Bell & Ross was founded in 1994, specialising in watches designed with divers and pilots in mind. They also produce a range of vintage-style watches such as this one – a WW1 Heritage model.
Identifying the Issues: Why the Watch Needed a Service
Our client’s watch arrived working but not keeping good time. Inspection of the movement revealed the watch to be in need of a service. We identified wear to the reversing wheel and found many pivots to be running dry. Ideally, an automatic watch like this should be serviced every 3-5 years. This helps to prevent wear by ensuring oils and greases are fresh.
“Regular servicing is essential for preserving both the performance and longevity of an automatic watch.”
The movement powering this watch is an ETA calibre 2892-2. This is a very popular, good quality automatic movement found in many top brands including Omega, Corum, Longines, Baume & Mercier, and Tag Heuer. Interestingly, this watch does not have a date display; however, the movement is an unmodified version, so it still retains the date-setting position with the crown pulled out one click.
The Service Process: Disassembly, Cleaning, and Reassembly
To service and repair this watch, it is first fully disassembled and each part inspected. As previously mentioned, wear was found to the reversing wheel. This is often a point for significant wear, as it is a key component in the automatic winding mechanism. We also noted some adjustment was needed to correct the hairspring so it runs flat and true.
The disassembled movement is run through our Elma Solvex watch movement cleaning machine, while the case is cleaned in a separate ultrasonic cleaner. After cleaning, the movement is carefully reassembled and oiled with replacement parts fitted. We follow the movement manufacturer’s technical specifications for this calibre, ensuring all correct oils and greases are used.
Testing the Timekeeping and Water Resistance
Once cased up, we adjust and fine-tune the timekeeping to make sure the watch is as accurate as it can be. We always endeavour to get timekeeping as accurate as we can, and various factors can affect this, including the calibre of the movement, age, and condition of the watch.
“Precision is the heart of horology—fine adjustments can make all the difference in a watch’s accuracy.”
One of the last elements of the job is to pressure test for water resistance. This WW1 Heritage Bell & Ross is rated to 50m water-resistant. We are able to test to this depth using our Sigma watch pressure testing machine, which can safely test watches at ratings of up to 300m water-resistant. Finally, we refit the strap before the watch will go on test prior to return to our client.
Summary
This Bell & Ross WW1 Heritage watch arrived working but was not keeping good time. Upon inspection, we found wear to the reversing wheel and dry pivots, indicating it was due for a service. The watch houses an ETA 2892-2 automatic movement, a high-quality calibre used by brands such as Omega and Longines.
The service involved fully disassembling the movement, cleaning each component, and replacing worn parts. After careful reassembly and lubrication following manufacturer specifications, we fine-tuned the timekeeping for optimal accuracy. The final steps included pressure testing for water resistance and refitting the strap before returning the watch to the client.
Regular servicing every 3-5 years is crucial to maintaining an automatic watch’s longevity and precision, ensuring it continues to perform as intended.
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