Watchmaking and model builders

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Floki
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by Floki »

For me it's not watches but clocks, my grandpa was a journeyman and repaired clocks on the side. I got around a dozen clocks that belonged to him. Would love to have a grandfather clock one day.
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midnightprowler
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by midnightprowler »

I'm a clock lover as well. Get it from my mom. When she passed she must have had a couple dozen in her little apartment.
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Tojo72
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by Tojo72 »

Well,I have one watch that the IBEW gave me when I retired,it sits in my drawer,I have never worn watches or any kind of jewelry except my wedding ring.They don't hold any interest or fascination for me,and now with phones,I really don't need one.
That's just me.
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Dragline
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by Dragline »

tempestjohnny wrote:For years I couldn't wear a watch. Batteries would last a few days and die. I actually mentioned it to my doctor. He said some people just have a different electric field about them that does that. :hmm: I kept buying watches and have them die. Finally I found one that didn't. Lasted about 20 years but finally could no longer get wristbands for it. Now I'm back to using my phone as my watch
Of course the answer to your issue was simple. Buy a mechanical watch and batteries are not included or required. I don't own a Quartz watch and that is due to my fascination with the mechanical nature that watches started out as. They still make mechanical watches of course, but the Quartz crisis of the 70's wreaked havok on the watch industry as a whole. Many makers went under due to the cheap availability of the newly minted Quartz watch and it's incredible accuracy. However, if you want to flex and show off wealth. nothing says "I got dough" like a gold or platinum mechanical watch on your wrist. Even stainless steel watches can cost 5 or 6 figures without breaking a sweat. Then of course there is the recent sale of Paul Newman"s Rolex Daytona for 17.8 million dollars. Not that a Rolex Daytona need cost that much, but when you are owned and worn by one of the coolest film and race car legends in the world. Well... you get the idea.

I own watches by a few of the bigger known and oldest makers and I'm glad I bought them when I did. Some have gone up in value many times since purchase. A couple have gone up almost 15 fold if you can believe that. Mechanical watches from the top brands [and micro brands] are currently in a renaissance of sorts. Big prices are being paid for certain new watches well over retail. I never played that game as I am not financially able to. But there are some who overpay for the status. We are inches from finalizing the sale of the house and I may buy myself a new watch to commemorate it. But it will not be an overpriced hyped up model from one of the big names. I may end up getting a moderately priced vintage piece to add to the collection.
Now that we know that.... What have we learned?...
Heavens Eagle
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by Heavens Eagle »

Hello John Eaton and Tojo72 as I recognize you from Modelers Alliance. Thanks to Duke Maddog (Mark) for linking me over and helping to get a membership set up.

This is actually the perfect topic to introduce myself, as I AM a watchmaker. I received 2 years of training back in the late 80's and another year of refresher in 2002. Before and in between I was a draftsman and then designed and built prototype circuit boards for a small electronics company. I started building models back when I was 7 years old and continued until my divorce in 1991. There was about 20 years where I didn't build much. I collected kits and tools, but just didn't build anything. About 2010 I started getting back into the hobby. At that point I had been a working watchmaker for about 8 years. For me watchmaking is what I do for a living. Model building is my hobby. Many skills swap across between the two disciplines. Other more specific skills accentuate the opposite disciplines. Model building and the skills from that have helped to repair dials in watches that cannot be replaced. Watchmaking skills give me a lot more tools and abilities to do things in my model builds.

Here is one example from a current build of the ZM 1/32 Horton.

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In this group of images I took the instruments part from the Yuhu panel and cut the plastic kit panel front from the back. Then built a new panel with better looking instruments, added wiring to the back side and mounted the "mess" in the proper place and routed the wiring.

This is from watchmaker skills and tools being used to the best effect. At this point I am not too much afraid to build anything though my paint skills are not quite up to where my build skills are.

As to watches, I have a couple that I wear, but like an auto mechanic is about cars, I am about watches. I have a decent Omega SeaMaster that I have had for about 18 years. It is my main watch and I wear it about every day. Unlike most watches that come in for service though it is in excellent shape. As I wear long sleeve shirts it has a smooth shiny burnish to the surface and no major scratches or dents. Many watches come in and look like the owner has been pounding it on concrete. Badly scratched, pitted and worn. Others come in and are caked with black crud and dirt and the bracelets are worn out from the dirt acting as an abrasive. Think of a gold bracelet on a ladies watch that is caked with black crud, is worn loose on the wrist so it is constantly working the links and everything is worn loose. Then the owner thinks nothing of dropping $15k to replace it. :headbang: Yeah, I don't really get into watches much any more.

Sorry the photos are not actually showing. (will have to figure that out) If you click the image links it will show the photo in a new browser tab.
Last edited by Heavens Eagle on Fri Jan 21, 2022 10:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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BlackSheep214
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by BlackSheep214 »

Welcome! I don’t see the images at all though... :bag:
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Heavens Eagle
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by Heavens Eagle »

Every forum works different and all my photos are stored at Modelers Alliance. Click the "Image" word and you can see them. Not sure why they are not downloading. Will have to check with Mark as I know he uses his photo postings from MA.

Once I get the photo issue resolved, I can post some good informative stuff that I think you will all find useful. Again, watchmaker skills like how to handle tweezers properly and how to retip them.
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LyleW
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by LyleW »

Glad to have you! Your first assignment is to bring snacks.
To make each build less crappy than the last one. Or, put another way, "Better than the last one, not as good as the next one!"..
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BlackSheep214
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by BlackSheep214 »

And don’t ask Lyle if he knows any Pirate jokes..... :bored: :giggles:
“Who controls the skies, controls the fate of this Earth”

Author unknown- 352nd Fighter Group, Blue-Nosed Bastards of Bodney

“Send one plane it’s a sortie; send two planes it’s a flight; send four planes it’s a test of airpower. - Richard Kohn
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LyleW
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Re: Watchmaking and model builders

Post by LyleW »

BlackSheep214 wrote:And don’t ask Lyle if he knows any Pirate jokes..... :bored: :giggles:
Hey!
To make each build less crappy than the last one. Or, put another way, "Better than the last one, not as good as the next one!"..
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