would like to begin fixing watches. I am restricting my guide to Quartz watches just as this is a subject that is not covered well elsewhere and yet they are most of watches you will be asked to repair. Repairing mechanical and automated watches are covered in numerous places and books (i learnt from this book 'Practical Watch Fixing' by Donald de Carle which is an old book but very excellent) but to repair and repair these takes a lot more experience. This is why when repairing mechanical watches you can charge more money for fixing one of these than you can charge for mending most of quartz watches.
In spite of this, there is decent cash to be made repairing quartz watches and it is easier to find out too as there is less variation. The easy reason why repairing a quartz watch is easier is they have actually not altered much in the last 30 years while mechanical watches have actually been around for hundreds of years while the first Quartz Watch was produced in 1969.
To be an Excellent Watch Repairer you need experience so it is a lifetimes finding out to end up being proficient mechanical watch maker (horologist), while you can rapidly broaden your service into repairing quartz watches with this online guide.
In this guide I presume you can open a watch back, adjust a bracelet and use standard tools correctly. If not, then this guide might not be for you (if I get time in the future I will make a novices guide too).
OBVIOUSLY you can't simply start turning screws ... there are a variety of things you will require to do (and get) in preparation. You will have much better outcomes, and a a lot more enjoyable experience if you put in the time, effort, and expense to get the majority of the items listed below BEFORE beginning. Keep in mind that these are simply the bare fundamentals ... a serious repair work person has numerous other specialized tools ... but we'll conserve that for another discussion. The bottom line is that preparation and having the right devices is vital Have a peek at this website to success of any repair work job!.
Workspacerkspace with a tidy, flat surface. For a beginner a kitchen area table will do just great, but as you end up being more major you might desire to consider a watchbench made specifically for repairing watches and an excellent fluorescent lamp which is much easier on the eyes. A watchbench has little integrated in drawers for all of the tools and parts you are sure to build up over time.
The design is high, with a surface that (when sitting) is close to the face so the repair work person does not have to depression over when working. Some technicians will put cork or linoleum on the surface. These soft products stop parts from bouncing away, and aren't hard enough to harm anything dropped on them. Some benches even have a slide out "parts catcher" that presses against the stomach when sitting. Mine is a wood frame with a loose piece of canvas tacked to the bottom. When a part is dropped and goes "over the edge", this dazzling contraption captures it!
Many newbies will (as mentioned above) start at a kitchen table. An excellent suggestion for operating at a table is to lay down a great piece of white fabric (like a plain white pillowcase or cheesecloth) to do your deal with. The main benefit for doing this is if you drop one of the parts, it will not bounce away and become lost. I recommend white because small screws (etc.) are simple to find. This practice will also conserve your table from scratches, and safeguard your watch from the tables tough surface area. To keep it from shifting, you may wish to think about taping it down with masking tape as well.
Screw-driver set
You WILL require a good set of watchmakers screwdrivers. This is a MUST. The sets discovered at the department store for dealing with eyeglasses etc. will trigger more difficulty than they deserve. They are not precision made and you will quickly damage or remove the highly refined screws discovered in many watches. The eager eye of a serious watch collector will pick this up right away; it detracts from the appearance of the watch thus minimizing worth of your watch. Find and purchase a set of watchmakers screwdrivers. Even a beginners set will be better than anything you can find at the dollar-store.
The appropriate method to hold it (Right Below) is to grip the screwdriver shaft in between the thumb and middle finger, with the index finger on the cupped end (which turns). Press down on the top of the screwdriver and swivel it between your thumb and middle finger; turning the screw.