IN modern world It is not necessary to wear a watch on your wrist, you can find out the time by looking at it mobile phone. However, to maintain a certain image and status wrist watch Worn as an indispensable accessory by both men and women. Some people prefer modern electronic gadgets, others stick to the classic version. Sooner or later the need to clean the mechanism arises. To do this, you need to know how to disassemble a wristwatch yourself if you don’t want to go to a specialist.
Where to start disassembling a mechanical watch?
First you need to prepare a tool: tweezers, a special screwdriver, a thin knife, a small stick, lubricant and a cotton swab. The initial stage in the question of how to disassemble a mechanical wristwatch is as follows:
- Removing the case back cover. It is done by prying it up with a sharp knife, turning it until it comes out of the fixing grooves using tweezers, or simply unscrewing it along the thread (depending on the design).
- Before removing the mechanism, you should lower the mainspring by moving the locking pawl to its extreme position using the winding handle. The mechanism is held with tweezers.
- Then the winding shaft is disconnected. To do this, it is set to the pointer mode, after which the screw of the adjustment lever is loosened.
- Now you can get the mechanism.
- By inserting the shaft into it, check the degree of freedom of rotation of the wheel, the reliability of the fastening of the spiral and the drum.
Final stage
Now you need to start dismantling the dial and hands. Using tweezers, disconnect the second and minute hands. The dial is removed along with the hour indicator, after which the pointer mechanism, the clutch of the gears and the correct fixation of the levers are checked.
We learned how to disassemble a wristwatch. It must be remembered that important point is to disconnect the bridge and balance unit. It is necessary to carefully unscrew the spiral column screw a couple of turns, separate the balance assembly from the bridge base, making sure that it does not hang on the edge of the spiral.
Next, the anchor is removed and all its wheels are disconnected. An inspection is carried out for the clutch and position of teeth, gears, and wheels. The drum is also disconnected and the condition of the winding spring mechanism is examined.
Disassembling a quartz watch
To know how to disassemble a quartz wristwatch, you need to remember that they are divided into several types:
- Analog models that have a pointer mechanism, but are powered by a battery.
- Electronic variations with digital display of readings, powered by a small battery.
- Combination version with self-winding, combining quartz and mechanics.
In any case, the initial steps are the same. First you need to remove the cover. It can be of three types:
- On the thread. It is unscrewed counterclockwise with tweezers or a special device used by watchmakers.
- Slamming option. It has a special groove and protrusion, which can be opened by prying it with a sharp object.
- Screw fastening. Can be removed using a suitable screwdriver.
Having dealt with the cover, you should carefully replace the battery and close the case in the reverse order.
What do you need to know?
In order to know how to disassemble a wristwatch, you need to study the layout of all elements and parts. This is especially true for mechanical devices. Schematic illustration internal filling shown in the next photo.
Decoding the scheme
Below is a breakdown of the numbers indicated in the diagram by position.
1 - balance | 9 - fork anchor mechanism | 17 - anchor wheel | 23 - intermediate wheel | 29 - drum roller | 35 - winding circle | 41 - its spring | 47 - hour hand |
2 - pair roller | 10 - anchor fork axis | 18 - through stone | 24 - his tribe | 30 - sword-shaped overlay | 36 - his tribe | 42 - transfer wheels | 48 - minute indicator |
3 - balance axis | 11/12 - entry/exit flight | 25 - central wheel | 31 - drum wheel | 37 - roller for winding watches | 43 - similar | 49 - minute hand trib |
|
4, 5, 6 - overhead, through and impulse stone | 13 - spiral | 20 second wheel | 26 - his tribe | 32 - locking pawl | 38 - transfer lever | 44 - bill wheel | |
14 - spiral block | 21 - his tribe | 27 - drum | 33 - clamp spring | 39 - its spring | 45 - his tribe | ||
8 - restriction pins | 15, 16 - control thermometer pins | 22 - second hand | 28 - winding spring scroll | 34 - cam type coupling | 40 - winding lever | 46 - hour wheel |
Peculiarities
Disassembling any type of wristwatch has three stages:
- Preparing tools.
- Opening the lid.
- Working on the internal mechanism.
How to disassemble a wristwatch with a battery? This question is relevant for most consumers. This type of work is one of the most elementary. The determining factor here is the determination of the type of lid fixation. Then you just need to carefully replace the power element and repeat the procedure in reverse order. Naturally, it is necessary to use a standard or suitable battery.
The most difficult thing to deal with is a mechanical device, since there are many different screws, springs and miniature parts. You should generally not penetrate inside an electronic mechanism yourself if you do not have the appropriate knowledge and experience.
Conclusion
If you know how to disassemble a self-winding wristwatch, and the operation was successful, you should properly clean and lubricate the elements (applies to mechanics). To do this, the parts are washed in clean gasoline poured into a small container. The octane number in it should not exceed 20. Larger parts are cleaned first, then miniature elements.
After this, they should be blown with a weak stream of air, holding them suspended with tweezers. The watch is assembled in reverse order. It can be noted that disassembling such a complex mechanism will require attention and painstakingness. Nevertheless, it is absolutely possible to carry out the procedure yourself.
Of course, you shouldn’t take risks if the watch is very expensive and you have no experience in servicing it. In this case, you must entrust the accessory to an experienced watchmaker. Simple cleaning won't cost much. And if you need to replace a certain part, it will be even better to contact a specialist.
Disassembly is carried out in the following sequence:
Remove the back cover of the case (it’s most convenient to pry it off with a knife; some covers can be unscrewed). As a rule, faults such as a broken spring, broken or bent wheels, or loose screws are immediately visible.
If upon a quick inspection everything looks intact, you should remove the mechanism from the case. To do this, you first need to lower the mainspring; This is done like this: the winding crown is moved to the extreme position (winding moment) and held with tweezers, while the crown is carefully rotated with your fingers. Then the winding shaft is removed. To do this, you need to set it to the arrow position and loosen the screw of the adjustment lever. Then the mechanism is removed from the case and the winding shaft is put back into place. In some models, the watch case is designed in such a way that the mechanism can be pulled out without removing the winding shaft.
Use tweezers to check the rotation of the central wheel (if it moves freely and does not come into contact with surrounding parts). Also check the drum, spiral, and balance for contact.
Remove the hands, release and remove the dial. First remove the second hand, then the minute hand (it’s most convenient to use tweezers). Then remove the dial with the hour wheel and hour hand. Check the condition of his legs. Inspect the pointer mechanism, check the bill and hour wheels, check the grip of the pointer mechanism wheels (to do this, rotate them in forward and reverse directions). Check that the transfer and winding levers are locked correctly.
Remove the balance bridge with the balance unit from the platinum. Unscrew the spiral column screw 1.5-2 turns and separate the balance unit from the bridge. After removing the balance from the mechanism, do not let it hang at the end of the spiral.
Remove the anchor bridge and the anchor itself (the mainspring must be completely deflated).
Remove the center, intermediate, second and escape wheels. Check their position on the axle and the grip between each wheel and its corresponding gear, and inspect the teeth.
Remove the drum from the platinum, open it and check the condition of the mainspring.
Cleaning
You can wash the parts of the clock mechanism in gasoline (preferably in transparent glass vessel). The gasoline level should not exceed 2 cm. First, wash larger parts, for example, plate and axles, then wheels and other small parts. Parts are cleaned with a brush, heavily soiled grooves are cleaned with a pointed stick. The washed parts are blown with a stream of air from a rubber bulb. Cleaned parts should only be handled with tweezers.
Assembly
The watch is assembled in reverse order.
Among possible reasons Wristwatches may stop due to various types of contamination, moisture or mechanical damage. Our tips on how to disassemble a wristwatch will help you get your watches working again.
To begin with, you will need special watch tools. They are sold in specialized stores; keep in mind that you will need them more than once. If there are none, we take what is at hand - sharp knife, several screwdrivers different sizes, sewing needle, tweezers. All parts are stored only on white saucers or Petri dishes. After cleaning, you will reassemble them in reverse order. If you want to disassemble a wristwatch for the first time, we recommend that you first practice several times on cheap watches or old non-working watches.
How to disassemble a mechanical watch :
1. First, open the back cover of the watch case, for this we use a sharp knife. In more expensive models, the lid has a thread and needs to be twisted. This is where tweezers come in handy.
2. Next, lower the winding spring while the mechanism is still in the housing. To do this, move the crown back to the extreme position using tweezers, hold it lightly, and rotate the crown with your fingers.
3. Disconnect the winding shaft. To begin with, set the arrows to the transfer mode, do not forget to loosen the screw of the transfer lever. We take out the clock mechanism and insert the winding shaft back.
4. Using a screwdriver, remove the hands and clock dial. And if removing the minute hand is as easy as shelling pears, then you will have to tinker with the hour and second hands, here we will need tweezers.
5. In order to correctly disconnect the balance bridge and the balance itself, it is better to read the instructions for your watch or additional literature. Don't forget that the size of the screwdriver must match the size of the screw. After separating the balance unit, you need to lower the mainspring and remove the anchor and anchor bridge. These are very fragile and delicate parts. They must be handled very carefully.
6. The next step is to disconnect the wheels from the clock mechanism. Don't forget to pay attention to the teeth, position and traction of the wheels and related gears. Then we disconnect the drum, open it and check the condition of the mainspring.
7. After you have completely disassembled the watch, you need to wipe and lubricate the parts with a special lubricant or, in extreme cases, gasoline. If there is a lot of dirt, remove it with a sewing needle.
How to disassemble mechanical and quartz watches?
Disassembling a watch is an inevitable step when carrying out or cleaning. Dismantling of watches is carried out using special devices: screwdrivers (including clock screws), tweezers, clamps and a microscope (disassembling wristwatches, which are small in size compared to wall and floor watches).
If you don't have necessary equipment and tools, you can use homemade devices, such as surgical clamps, sewing needles and an improvised table for fixing the disassembled case. Of course, this method of disassembling a watch is only applicable once or a few times.
If you plan to disassemble, clean, repair and adjust your watch regularly, then you need to purchase a full-fledged watch set. A precision tool is only needed to disassemble a wristwatch. Wall-mounted and floor-mounted devices are much easier to disassemble, because the elements in it are much larger.
How to disassemble a watch?
To disassemble a wristwatch, you need to pry off the flat with a knife. Instead of a flat, there may be a protrusion, or the lid will be screwed, or even a bayonet mount, which is retracted to a small angle, after which it opens.
Therefore, there can be a great variety of answers to the question of how to disassemble a wristwatch, depending on the type of construction. In an open mechanism, while it is still in the case, the mainspring is released. The factory head is pulled out.
To store the removed parts, two flat saucers, or Petri dishes, are needed. All manipulations are performed with the help of tools (you simply can’t do it with your hands), so you need to ask yourself not so much how to disassemble a mechanical watch, but rather how to do it.
Before disassembling, be sure to read the instructions and the diagram of your watch mechanism. If it exists, of course. For many antique and antique watch those have no longer survived - this will seriously complicate matters.
If you plan to disassemble your watch for the first time in your life, choose a simpler and cheaper device. Maybe even a non-working old watch that belongs in a landfill. They will be an ideal device for experiments, a kind of testing ground.
When you remove the cover, you will see the mechanism, the main parts of which are the balance, wheel system, mainspring and ratchet. First, the mainspring is released, then the mechanism is removed. It can be removed backwards or forwards. In the second case, it is necessary to remove the glass and remove the arrows.
Then comes the turn of the balance and the factory spring block, and the point transfer unit is disassembled. Here you need to be especially careful, because... the spring easily flies away in an unknown direction. It will be extremely difficult to detect later.
How to disassemble a quartz watch?
Quartz watches are disassembled in the same way as mechanical watches, with the only difference being that their design is not at all similar, and the analogy disappears exactly the moment the lid is unscrewed.
Therefore, many amateurs are faced with a problem when, in theory, they know well how to disassemble a quartz watch, but in practice everything turns out to be too unusual. When disassembling a quartz watch, it is necessary to take into account the presence of a battery, generator and microchip.
When disassembling a mechanical watch, you need to be prepared to see dust, dirt, and rust. The lubricant may also dry out even if the watch is completely sealed. Moisture gets in here. In quartz watches, the generator (if there is a strong impact) or the microchip (if it overheats) fails.
So, we've completed the first part. We got a little tools. The places where the instrument grows have been explored. We have prepared a workplace for ourselves. And in general - while we were doing all this - we had a good walk through the air and got to know the hot spots and surroundings better. The first part involved quite a lot of movement and attentiveness when hiking - you had to SEARCH. What to look for - FSE! Everything is interesting and, to our still untrained eye, something that can be useful to us and unusual. Somewhat reminiscent of plushness. What is the result:
Tool. Which? First screwdrivers, then tweezers. These include a binocular magnifying glass, brushes, Petri dishes and needles. We got some oil. Yes, at least for sewing machines. Well there is no other. We believe that we have nothing more. NO. All. We make do with this primitive set. But without it, you shouldn’t start.
We collected carcasses of hours.
Different. Old ones. Wrist. We just collected mechanisms for spare parts.
They took indiscriminately, everything that was cheaper than the cost of half a pack of cheap cigarettes. This is their price. Half a pack of Belomor or Prima. Trolleybus fare. They shouldn't cost more. Regardless of the condition - intact or broken. There are only two criteria. The first one is mandatory - not rusty. The second is desirable - that they be assembled (all parts are in place) - regardless of integrity. Trash. Let's sort. What do we have?
Women's wrists.
- Star. Old ones. Barrel-shaped mechanism caliber 18 mm. Allegedly, in prehistoric times the French brought it to us and assembled the LIP plant. So these are all French.
- Zarya- Penza Watch Factory
-Gull- standard small mechanisms, quite old, but durable
- Glory- newer mechanisms
Many other names. All Soviet. USSR. Apparently the state cared about the working class - it produced watches. So that they are not late for work. Maybe.
Men's wristwatch.
- Victory. Moscow. Lighthouse. Many watches were produced under these names. We're not talking about watches. About mechanisms.
There are basically 2 types of mechanisms.
- “high” mechanism - for example 1MChZ - “Moscow”. Central seconds hand. Most watches were assembled at its base, including the famous “Sports”. They stopped when the crown was pulled out. Ersatz stopwatch. Older type of mechanism. We don’t name the technical caliber - there’s no point. It is still impossible to order parts for the caliber.
- “low” mechanism - more modern. Side seconds hand.
In both the first and second cases, different factories produced a bunch of modifications of mechanisms - with improvements, simplifications, rationalizations. Suggestions. There were also a bunch of types of exterior decoration. Satisfied the discerning consumer.
In addition, there is a complete rainbow of other watch movements:
Slava - 2 types of mechanisms, self-winding and non-self-winding. It was indicated somewhere on the Internet that it was a prototype of LIP-T-15. The French again.
Complicated watch
With alarm clock
Chronometer
For the blind
Our task is to learn how to disassemble and assemble. Then everyone will go their own way. One will only disassemble. Another will collect 50% and then - as they get bored or peacefully throw it in the trash (usually habits - vodka-dancing will overpower), others - out of anger that it doesn’t work out - hit the anvil with a hammer. Still others will calmly take it apart again, put it aside for a couple of days and try again. This is a normal form of behavior for such an unusual hobby - precision mechanics.
Let's start with a simpler direction - men's wristwatches. They are larger than women's ones. You can see them better without a microscope. An example is “low” Victory. For us it is the simplest. “High” is more difficult for the first time. The clock circuit is basically identical for all single-platinum watches. Therefore, you just need to understand and remember a few simple circuits. For the first training, just sketch what we are analyzing.
Frame:
Back cover.
There are several types of back covers. The only difference is in the manner of closing.
Slamming. A distinctive feature is that usually, upon careful examination, you can find a flat into which the knife is driven in order to open it with strong pressure. In modern electronic consumer goods, a similar lid is very often practiced, but with grooves, as if for unscrewing - a good joke. If you don’t know, then at least shoot yourself - you won’t be able to unscrew it.
A flat in the glass ring. This is not a cover.
More modern solution- protrusion in the lid.
And the knife just drives in here
Screw, with a screw ring or with a thread on the lid itself.
Or so - edges are visible along the edge of the lid.
We unscrew the first option either with the largest tailor's scissors (they are tougher) or with the sharpened jaws of an old caliper. At flea markets, keys like this can often be found lying around in debris.
A branded key (purchased in the most ordinary store for modellers - models of steam locomotives, cars, etc. in Germany) looks like this.
A rather rare option in Soviet watches is a bayonet mount. It turns at a small angle and opens.
Bayonet lock on the lid
So, the clock was opened. What we see is dirt.
Lots of dirt. We immediately say that we will not deal with rusty watches. There's no chance. Nothing can be done - everything must be changed. Install a new one or sharpen a new one. It's too early for us.
Main parts of the mechanism
I - balance.
II - Wheel system
III - mainspring (maybe two - in Slava)
IV - ratchet - there can also be several types.
What we do first - while the mechanism is in the case - lower the mainspring. If the head is preserved in the carcass and can be turned (it is worn down to the base), we try to turn it slightly towards the factory and look at the ratchet. It should turn slightly and slip a couple of teeth. This is what we need - we use a needle to support it in the retracted state and, without jerking, let the crown turn and release the spring, slightly releasing the crown between the fingers.
Immediately place at least 2 Petri dishes in front of you. Or white plates or dishes with a smooth, flat bottom. Diameter 15-20 cm. I use Petri dishes. They are easier to cover during breaks.
We take out the crown. To do this, you need to press the latch with a needle.
We take the mechanism out of the case. Sometimes this is done towards the back cover. In our case it is the other way around. The ring with glass is removed and the mechanism is pulled out to the side of the dial.
We remove the arrows
A minute in general is simple - even with a screwdriver
Hours and seconds are already a bit of an adventure. Tool - a piece was torn out of the relay (there was some kind of electric relay - the material on the contact groups is exactly what we need - hard and thin. Folded it - and there is the tool we need)
Unscrew the balance. The size (caliber) of the screwdriver must match the size of the screw.
The screw was unscrewed and how can this whole assembly be lifted? - and it usually has special grooves into which you can insert a screwdriver and separate the balance plate from the base.
We take the balance like this.
We gradually put everything into Petri dishes.
Unscrew the screws of the mainspring block. There is one trick in the watch - if the screw has many grooves, it means it has a left-hand thread.
Under the dial there is an assembly of hand wheels (I) and an assembly for winding and moving the crown from the winding position to the position for moving the hands (II) (scientifically called a remontoire). Let's sort it out.
We are filming a minute trib. This is the only unit in the watch where force is required. Pull hard enough. If we missed it, we'll repeat it. It always comes off with effort. The main thing is not to be afraid.
When disassembling the pointer shift assembly (repair), pay special attention to the spring.
It has a nasty property - it clicks and flies away in an unknown direction. There is a simple trick against this - we cover (press) it all lightly with just a finger and carefully “snap” it out from under the finger with a needle.
We put everything in a Petri dish
Now the longest and neatest part. Washing.
We take a shallow bowl. We pour gasoline there. And wash it. Brush and toothpicks. To shine. So that no dirt remains.
For small mechanisms - a squirrel brush. Harder. For large mechanisms - alarm clocks, pocket watches - you can try soft art brushes for oil paints.
Dry: first put it on a paper napkin after the gasoline. I usually take a piece of heavy cardboard and place a piece of paper towel on it. So that it does not jump and jump. Select napkins and towels according to the criterion - the less lint, the better.
Let the gasoline soak in. Let's just put it there. Then we take the parts with tweezers and blow air from a rubber bulb (enema) to blow gasoline out of the holes. And so, in sequence, all the elements of the clock that lie in a Petri dish or on an improvised “drying rack”. Knot by node. What we mean is this: if you unscrew the platinum and with it - 3 screws - put them together. We consider “this is our node.” So as not to confuse screws and parts. We put them in the same places in the Petri dish. Or better yet, into a clean cup. The old one will then be washed and wiped. This is if we don’t expect to collect it quickly. Or we collect it “from the sheet” - from a napkin. But this is subject to a certain experience, skill and speed of work. Balance. While we don’t have much experience, we don’t analyze it. So we push the platinum-spiral-balance block into a bath of gasoline and simply rinse it in gasoline for a long time. Clearly this is wrong. Everything needs to be taken apart, etc. - WE DO NOT HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE YET. We'll gut it for 5-10 hours, and then we'll look at the balance. How he understands it. Read books. And do it according to wise books (if it is described in detail there).
A note about the mainspring. We don't do anything. Just wipe the outside with a napkin. Clean the teeth with a brush. We're not doing anything else for now. We'll have fun with disassembly, lubrication, assembly and spring replacement next time. No experience yet. It's difficult.
And now more intellectual work - to assemble the resulting puzzle
Everything is done in the following order:
Mainspring
Wheel system. Let's have a little fun too. We placed the gears in the lower stones. They covered it with the platinum, and then we need to move the upper platinum in all directions with tweezers until the upper axes of the gears hit the stones. A little tedious, but doable. Sometimes you can try to help the process with a thin needle to move the gears that you can reach. The basic rule is NO VIOLENCE. Everything should be done without any effort. Everything by itself “clicks” into place over time and the plate noticeably “falls” down. A clock mechanism is a rather thin thing, the forces are very small, the loss of forces during operation is also very small, accordingly, it cannot be assembled on tight fits - THEY CANNOT BE BY DEFINITION. If the top platinum does not sit in place, the gear is not seated in the stones. Or while we were moving all this, it jumped out of the lower stone. We repeat once again - THERE CANNOT BE EFFORT! A criterion for correct assembly may be the following: slightly turn the mainspring drum. ONLY SLIGHTLY - all gears should start to turn. This is all - almost effortlessly on the winding drum.
Putting the anchor plug in place
Let's put the balance in place.
Lubricate the stones from above - from the side of the back cover. To do this, we use homemade oil dosage.
We turn the mechanism over and lubricate all the stones on the dial side. Assembling the crown mechanism.
Spring. Another adventure. We press it all with a wide screwdriver. We thread the needle into place. Springs are probably the most disgusting thing in all this work. They're galloping. And we will suffer with them a) until we train our hands and b) until we collect carcasses of watches from which we will drag spare parts without a twinge of conscience.
They put it in place. We're not breathing. What if he jumps out?
Assembling the arrow wheels. We firmly press the minute tube onto the gear axis. How? Yes, whatever comes to hand is approximately suitable. That's how we filmed it and we'll put it on. We resist. You will have to press the trib hard until it clicks.
Lubricate. What is there to lubricate - if you have assembled this puzzle - figured it out - then you will also have to think about lubrication and lubricate it yourself. The basic rule is to lubricate only with oil dosage and to a minimum. All rubbing parts are lubricated. Platinum must be dry. That's why it's a recess in the stones - so that the oil doesn't spread beyond it. We do not lubricate the stones of the anchor fork. It's too early. A microscope is needed.
We set the dial.
We put the mechanism into the housing.
Press the crown lock and put it in place. Let's start it up. Let's enjoy it. DONE!!! YOURSELF!!!
Bogdan Yasinetsky
