A reasonable advice embossed on the dust protection of this French LIP R25 (likely manufactured in Besançon, France, Circa 1956) !
Aware of that situation, my first motivation was to just to manage the bracelet and straps and to open a watch to enjoy the movement scenery, check the exact caliber origins if referenced, may be to regulate it.
Bracelet, leather bands, buckles, deployants, etc
Manipulations of the bracelet/band and springbars does not really require special tools, though it could be not so straightforward sometime especially in case of old or corroded spring bars that could be blocked. Special cares should be also considered to avoid the risk of scratches on the case or the lugs. The best is always to compress the spring bars on and off from the back side.
A mounted pin and little fork to compress the spring bars off the lugs. I prefer the smooth screw driver blade of my Victorinox Minichamp knife to compress them in the lugs (always from the back side)
Opening the watch case
The caseback of a watch can be just clapsed, screwed, or counter screwed with a ring on diving watches. Sometime it is also possible to access to the dial by removing the crystal (clapsed lunette, or left of the crystal with a special tool).
For the clasped back, it safer to have a convinient tools. A normal knife blade will be damaged and will damage the case too. I delayed to buy a watchmaker knife, believing that it was just an accessory. This is indeed the most efficient and safe. It works easily once you have identied the small chamfrein to make a lever.
A Russian Chronograph of the Strela series (movement derived from the Swiss Venus 150 by the First Moscow Watch Factory (1-MChZ) that will become later "Poljot") that equipped elite officers and cosmonauts in the 60's.
There are other system more or less efficient as this impressive tools functionning through a lateral shock ideally given by a firm wood harmer. Its works too but the shock it still impressing me.
For the screwed and counter screwed case back, a special tool is recquired as well as a resistant case holder.
This tool has interchangeable tips of different shape that fit to the most common caseback. It should severely scratch the watch and I preffer of protected it with piece of food transparent film before setting the tool to the proper size and unscrewing.
The diver watches are the most well closed of course. They even could require a special equipment to open them. Here is the opening of a Russian Vostok Amphibia (200 m) with renforced caseback, counter screwed for maximum pressure excerted on a large joint.
Once opened, it is recommended to protect the movement from the dust if the movement should be left opened for a long time. A glass or plastic bell is perfect for this. Dust, greases or finger prints can be gently removed using a piece of "Rodico", a sort of plastic blue-green paste that absorbs the durts like by miracle.
Observing the watch running
What a scenery to admire is the motion of the balance wheel and the escapment of a mechanical watch!
In watchmaking two loups are recommended: a general one (x3.5 to 4) luminous (large opening) with enough field to work comfortably. For some instances, you may need a controlling loup x12 for the observation a tiny details like the bottom of a hole, the condition of a jewel, a pivot, etc. This one is not adpated for working on the caliber with the brucelle of the screwdrivers.
The caliber of a 1-MChz Sportivnie with 17 jewels and hacking system. A similar caliber equipped the watch worn by Yuri Gagarin (a Sturmanskie) during his historical space flight on on April 12, 1961 (see another post of this blog below)
3 watches of the same circa 1956 : from left to right a lip R25, a Russian Podeba 2-MChz 15 jewels and the Sportivnie 1-MChZ "Spartakiad, Moscow 1956".
For the screwed and counter screwed case back, a special tool is recquired as well as a resistant case holder.
This tool has interchangeable tips of different shape that fit to the most common caseback. It should severely scratch the watch and I preffer of protected it with piece of food transparent film before setting the tool to the proper size and unscrewing.
The diver watches are the most well closed of course. They even could require a special equipment to open them. Here is the opening of a Russian Vostok Amphibia (200 m) with renforced caseback, counter screwed for maximum pressure excerted on a large joint.
Once opened, it is recommended to protect the movement from the dust if the movement should be left opened for a long time. A glass or plastic bell is perfect for this. Dust, greases or finger prints can be gently removed using a piece of "Rodico", a sort of plastic blue-green paste that absorbs the durts like by miracle.
Observing the watch running
What a scenery to admire is the motion of the balance wheel and the escapment of a mechanical watch!
In watchmaking two loups are recommended: a general one (x3.5 to 4) luminous (large opening) with enough field to work comfortably. For some instances, you may need a controlling loup x12 for the observation a tiny details like the bottom of a hole, the condition of a jewel, a pivot, etc. This one is not adpated for working on the caliber with the brucelle of the screwdrivers.
The caliber of a 1-MChz Sportivnie with 17 jewels and hacking system. A similar caliber equipped the watch worn by Yuri Gagarin (a Sturmanskie) during his historical space flight on on April 12, 1961 (see another post of this blog below)
This are the very initial steps but once here, it's already too late. There is a irresistible passion developping to learn more...
The next seps will the uncasing of the caliber and its complete disassembly.
The next seps will the uncasing of the caliber and its complete disassembly.
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