I am writing 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 intended at 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 sees 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. Mending mechanical and automated watches are covered in numerous places and books (i found out from this book 'Practical Watch Fixing' by Donald de Carle which is an old book but great) 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 the bulk 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 simple reason that 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 centuries 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 become qualified mechanical watch maker (horologist), while you can quickly expand your organization into fixing quartz watches with this online guide.
In this guide I assume you can open a watch back, change a bracelet and use basic tools properly. If not, then this guide may not be for you (if I get time in the future I will make a newbies direct too).
OBVIOUSLY you can't just begin turning screws ... there are a number of things you will require to do (and get) in preparation. You will have far better results, and a far more pleasurable experience if you take the time, effort, and cost to get the majority of the products listed below BEFORE beginning. Bear in mind that these are just the bare basics ... a major repair work individual has hundreds of other specialized tools ... however we'll save that for another conversation. The bottom line is that preparation and having the best devices is crucial to success of any repair task!.
Workspacerkspace with a clean, flat surface area. For a novice a kitchen table will do simply fine, however as you become more severe you may desire to consider a watchbench made specifically for fixing watches and a good fluorescent light which is easier on the eyes. A watchbench has actually small integrated in drawers for all of the tools and parts you make sure to collect gradually.
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 repairmen will put cork or linoleum on the surface area. These soft materials stop parts from bouncing away, and aren't hard adequate to damage anything dropped on them. Some benches even have a slide out "parts catcher" that presses versus the tummy when sitting. Mine is a wood frame with a loose piece of canvas added to the bottom. When a part is dropped and goes "over the edge", this fantastic contraption captures it!
Most novices will (as mentioned above) start at a kitchen table. A great tip 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 primary advantage for doing this is if you drop among the parts, it won't bounce away and end up being lost. I suggest white due to the fact that tiny screws (and so on) are easy to find. Find more info This practice will also conserve your table from scratches, and protect your watch from the tables difficult surface. To keep it from moving, you might want to think about taping it down with masking tape also.
Screw-driver set
You WILL require a good set of watchmakers screwdrivers. This is a MUST. The sets discovered at the outlet store for dealing with eyeglasses and so on will cause more difficulty than they deserve. They are not precision made and you will quickly damage or strip the extremely polished screws discovered in most watches. The eager eye of a serious watch collector will choose this up right away; it interferes with the appearance of the watch thus lowering value of your watch. Find and buy a set of watchmakers screwdrivers. Even a novices set will be better than anything you can find at the dollar-store.
The correct way to hold it (Right Listed Below) is to grip the screwdriver shaft 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 in between your thumb and middle finger; turning the screw.