Anyone fix their own mechanical watches?

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M1Garandy

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The mainspring on my old nineteen teens Illinois pocket watch broke again. My old watch guy moved to a free state and anyone else local that will touch it that I've visited or called so far has been nonresponsive or wants 2-3 times what the watch is worth in repair charges and long lead times are the norm.

This watch is maybe worth $150 when it is running, any real value is sentimental.

I'm debating buying a few tools and having a crack at it myself. Anyone here do their own watch work?
 
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Anyone here do their own watch work?
I used to, but age, eyesight and the shakes have caught up with me....
I actually had a small "business" fixing watches for local antique shops. I would dissasemble, clean, oil, replace parts, mainsprings, crystals, etc., all for around $25-30. (Times have really changed!)
I wouldn't even know just where to get parts anymore.
 
I had given thought to doing so, and even picked up some tools. Mainly because I have Grandad's pocket watch which is not working properly. I had it looked at but the watchmaker was not able to get it running properly. Unfortunately I have started working on electric guitars lately and the watches will have to wait for a while.
 
Lots of YouTube videos on the topic. Long ago I disassembled and reassembled a cheap pocket watch OK. I wouldn’t attempt it today. I do have a Navy manual about how to service marine chronometers.
 
M1Garandy said:
The mainspring on my old nineteen teens Illinois pocket watch broke again. My old watch guy moved to a free state and anyone else local that will touch it that I've visited or called so far has been nonresponsive or wants 2-3 times what the watch is worth in repair charges and long lead times are the norm.

This watch is maybe worth $150 when it is running, any real value is sentimental.

I'm debating buying a few tools and having a crack at it myself. Anyone here do their own watch work?
Click to expand...

About 20 years ago I got interested in learning towork on mechanical watches. Spent a lot of $ on tools and literature and parts. Then got hit with arthritis in both hands. This was followed 8 years ago by loss of ~~95% of vision. First guy here with a pickup truck and a wad of cash can have it all.
 
deadin said:
Anyone here do their own watch work?
I used to, but age, eyesight and the shakes have caught up with me....
I actually had a small "business" fixing watches for local antique shops. I would dissasemble, clean, oil, replace parts, mainsprings, crystals, etc., all for around $25-30. (Times have really changed!)
I wouldn't even know just where to get parts anymore.
Click to expand...
A good source for parts and tools. https://www.esslinger.com/watch-rep...MI9K3xs7iCjQMVqgytBh095Qs1EAAYASAAEgLjKvD_BwE
 
Onomea said:
Hmm. Upon reflection, the same is true of my knee surgeon...
Click to expand...
Which is the same ? The Con? Does the surgeon know what he is doing or did? I worked as an Orthopedic Nurse for about 15 years and some of those guys I would not let work on my dog and he had been dead for quite a while then.
 
I'm saying — as a joke, of course — that I could save money by doing my own knee replacement surgery, but the downside, like with the watch repair, is I wouldn't know what the heck I was doing.

I recall your orthopedic nurse career, AJ., and appreciate the advice you gave me a coupla years ago during my recovery from my right knee, full replacement.

I am thinking about knees and surgeons as I just had my left partial knee replaced with a full on Monday. It is my third operation with this surgeon. (He repaired the partial left I had done in Japan when it dislocated itself six months later here in Oregon.) He's young — as most folks seem to me these days; maybe late 30s — but he's done a good job so far, and I have confidence in him.
 
I, too, am in need of some work to at least one of my antique pocket watches and unfortunately the gentleman who used to do this type of work for me passed several years ago. Finding a local watchsmith for these watches is nearly impossible (too many jewelers today consider replacing a battery to be "fixing a watch"...) and while there are several online services both the cost and lead time are prohibitive.

I'm sorry that I don't have any good answers for you - just commiserating.
 
Last edited:
Why not contact the Illinois Watch Co, 805 Spring, Quincy, IL 62301 217-224-6350. They build them from scratch and fix and repair all brands, inc. Rolex, Omega, etc. They also repair and restore antique watches. They did a 1923 Elgine for me and service my Tag Heuer.
 
Where can you learn how to fix pocket watches, preferably on line?
 
H Richard said:
Why not contact the Illinois Watch Co, 805 Spring, Quincy, IL 62301 217-224-6350. They build them from scratch and fix and repair all brands, inc. Rolex, Omega, etc. They also repair and restore antique watches. They did a 1923 Elgine for me and service my Tag Heuer.
Click to expand...

I may give them a call Monday.
 
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