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Category: Watch Repairs

How a quartz watch works

Posted on by David Clark

Quartz watches – watches usually powered by batteries – are very popular and we regularly see a huge variety of quartz models in our workshop. But how does a quartz watch actually work? In this blog post we’ll do our best to describe just how a quartz watch is able to transfer power from a battery through to the hands to indicate the time.

A battery (or strictly speaking, a cell), supplies the electricity needed to power a quartz watch. Electrical energy is produced by a chemical reaction between the two battery terminals and an electrolyte.

In order for a watch to work and accurately tell the time, it needs to use a ‘resonant oscillator’ – that is an oscillator which has a natural frequency of vibration. In mechanical watches or clocks this could be a pendulum (a weight acting against gravity), or a balance (a weight acting against a spring). Quartz watches use – as the name would suggest – a tiny piece of quartz. This piece of quartz is shaped like a tuning fork and when this is made to vibrate, it maintains a constant frequency.

Quartz watch movementQuartz watch movement

Thanks to the piezo-electric effect, applying a voltage to the quartz crystal will set it vibrating. This vibrating quartz crystal acts as the balance would in a mechanical watch and is responsible for the incredible accuracy of quartz watches. Indeed, a standard mechanical watch balance may vibrate at 2.5Hz, whereas a quartz crystal vibrates at a staggering 32,768Hz! This accounts, at least somewhat, for the incredible accuracy of the quartz watch.

In order for a quartz watch with a second hand to tell the time, we need an electrical pulse once per second. The watch integrated circuit is responsible for dividing down this figure to achieve the required single pulse per second.

This regular pulse per second is now used to drive a motor. The motor consists of a rotor, a stator and a coil. The motor is a permanent magnet and it is made to rotate through 180 degrees for each pulse received. Thanks to some clever design, this rotor will always turn in the same direction. That means if we attach a pinion to the top of the rotor we are able to drive a series of wheels from it.

From the rotor, the intermediate wheel is driven, the pinion of the intermediate wheel drives the second wheel (and on the pinion of this the second hand is attached). The second wheel pinion drives the third wheel. The third wheel arbor extends through to the dial side of the watch movement, and this is responsible for turning the driving wheel. The driving wheel leads to the rotation of the minute and hour hands.

 

As you can see from the brief description above, there’s actually quite a lot to a quartz watch. Do you have a quartz watch in need of repair? We are able to repair and restore almost any model and type of watch, including quartz. With our fully insured freepost watch repairs service we offer repairs to clients all around the UK. As holders of a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award and business partners of the British Horological Institute you can be confident in the service we provide.

Please Contact Us for further information regarding any requirement you may have.

Yours sincerely

David Clark DGA PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W.E. Clark & Son Limited

IWC Mark XV servicing

Posted on by David Clark

A recent restoration project for one of our clients involved fully servicing an IWC Mark XV automatic watch. These models are very desirable – great looking military style watches, with excellent quality movements.

IWC was founded in 1868 – so over 150 years ago. The company is well known for producing military/aviation style watches, just like the Mark XV.

On arrival in the workshop this watch was not working properly and failing to keep time. Inspection of the movement revealed a lot of dried-up oil and debris in the movement, so a full service and a new mainspring was required.

IWC Automatic Watch

During a full service we completely disassemble the movement, carefully inspecting each component and pre-cleaning in sections as we go. We then run the disassembled movement through our specialist watch movement cleaning machine. We also run the case through a separate ultrasonic cleaner. After cleaning, the movement is carefully reassembled and oiled, before being adjusted and tested.

The movement powering this IWC Mark XV is an IWC calibre 30110, which is based on the ETA 2892-A2 but enhanced by IWC in-house. The 2892-A2 is a good quality automatic movement, which runs at 28,800 beats per hour and has 21 jewels. These movements as standard come in various levels of finish – this IWC version is very nicely decorated and after a full service it is working very nicely indeed.

Watch Mechanical Parts

After work is complete our testing procedure involves testing the watch on an automatic watch winding machine as well as testing under manual winding only. We ensure the watch is tested across a range of positions to confirm it is working as expected and within tolerances.

As you may have guessed by now, the quoted number of jewels quite literally refers to how many of these jewels are present in the movement. Just because a watch has a higher number of jewels does not necessarily mean it’s a better movement though. A mechanical watch will have less need for additional jewels than an automatic watch, as there are fewer moving parts. There was also a historic trend whereby watch manufacturers attempted to out-do each other by adding more and more jewels to their movements, purely as a sales technique. This relied on the ignorance of the consumer and their belief that “more must be better”. As a result, we ended up with jewels in all sorts of places where they have absolutely no purpose. The 100 jewel Orient Grand Prix is a good example of this – it has jewels fitted almost everywhere!

 

Do you have a mechanical watch in need of repair? Here at WE Clark Watch Repairs we are experts in the repair of all makes and models of watch – from vintage pocket watches through to modern big name brands like Tag Heuer, Omega and Rolex. We offer a fully insured freepost watch repairs service to clients all around the UK. As holders of a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award and business partners of the British Horological Institute you can be confident in the service we provide.

 

Please Contact Us for further information regarding any requirement you may have.

Yours sincerely

David Clark DGA PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W.E. Clark & Son Limited

Omega Speedmaster Servicing

Posted on by David Clark

A recent restoration project for one of our clients involved fully servicing and repairing a great Omega Speedmaster.

Omega as a brand have a huge, interesting history – they are one of the most prominent watch companies in the world, with numerous inventions, innovations and awards to their name. Their iconic Speedmaster was launched in 1957 and was the first watch worn on the moon. These models features in their range amongst other popular models including the De Ville, Constellation and Seamaster.

The manual wind Speedmaster “Moonwatch” is very well known –  it was worn during the first US spacewalk as part of NASA‘s Gemini 4 mission. It was also the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. The Speedmaster Professional remains one of several watches qualified by NASA for spaceflight and is still the only one so qualified for EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity).

While the Speedmaster is commonly associated with space missions, these models were originally produced in the late 50s as sports watches to complement Omega’s sponsorship of the Olympic games. The name “Speedmaster” was coined due to the tachymeter scale and followed the conventions set by other model lines such as the Seamaster.

On arrival in the workshop this watch was not working properly and failing to keep time. Upon inspection of the movement there was a lot of dried up oil and debris in the movement, so a full service and a new mainspring was required. During a full service we completely disassemble the movement and run it through our specialist watch movement cleaning machine. We also run the case and bracelet through a separate ultrasonic cleaner. After cleaning, the movement is carefully reassembled and oiled, before being adjusted and tested.

Following our service, this Omega Speedmaster is working again just as it should be. It’s a superb watch.

Do you have an Omega Speedmaster in need of repair? If so, get in touch and see how we can help. We are watch repair specialists with a fully insured freepost watch repairs service.  We offer repairs to clients all around the UK and we are experts in the repair of modern and vintage watches. As holders of a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award and business partners of the British Horological Institute you can be confident in the service we provide.

Please Contact Us for further information regarding any requirement you may have.

 

Yours sincerely

 

David Clark DGA PJDip PJGemDip CertGA

Managing Director

W.E. Clark & Son Limited

Vintage Moeris Watch Servicing

Posted on by David Clark

We deal with a huge variety of watches in our workshop, ranging from modern Omega and Rolex through to vintage wrist and pocket watches. Vintage watches often need extra special care and attention, especially if the watch in question has not been regularly serviced over the years.

In this particular instance we received a vintage Moeris watch in for servicing and repair. Moeris are a quality Swiss manufacturer, with a history dating back to the late 19th century. Inspection of the movement revealed dried up oils and greases, alongside some wear around the centre wheel. A full service and mainspring, alongside work to correct the wear was required.

The movement is completely disassembled and pre-cleaned, with each part inspected. The disassembled movement is then run through our specialist watch movement cleaning machine, while the case was cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner. After an initial clean, corrective works were conducted to fix the issue with the centre wheel.

On disassembly of the barrel, the mainspring itself was found to be “set”. This is when the mainspring has, in effect, lost much of it’s spring. The upshot being a significant reduction in power. It was also an old carbon steel mainspring – these are more prone to breaking. We needed to measure up the mainspring and barrel to source the correct modern equivalent mainspring for this job.

After cleaning the movement is carefully reassembled and oiled. The dial and hands are then refitted, before the complete movement is fitted into the case.

No additional works were carried out to the case, dial and hands, so these were all left in original condition for our client. All that’s left is to test the watch before it’s ready to go back to its owner.

 

Do you have a vintage watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair almost any watch and we offer a comprehensive watch repair service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. You can also bring watches in to our showrooms based in Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. As Business Partners of the British Horological Institute and a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.

Please Contact Us for further information regarding any requirement you may have.

 

Yours sincerely

 

David Clark DGA PJDip PJGemDip CertGA

Managing Director

W.E. Clark & Son Limited

Pre-owned IWC Servicing

Posted on by David Clark

The International Watch Company or IWC produce high-quality, luxury watches. While perhaps not as well known as brands like Rolex and Omega, IWC are top quality timepieces and we see many in our workshop – from vintage models passed down as family heirlooms, through to daily wear watches including models like the Portugieser and Portofino.

This IWC watch is one we’ve sourced to go in our collection of pre-owned watches. We have an extensive range of pre-owned watches for sale – including brands like Tag Heuer, Omega and Rolex. You can see the range on our website.

To prepare the watch for sale it is given a thorough clean and service. During a service the watch is completely taken apart, cleaned, reassembled, oiled, adjusted and tested. Also the case is given a light polish as well as an ultrasonic clean. This way you can be confident the timepiece you’re purchasing from us is in excellent working order.

In terms of maintenance for mechanical watches like this, We recommend watches are serviced every 4-5 years. This is to ensure optimal performance of the movement (as the oils and greases needed to keep the movement running properly need to be kept fresh) and to allow the movement to be checked for signs of wear and tear.

Once the service and work to the case are complete, we reassemble the watch. From this point we check the timekeeping before keeping the watch on test to ensure it performs within our acceptable tolerances for a vintage timepiece.

We are sure you’ll agree, it’s a fantastic looking watch and a great addition to our pre-owned range!

Do you have a IWC watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair many IWC watches and we offer a comprehensive watch repair service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. You can also bring watches in to our showrooms based in Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. As Business Partners of the British Horological Institute and a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.

We look forward to speaking with you soon

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W.E. Clark & Son Limited.

Mainspring

Posted on by David Clark

We cater for a huge variety of different watches in our workshop – from modern watches through to vintage pieces upwards of 100 years old. While these watches may look very different, they share many things in common, including having a spring – the mainspring – as a source of power. In this blog post we will briefly discuss the mainspring, how it works and the different types we commonly find in watches.

The mainspring itself is a thin strip of metal curled into a spiral. It’s held inside a part called the barrel. The inner part of the spring hooks onto the barrel arbor, around which the barrel is able to rotate. The outer part of the spring hooks onto the wall of the barrel. Watches with what is known as a “going barrel”, have barrels with teeth on the outside. This engages with the pinion of the centre wheel to power the watch movement.

Vintage watches may have mainsprings made from carbon steel. These springs generally need replacing as the carbon steel is prone to breaking and often found to be “set” – this is when it in effect loses its spring. Modern watch mainsprings are made from an alloy, so these are much hardier. It’s absolutely critical to have a mainspring in excellent condition if you want good results when servicing a watch. Each mainspring needs to be removed from the barrel and checked for breakages, shape and flatness. We do tend to replace mainsprings, just so we can be 100% certain that the source of power is in perfect condition.

There are a number of different types of mainsprings. The variations may include different types of fitting. For example some mainsprings hook onto the wall of the barrel, others are shaped so a section will fit into slots in the top and bottom of the barrel. There are also differences between manual wind and automatic mainsprings. A manual wind mainspring can be wound up but once it reaches a point it will stop. On the other hand, automatic mainsprings are designed to slip around the inside of the barrel once they reach a certain point of winding. This is necessary because the watch is constantly being wound via an automatic winding mechanism as it is worn.

There are a huge variety of types of mainsprings, and within the different categories there are of course many different size measurements. Mainsprings are measured by their height, length and thickness, as well as the type/size/calibre of watch they’re designed for. In the vast majority of cases, we are able to find the correct mainspring through simply knowing the movement calibre, though with older watches and pocket watches, we often still need to measure the spring.

Do you have a watch in need of repair? We are able to repair almost any type and brand of watch. From vintage manual-wind Rotary and Omega, through to modern automatic Rolex and Tag Heuer, we are able to help. If you have a watch in need of repair – do not hesitate to contact us. We offer a fully insured, freepost repairs service to clients all around the UK and our Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award is testament to the excellent service we provide to our clients.

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director

Water Damaged Tag Heuer Restoration

Posted on by David Clark

Sometimes watches we work on undergo rather dramatic transformations. One instance where this tends to occur is when dealing with water damage. Water damage occurs when, as the name would suggest, water enters the watch. Sensitive watch movements do not get on well with any moisture – this is one of the reasons why it’s important to have your watch regularly checked for water resistance. Water resistance is not a permanent characteristic. Watches rely on a series of seals and for the case to be in excellent condition. Even the smallest breach or a build-up of dirt can compromise the water resistance.

In this instance we received a rather sad looking Tag Heuer Formula 1. Water had entered the case staining the hands, inside of the glass and damaging the movement. We started by disassembling the watch, removing the movement, dial and hands before fully stripping down the case.

On inspection of the movement, it was damaged and as this model uses a non-serviceable movement made by ETA – one of the big names in watch movement production – a complete movement replacement was necessary. To deal with the damaged hands we ordered a complete new set. We have a parts account with Tag Heuer, so we are able to source almost any part we need to repair Tag Heuer watches.

All case parts were ultrasonically cleaned and the glass was carefully cleaned by hand to remove the staining. The case was then reassembled using a complete set of brand-new seals. The dial was also carefully cleaned as best possible.

Now we simply assemble everything. The dial is fitted to the new movement, before the new set of hands are fitted. When fitting the hands, we use a hand press tool made by Horotec. These tools are a great way to ensure the hands are fitted completely parallel with the dial (and each other), and that the spacing is appropriate and uniform. After these are fitted, we fit this back into the case.

Finally, the complete watch is pressure tested to ensure it passes to the full 200m water resistance using our Sigma SM-8850 pressure testing machine. This is able to test watches rated up to 300m water resistant. It tests using air pressure, so it is connected to a compressor which in turn is fitted with a booster as it requires plenty of pressure to reach 100m+. By using air pressure, we are able to test the watch complete, so with or without the movement inside.

A before and after image of the watch.

Do you have a Tag Heuer watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair almost any Tag Heuer watch and with our Tag Heuer parts access we offer a comprehensive service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. As a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director

Rolex Day-Date II Polishing

Posted on by David Clark

A recent job in the workshop involved cleaning and refinishing the case of a stunning Rolex Day-Date II.

Rolex are arguably the biggest name in the world of watches, with numerous inventions, innovations and awards to their name. Their range of watches includes some truly iconic models including the Datejust, Submariner, Air King and Day-Date.

Rolex Day-Date II before polishing and refinishing

This particular Rolex Day-Date is crafted in 18ct gold. It’s always a pleasure to refinish gold – you can achieve excellent results, with the correct tools and techniques of course.

The first step was to remove the movement from the case. Once the movement is removed we can disassemble the case – so this means removing the bezel, glass and case tube. Once the case is down to its individual components, we are able to give everything a clean before we begin the polishing process.

The refinishing process involved stages of polishing the different elements of the case using a few different techniques. This is all done using our Durston double polishing motor. For the final high polish finish we use Menzerna M5 compound. This is a personal preference – alternatively we could use red Dialux and also achieve excellent results. As we’re working on gold there’s no need to use aggressive polishing mops and compounds – we don’t want to ruin the profile of the case and as there are no major scratches it’s better to be conservative.

Once the refinishing of each part of the case is complete, they are given an ultrasonic clean. Each part is then steam cleaned to ensure everything is spotless before reassembly.

Reassembling the case is a matter of initially refitting the case tube and glass, before then fitting the friction fit bezel. Once this is done the movement can be re-installed into the case, before the case back is fitted and the watch tested for water resistance. The watch is also checked on our timegrapher to confirm the timekeeping is still excellent. Once fully reassembled, the results are truly stunning.

             

The stunning result, fully refurbished Rolex Day-Date II.

Do you have a Rolex watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair almost any Rolex watch and we offer a comprehensive watch repair service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. You can also bring watches in to our showrooms based in Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. As Business Partners of the British Horological Institute and a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W E Clark & Son Limited

Omega Constellation Gold Bracelet Refurbishment

Posted on by David Clark

A recent job in the workshop involved cleaning and refinishing the bracelet from a stunning Omega Constellation watch.

Omega are one of the most prominent watch companies in the world, with numerous inventions, innovations and awards to their name. Their iconic Speedmaster was the first watch worn on the moon and amongst other popular models including the De Ville and Seamaster, they make the very popular Constellation.

This particular Omega Constellation is crafted in 18ct gold. It’s always a pleasure to refinish gold – you can achieve excellent results, with the correct tools and techniques of course.

Bracelet Before Restoration

The first step was to remove the bracelet from the case. We then proceeded to fully disassemble each side. This bracelet is held together by pins which we are able to remove using a bracelet pin adjusting tool. The tool allows the pin holder to remain perpendicular to the bracelet, this makes the process safe and avoids damage to the bracelet itself.

bracelet before

Once the bracelet is disassembled you can see the true extent of the cleanliness – it’s remarkable how much grime can build up.

The refinishing process involved stages of polishing the high polish bars and giving a brushed finish to the larger link sections. This is all done using our Durston double polishing motor. For the high polish finish we use Menzerna M5 compound. This is a personal preference – alternatively we could use red Dialux and also achieve excellent results. As we’re working on gold there’s no need to use aggressive polishing mops and compounds – we want to maintain the shape of the bars and as there are no major scratches it’s better to be conservative.

Once the refinishing of each bracelet part is complete, they were given an ultrasonic clean. Each part was then steam cleaned to ensure everything was spotless before reassembly.half of bracelet taken apart

Steam Cleaning

Reassembling the bracelet is a matter of matching up the correct size pins, bars and link sections to maintain the graduated profile of the bracelet. The pins are hammered into place using a watchmakers hammer with a plastic end. This prevents any damage being caused to the bracelet. Once fully reassembled, the results are truly stunning.

Steam cleaning

Finished Bracelet

Do you have an Omega watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair almost any Omega watch and we offer a comprehensive watch repair service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. You can also bring watches in to our showrooms based in Lewes and Uckfield, Sussex. As Business Partners of the British Horological Institute and a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.

Finished bracelet

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W.E. Clark & Son Limited

Military Watch Restoration

Posted on by David Clark

We are skilled in the repair and restoration of a whole range of different types of watch – both modern and vintage. One group of watches we regularly work on are military watches. These watches tend to have some age to them, but alongside this there’s often a fascinating story behind each and every one.

The most famous sub-group of military watches is the “Dirty Dozen”. In the 1940s, the MOD needed watches produced to a certain specification for issue to the armed forces. The given specification was demanding due to the conditions some of these timepieces would be used in. Watches needed to be durable, water resistant, accurate timekeepers and have luminous dials/hands. They also needed to display designated serial numbers and codes on the case back; and feature a black dial, with arabic numerals, and a sub-dial for seconds.

 

About the Dirty Dozen watches

Twelve manufacturers were eventually approved to produce these watches – hence the name, the Dirty Dozen. In alphabetical order, these makers were: Buren, Cyma, Eterna, Grana, Jaeger Le Coultre, Lemania, Longines, IWC, Omega, Record, Timor and Vertex. As you may note, all these makers are Swiss. Unfortunately British watchmaking had been in decline for some time, so lacked the required means of production to make such timepieces.

We’ve been lucky to see a number of “Dirty Dozen” watches throughout the years, though some brands are rarer than others. Take the Grana for example – it’s estimated that only between 1000-1500 were produced – we’ve not had one of these arrive in our watchmakers workshop quite yet!

 

Omega Dirty Dozen
Omega Dirty Dozen Watch

How we repair a military watch

Repairing and restoring watches like these is a real skill. Simply due to the age of the watches, there are often many heavily worn parts. On top of this the watch parts can be scarce, so it may be necessary to make replacement parts for anything more worn. During the restoration of such pieces it is important to be sympathetic to the nature of the timepiece, and to appreciate the history behind the watch. We help guide our clients on the best way to restore such pieces without losing the original character.

It should be said, the “Dirty Dozen” is only one group of Military Watches. We regularly repair many different types, including vintage pocket watches, the CWC G10 & W10, Luftwaffe pilot’s watches, WW1 Trench watches, and even military timepieces produced by Rolex and Tudor.

 

Do you have a military watch in need of repair?

If you have a military watch in need of repair, get in touch and see how we can help. We are watch repair specialists with a fully insured freepost watch repairs service.  We offer repairs to clients all around the UK, and we are experts in the repair of modern and vintage watches. As holders of a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award and business partners of the British Horological Institute, you can be confident in the service we provide.

Yours sincerely,

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W.E. Clark & Son Ltd.