When you see a watch maker snap on some black finger cocks, it's time to get the hell out of Dodge. Watchmakers are like enforcers in the NHL. They are definitely willing and able to throw down. I'm scared just thinking about it.
Repairing a seriously corroded 1341 ..hobbyist .. this video has been invaluable .. lots of videos on TH-cam of this type..for me Stian you are one of the best.
All those springs!! Oh my. Amazing work. Also, a "mortally wounded, yet strangely horny sea lion" is the most interesting thing I've heard in a watch repair video.
😂 I suppose that phrase isn't commonly spoken in any circumstances! I felt it most adequately described the sounds I was making 😁 Thanks for watching and for your kind words!
@VintageWatchServices , why did you wind the main spring before the barrel bridge on the dial side is installed? That cannon pinion can be separated from the minute counter tube/post, it must be cleaned and lubricated. Also, pressing down on the minute pinion the cannon pinion without minute counter tube is safer for the minute wheel teeth, which can be smashed if you don't see positions of teeth
Thanks for another excellent post. I find it interesting that, regardless of maker and complications, the base movements are very similar - the hallmark of a classic engineering solution.
I am about to service and replace a missing running seconds hand on a Bucherer reference with the same caliber. This is a great refresher preview. Thank you
Excellent content, amazing movement. One thing, the chronograph hour counter did not reset to 0. I went back and tried to see how it works, I see the series of levers off the reset pusher and a cam on the backside of the chronograph hour gear. Is that not the reset? The first time testing the reset at 44 min I believe I saw the hour counter move but it definately did not, right at the end of the video. Anyway, good day sir.
You're right, my hand was at a somewhat awkward angle due to the camera so I didn't press the pusher fully in... The pusher works as it should if it is pushed all the way in :)
Thanks Ben! Yes, Lemania mostly provided movements to Omega and Tissot, but you do find Lemania branded watches every now and then. Very cool to have in your collection :)
I thought so also, but I haven't been able to find an Omega reference that completely fits. I'm sure I'll find something though, it might just take a few weeks.
Thank Pablo, thanks so much for watching and that's very nice to hear :) It's a grateful job working on watches, with instant gratification when you get things right.
Thanks for watching and for your comment! Yes, it's a very nice machine but expensive as *#%&... It's automatic, which is very convenient. I started out with a simpler machine but awarded myself this one a couple of years back 😁
It was interesting to see the timegrapher before and after maintenance, to see the differences afterwards. But it's just my opinion. Thanks for the video.👍
What a beautiful watch, day and night after the work you had done on it, shame that the crystals are hard to find for it. its so manifico watch. Hope it can find a good gold bracelet to match the bling it possess. Thanks Stian! for all the good commentary and work that you do for us. Am glad that you have already figured out your next career line in the Car Industry - Looking forward to a Rolex/Omega in Cars -:)
It's great fun and something one can pick up at any age, really. It can be very relaxing as well, getting very much into a zen mode. Thanks for the comment on the crystal, if it hadn't been cracked it would have been perfectly fine for re-use. As it is now I'll try to find a new crystal that fits but it's exceedingly difficult. So in the meantime I'll use the old one :)
You are a true master craftsman. Really enjoy your info accurate or not none the less like hearing them. How do you remember where each screw and part goes. Is there a technique when disassembling it?
Thanks so much! With some experience you will recognize the function of most of the parts, but some of the screws can still be confusing, especially for chronographs. I typically put the chronograph screws back in place so I don't have to guess which one fits later :)
That's exactly the point, I don't think cats have much of a conscience, so it's certainly clean 😂 To me, cats are the creatures who have most profoundly figured out the mysteries of life. I wish to be re-born as a cat when I die.
@@VintageWatchServices . I'm with you on that, my friend. To be reincarnated as a kitty. I love my cats & they are so awesome to watch. Between wrist watches & cats, I'm happy & satisfied... so far.
Being the proud owner of a Seiko cal. 6139 'pogue', I was interested to hear your potted summary of the first automatic chronograph. Of course we were all way-out in this. Lemania made a beautiful prototype automatic chrono, fully cased and ready to go, in 1947. I have pictures of the dial and calibre on an old phone which I downloaded off the net a few years back. The movement is engraved in french stating the accomplishment. Apparantly Lemania proudly presented Omega with the fruits of their endeavours, rather like a cat dragging home a particularly stubborn mouse, and getting about the same reaction. So; 22 years later....
@@VintageWatchServices I just googled this minute 'Lemania prototype automatic watch' and then pressed on images and it was about the fifth pic down, you can't miss it. As for links etc. get real! 😂 I'm 65y.o. and analogue bred in the bone; a hopeless case I'm afraid.
Just finished restoring two Wakmann Regate. This video would really have helped if it came out three months ago ;-) Oh well, thanks any way!!!! Great video as usual! Thanks.
Watching your excellent videos is always an education as well as entertaining. I'm sure though that the pesky cats who visit my garden have no conscience.
Today we have GPS, but still in my youth, we might learn, how much time, we spend to arrive one place, by walking. The people of the sea, at some time used a big clock, to know the time that left to end the light of the day, or the secret to reach an island faraway from the continent. We must teach young people that a simple watch, is a long history of evolution, in order to survive or for the welth of a nation! Great show enjoied it, thanks!
Thanks for your thoughts, Jaime! I think what you're on to is exactly the reason mechanical watches will always be around. The wonders of the tiny machines inside them and the impact they have had on the world is just too cool to be forgotten.
Of all your feats of dexterity I admire most, I can't decide between the tilting of screws into their holes, or the turning over of cap jewels with a single flick of the tweezers! Oh, and by the way, I'm going to switch to black finger cots. My wife finds the pink ones somehow disturbing...
Love seeing a professional at work, love your sense of humour. How did they make the screws and the thread where they go? Very intricate (machinery) Greetings from Victoria Australia 🇦🇺
Thanks a lot, Peter! Tiny screws are made with special rollers on a piece of steel on a lathe, and the screw holes in the plate are made with taps. Small taps :)
Whenever you feel that you have the time in your videos, could you comment on the vertical clutch/horizontal clutch, column wheel/sliding lever design choices, and the reasons/pros/cons of each? I find your comments about the history of, in this case, LeMania, interesting and add quite a bit to your videos.
Hello do you know about Honk kong movements? I have a watch Phantom brand with EB 8501.76 movement, Im starting to work with watches, but fist to I see its that these movement have rivets not screws!!! Please try to do some video about these movements, regards from Mexico
Fascinating how the advent of technology transforms the perception of commonplace. Years ago, people rode horses and carried mechanical pocket watches. Today, the internal combustion engine and battery-driven Quartz movements have elevated previously common horses and mechanical watches into the rarefied atmosphere of luxury status.
Hi Caledon, indeed, that's a good observation :) It's probably also related to the rarity of things; once something becomes rare it also becomes more valuable. A 5 cent football card can all of a sudden be worth thousands once there aren't many of it...
I picked up a used Breguet Type XX 3820 off Ebay for a song. It was in great condition, except it didn't quite reset to zero. I got itchy and sold it, and I've kicked myself ever since. Wish I'd known more about Lemania. I thought that it was a "lesser" brand. Darn! Hey, would you explain the functions on your Time Grapher and what they mean to the mechanical operation of a watch?
Hello Larry, Lemania was indeed not a lesser brand :) I explain the timegrapher functions in a few different videos, I cannot recall which ones so you'll have to watch all of them 😂
I've come back to this edition of your series just to marvel at the complexity of this movement and hear again, the history/ chronology of the watch industry at that time. Do you think you could (or have you already?) feature the tuning-fork watches and their place in the evolution of the industry, at some point? Many thanks for your very informative and humorous guide to the watchmaking galaxy.
Hello Ian, thanks for watching my videos! I'm not really into electric or quartz watches, I'm afraid :) There are so many mechanical watches still to cover so I'll be busy with that!
@@VintageWatchServices Thank you for your reply Stian, and for responding to my previous email about the Longines and Zenith watches I own. In my ignorance, I've always thought of the tuning fork design as a kind of hybrid between mechanical and quartz. To be honest I'm not sure how they work, hence my interest in seeing you take one apart, simply to illustrate and explain what they're about.
It would seem to me that you apply a bit more Moebius 9415 grease to the pallet stones than many other watchmakers on YT. It would be interesting to know if there is a particular reason for that. Thanks!
Hello Bob, thanks for watching and for your great question! As you might know, the mainspring in an automatic watch slips inside the barrel when the mainspring becomes too tense. That's why we grease the barrel and it is essentially a safety feature. When winding the mainspring with the crown, the mainspring is wound very fast and hence the force against the barrel wall changes accordingly quickly. This makes the mainspring slip more easily. The automatic works winds the watch very slowly, which lets the mainspring tense up more gently and slip a bit later. It will not make a massive difference in the amplitude, but 10-20 degrees can be expected. I'm not sure it's a good analogy, but if you've ever tried to pull a table cloth off a decked table, the table cloth will slip more easily the faster you pull.
@@VintageWatchServices I was about to ask this very question. So, are you basically saying that the auto will wind the mainspring a little more tightly thus imparting more force to the fork giving the ballance a little more impulse?
Great work, as usual. Between column wheel chronographs and cam are there any superlatives or advantages from one to the other? Is one more prone to wear?
Hello westend, column wheel/pillar wheel chronographs operate a bit smoother since less force is needed to operate it, but the column wheels and the interacting parts are more difficult to manufacture and need finer tolerances. I don't believe there are any real differences in terms of wear, but most chronographs are cam operated for the reason that they are easier and cheaper to manufacture.
Hello, thanks for watching and for your sharp eyes! You're right in that the hour counter didn't reset in the video and I didn't catch that until long after uploading it. It's a result of trying to use the reset button on the wrist while taking a video; the button needs to be fully depressed and I didn't do that. It works as it should so I didn't think about checking that in the video before it was too late... As you probably know, TH-cam videos cannot be edited for small updates like this, so I'd have to re-upload an entirely new file for replacing that little clip. Given that it already had quite a few views when I was made aware of this by another viewer, I decided to leave it :)
Thanks Jaime! ☺️ Depending on how deep the scratches are I might start out with 280 grit or 400 grit and then 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000. I use Polywatch for the last step but you can even use toothpaste!
@@VintageWatchServices I was thinking about this cracked crystal. There are polymer (plastic) repair adhesives on the market if thin enough could be used to flood the crack and fill the void made by it. This will make the crack disappear and then allow for the regular reconditioning of the crystal you showed.
Hello Woody, no I don't. I know some watchmakers do, but in my view it simply isn't necessary, and the reason is something called capillary action. Due to capillary action, the oil will stay put on the flat, clean surface of the cap stone. When there are sharp edges on a surface however, the oil will creep over the edge to the other side. Thus for the pallet jewels, which is a tiny square-ish surface with four sharp edges, you need fixodrop/epilame to stop the oil from creeping over any of the edges. For the cap stones, which are a bit larger, round surfaces, the oil will not creep unless you make such a big blob that the oil is very close to the edge. And that is way too much oil for a cap stone anyway. Note two other points of importance for the cap stones: there are no sharp edges on the end of the balance wheel pivot, so the oil will also not creep down onto the arbor, and there is no sliding motion of the pivot. On the pallet jewels you have both sliding motion of the escape wheel teeth and the escape wheel teeth have sharp edges that will make the oil creep. Lastly, let me also say that epilaming the cap stones can only have positive effects, so there is no harm in doing so. If you want to use epilame for the shock settings, make sure you only use it for the cap stones, however, and not on the chatons, as these may be subject to rust if they do not dry properly.
very interesting lesson and of course another great job. maybe some speedmaster in the future? 861/321 I would love to see how you make that movments, of course, with great like always substantive a comment
Please tell me where you got your curved brass tweezers from.. Mine are SS but to blunt for the delicate work so i use them as a screwdriver steady when near the ballance
Hello Carl, my curved brass tweezers are from Regine Horology and I buy them through Beco-technic.com. You can also find them on eBay but they cost a lot there.. if you're based in the US, you might find them somewhere there also.
Thanks Kaz! I use Bontech from Boley. I don't think there's a huge difference between the various brands tbh, but I'll try another brand next time I replenish to find out :)
Another excellent video. A question. Yesterday unintentionally (I forgot when I shouldn't get it right after 9 pm) I changed the day in the quick setting when it was 10 pm. I never realized that before, but now the day changes at 11:50 pm. I don't know if he was already doing this or if he lost control. Everything is working well and the change always occurs at 11:50 pm. The move is a 4r36. Is it normal or did I change something because I messed up the calendar when I shouldn't have? Can you test one of your 4r36 movements manually and tell me what time your movement changes? Is everything okay with mine? I would appreciate your feedback.
Thanks, A.M! In reality, basically all watches with a date function made after the 1960's have safety built on so that the mechanism does not get damaged in the scenario you describe. So you should be safe. For the time of the change over, it's actually the other way around. The mechanism changes date when the date wheel flips one of the teeth on the date disc over. As a watchmaker you forward the mechanism until the date flips, and then you place the hour hand to point at midnight then. This is thus a matter of accuracy by the watchmaker. It is generally acceptable if the data changes between 1145pm and 0015am, although I personally think one should strive for between 1155pm and 0005am. So in short, all is likely good with your watch 😉
@@VintageWatchServices Uff. Thanks for the answer. It is logical, because I imagine how I do, many do not know and others like me forgot when it came to getting it right. If I didn't have that security, it was just watches for repair or trash. It made me more relieved. Thank you very much.
Hello Thomas, thanks for watching and for your comment! Yes, both the case and the crystal are Omega branded. Omega, Tissot and Lemania merged into an organization called SSIH and worked very tightly together.
Since you mentioned 7750, I wonder if a watch movement could be made that has a semi instantaneous jumping hands like the chrono minute hand on a 7750? Meaning that the second, minute and hour hand do that 6° accelerating "jump" - could there be a time be setting problem on it, would there be enough torque to power it when all three hands need to move at once...?
Hello Griffn, what you mention would for sure be possible but it begs the question why? What would be the actual benefit of it? Note that the minute hand in your scenario would operate like most chronographs already do, while the hour wheel could be flipped by a finger on the minute wheel, so those two would not be too difficult to make, but having the seconds hand jump every second is a bit more complicated.
@@VintageWatchServices No benefit other than interesting to look at the hands at work - that semi instantaneous jump looks really good to me, I know that kind of hand movement is considered a horological imperfection by some though. Now at least I know it could be a possible lets say "complication" haha. 👍
Thanks Bojidar! It certainly hasn't been kept as well as it deserved. It's a huge watch, so it's likely to receive more than its fair share of bumping into things, but still...
The Lemania 1340 had not been made to face the quartz crisis. It had been made to face the "three first automatic chronograph movements" The Buren Caliber 11, Zenith El Primero and Seiko 6139, that came out in 1969. Lemania had been left out of the race, and had to react quickly. In a little over one year (a very brief time) they turned the Lemania 1873 into an automatic movement, but they had to compromise to do that. In industrial design, you need time to make things simpler. Having a little more time, they made the 5100, that came out in 1975. Same functions and apt for mass production.
I just bought a Croton Chronograph with the Lemania 1340, a really great peace!! How much do you think I would spend if I decided to service it? (I open the case back and needs a service) Thank you, Keep up the great work!
Hello Jaime, thanks for your comment and congrats with your watch! That sounds like a fantastic piece indeed :) Servicing it will probably be quite expensive, I'm afraid. If you can find a vintage specialist in the local area that would probably be ideal, but I think you would spend at least $400 or similar.
Really great job with the watch! I have been watching (pun intended) almost all of your videos and you're very impressive; your jokes while working included! Just a heads-up that I have noticed you keep saying the word "fiddly" in your videos. I think you are meaning "finicky." I look forward to seeing more videos. I would especially like to see you work on a Petek Philippe. Cheers
Thanks Cliff! I would also like to see myself working on a Patek 😉 I'll probably get my hands on one one day, but not quite yet. And I believe fiddly and finicky are pretty much synonyms?
@@VintageWatchServices My apologies, I was not familiar with the word and apparently, it's a British term that does mean the same thing. You are indeed a great Master Watchmaker. Cheers
Do you mean as a general lubricant? Teflon has a lot of downsides in production but is used for mainsprings for instance, and Rolex famously coats their purple reverser wheels in teflon. But applying teflon or other dry lubricants in after-sales service is pretty much impossible and the lubrication we use has been designed specifically for uses in watches.
It's a strange story, they didn't actually make their chronograph in 1963, but a couple of years later. And no, a couple of plastic parts do not disqualify the movement as luxury, but a lot of people would frown a bit upon it indeed.
Hi Slim, thanks for watching and for your comment! You're quite right, and that shows the danger of trying to operate the watch while on camera... the hour counter does reset as it should, but one needs to press the push button firmly and I didn't really do that due to the camera setup. Sloppy not to catch that before publishing though 🤔
Hello Sergiu, thanks for watching and for your question! I need to find a new crystal for the watch before putting it up for sale and I still haven't really done the math, but the asking price will probably be between $1500 and $2000.
I think your question kind of answers itself :) It doesn't, which means that the watch isn't sealed, or at least that there are openings for dirt and debris to enter. And that's the case with watches of all sorts, but especially old watches which have received a lot of use and abuse, making them less tight than when new.
When you see a watch maker snap on some black finger cocks, it's time to get the hell out of Dodge. Watchmakers are like enforcers in the NHL. They are definitely willing and able to throw down. I'm scared just thinking about it.
🤣
It’s finger C O T S. Not C O C K S !
Copy editing is a thing. 😁
@@TheFirefishe I know.
This is the most complicated movement I've seen restored on TH-cam. Amazing work. You are an artist.
Thanks so much Terry! It's one of the more complicated I've worked on also, which makes it fun :)
Repairing a seriously corroded 1341 ..hobbyist .. this video has been invaluable .. lots of videos on TH-cam of this type..for me Stian you are one of the best.
Thanks and very cool to hear!
All those springs!! Oh my. Amazing work. Also, a "mortally wounded, yet strangely horny sea lion" is the most interesting thing I've heard in a watch repair video.
😂 I suppose that phrase isn't commonly spoken in any circumstances! I felt it most adequately described the sounds I was making 😁 Thanks for watching and for your kind words!
@VintageWatchServices , why did you wind the main spring before the barrel bridge on the dial side is installed?
That cannon pinion can be separated from the minute counter tube/post, it must be cleaned and lubricated. Also, pressing down on the minute pinion the cannon pinion without minute counter tube is safer for the minute wheel teeth, which can be smashed if you don't see positions of teeth
My favourite vintage watch in the military range that is 👍🏴 Thank you for another exceptional video.
Thanks a lot Matt! Lemania is not that well known as a stand alone brand, but their reputation as movement providers are among the very finest.
Lovely watch. Love your quirky one liners
Thanks so much, Rachel!
Thanks for another excellent post. I find it interesting that, regardless of maker and complications, the base movements are very similar - the hallmark of a classic engineering solution.
Spot on!
Wow , what a beautiful piece of work , amazing !!! All those sweaty hours in the gym have not been wasted .. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻😎
😂
I am about to service and replace a missing running seconds hand on a Bucherer reference with the same caliber. This is a great refresher preview. Thank you
Sir, your expertise was impressive and your knowledge quite educational.
Wonderful craftsmanship and an extremely good narrative as well.
Thanks so much, that's very nice to hear!
Nice video, history + watch repair lessons a nice treat - thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it, Tiberiu!
13:58 that is quite a parts count! Nice watch this one, good job once again
Indeed! Tempting to just put a big blob of superglue on the table and throw all of those pieces in there, but maybe next time 😉
Excellent content, amazing movement. One thing, the chronograph hour counter did not reset to 0. I went back and tried to see how it works, I see the series of levers off the reset pusher and a cam on the backside of the chronograph hour gear. Is that not the reset? The first time testing the reset at 44 min I believe I saw the hour counter move but it definately did not, right at the end of the video. Anyway, good day sir.
You're right, my hand was at a somewhat awkward angle due to the camera so I didn't press the pusher fully in... The pusher works as it should if it is pushed all the way in :)
Well thanks for the reply.
Thanks for bringing out such a beautiful video on such a complicated movement.
Glad you enjoyed it!
First time seeing a Lemania, sweet watch. I'll need to look into them. Thank you for sharing!!
Thanks Ben! Yes, Lemania mostly provided movements to Omega and Tissot, but you do find Lemania branded watches every now and then. Very cool to have in your collection :)
The seconds hand seems to float around rather nicely on this watch rather than ticking- Nice .!
What an amazing video. Thanks! The movement is so complicated, I hope one day I have the skills to work on one.
*_Beautiful job, I bet this watch saw a lot of action and will again._*
Thanks Joe! It's certainly been through a lot and we'll put it through some more :)
Interesting to see the small Omega sign in the center of the crystal, Nice job well done. A good old handmade thumbs up. Be safe.
Thanks! It's a shame I cannot find a new crystal, but I'll certainly keep trying. I'll probably post a small update to the video once I have it.
@@VintageWatchServices Being an Omega chrystal, does that not make it easier to find a replacement.
I thought so also, but I haven't been able to find an Omega reference that completely fits. I'm sure I'll find something though, it might just take a few weeks.
Thanks for posting this . A very good piece!
My pleasure, Graeme! More to come, so stay tuned :)
So beautiful work. Thanks so much.
Thank Pablo, thanks so much for watching and that's very nice to hear :) It's a grateful job working on watches, with instant gratification when you get things right.
Beautiful watch and another great video!
Thank you kindly, Jason!
Excellent work and commentary, thank you Sir. I am currently employed fabricating pistons for Harley Davidson.....
Wow, very cool! And slightly larger parts :)
@@VintageWatchServices haha yes, no affiliation with the hell's angels however. Thank you for your videos you are a man of high integrity.
The hour counter bone connects to the mainspring bone. I remembered this time. I'm getting there, professor! Thanks for the entertaining info.
Thanks, and you got that right!
Another fantastic video. Thank you.
Thanks again!
Love it, thanks for sharing this awesome watch.!!!
Thanks, Benjamin! More videos coming shortly, so stay tuned :)
Amazing transformation👍🏻
Thanks, Fabi!
That Elma cleaning machine is super cool. :)
Thanks for watching and for your comment! Yes, it's a very nice machine but expensive as *#%&... It's automatic, which is very convenient. I started out with a simpler machine but awarded myself this one a couple of years back 😁
It was interesting to see the timegrapher before and after maintenance, to see the differences afterwards. But it's just my opinion. Thanks for the video.👍
Hi A.M., thanks for watching and for your comment! I indeed try to show both, as they are critical to the work I've done. I'll keep showing them :)
@@VintageWatchServices thx.
I love Lemania, Oris, and other not so well known names . Looking forward to seeing a Turler dial come across the bench.
For me fascinating is how you remember which part needs to be assembled at which position. ;-)
What a beautiful watch, day and night after the work you had done on it, shame that the crystals are hard to find for it. its so manifico watch. Hope it can find a good gold bracelet to match the bling it possess. Thanks Stian! for all the good commentary and work that you do for us.
Am glad that you have already figured out your next career line in the Car Industry - Looking forward to a Rolex/Omega in Cars -:)
😁👍
very relaxing someone else cleaning a watch
Always nice watching someone else do the work, I agree! 😂
@@VintageWatchServices ive said i have not had the pleasure to do one but looked fun anyway ,well impressed with the resto of the plastic crystal
It's great fun and something one can pick up at any age, really. It can be very relaxing as well, getting very much into a zen mode.
Thanks for the comment on the crystal, if it hadn't been cracked it would have been perfectly fine for re-use. As it is now I'll try to find a new crystal that fits but it's exceedingly difficult. So in the meantime I'll use the old one :)
You are a true master craftsman. Really enjoy your info accurate or not none the less like hearing them. How do you remember where each screw and part goes. Is there a technique when disassembling it?
Thanks so much! With some experience you will recognize the function of most of the parts, but some of the screws can still be confusing, especially for chronographs. I typically put the chronograph screws back in place so I don't have to guess which one fits later :)
"cleaner than a cats conscience".I love that. I'm gonna use it. Thanks!
*Assuming a cat even has a conscience, which can be doubtful. Watch one kill & eat a bird, it's just like listening to a politician.*
Any time!
That's exactly the point, I don't think cats have much of a conscience, so it's certainly clean 😂 To me, cats are the creatures who have most profoundly figured out the mysteries of life. I wish to be re-born as a cat when I die.
@@VintageWatchServices . I'm with you on that, my friend. To be reincarnated as a kitty. I love my cats & they are so awesome to watch. Between wrist watches & cats, I'm happy & satisfied... so far.
@@VintageWatchServices One word. Hairball.
Being the proud owner of a Seiko cal. 6139 'pogue', I was interested to hear your potted summary of the first automatic chronograph.
Of course we were all way-out in this.
Lemania made a beautiful prototype automatic chrono, fully cased and ready to go, in 1947.
I have pictures of the dial and calibre on an old phone which I downloaded off the net a few years back. The movement is engraved in french stating the accomplishment.
Apparantly Lemania proudly presented Omega with the fruits of their endeavours, rather like a cat dragging home a particularly stubborn mouse, and getting about the same reaction.
So; 22 years later....
Interesting, do you have any links?
@@VintageWatchServices
I just googled this minute
'Lemania prototype automatic watch'
and then pressed on images and it was about the fifth pic down, you can't miss it.
As for links etc. get real! 😂
I'm 65y.o. and analogue bred in the bone; a hopeless case I'm afraid.
Just finished restoring two Wakmann Regate. This video would really have helped if it came out three months ago ;-) Oh well, thanks any way!!!! Great video as usual! Thanks.
Hi Geoff, sorry about that 😂 Very cool to hear you're working on those watches, great watches and a very complicated movement.
Lovely watch!
For the pusher holes interdental brushes would be perfect
Hi Clive, that sounds like a fabulous tip, thanks!
Watching your excellent videos is always an education as well as entertaining. I'm sure though that the pesky cats who visit my garden have no conscience.
Thanks so much, Dave! That's the thing about cats, are they actually evil or just devoid of conscience? Over the centuries opinions have varied 🤔
Today we have GPS, but still in my youth, we might learn, how much time, we spend to arrive one place, by walking. The people of the sea, at some time used a big clock, to know the time that left to end the light of the day, or the secret to reach an island faraway from the continent. We must teach young people that a simple watch, is a long history of evolution, in order to survive or for the welth of a nation! Great show enjoied it, thanks!
Thanks for your thoughts, Jaime! I think what you're on to is exactly the reason mechanical watches will always be around. The wonders of the tiny machines inside them and the impact they have had on the world is just too cool to be forgotten.
Of all your feats of dexterity I admire most, I can't decide between the tilting of screws into their holes, or the turning over of cap jewels with a single flick of the tweezers!
Oh, and by the way, I'm going to switch to black finger cots. My wife finds the pink ones somehow disturbing...
😂👍
U are bad ass, am new to watch collecting, I never seen such a Is complicated system.
Thanks Hector! 😂 It's a complicated watch for sure, but I hope there'll be even more complicated ones coming up 😉
@@VintageWatchServices thanks 4 the reply
Love seeing a professional at work, love your sense of humour. How did they make the screws and the thread where they go? Very intricate (machinery) Greetings from Victoria Australia 🇦🇺
Thanks a lot, Peter! Tiny screws are made with special rollers on a piece of steel on a lathe, and the screw holes in the plate are made with taps. Small taps :)
Whenever you feel that you have the time in your videos, could you comment on the vertical clutch/horizontal clutch, column wheel/sliding lever design choices, and the reasons/pros/cons of each? I find your comments about the history of, in this case, LeMania, interesting and add quite a bit to your videos.
Hello Kostas, thanks for watching! That's a good suggestion, I'll certainly pick up on that in the next chronograph video. 💪
Hello do you know about Honk kong movements? I have a watch Phantom brand with EB 8501.76 movement, Im starting to work with watches, but fist to I see its that these movement have rivets not screws!!! Please try to do some video about these movements, regards from Mexico
I am rebuilding one of these and am struggling to find a
video showing how the second short chrono button is fitted..
Fascinating how the advent of technology transforms the perception of commonplace. Years ago, people rode horses and carried mechanical pocket watches. Today, the internal combustion engine and battery-driven Quartz movements have elevated previously common horses and mechanical watches into the rarefied atmosphere of luxury status.
Hi Caledon, indeed, that's a good observation :) It's probably also related to the rarity of things; once something becomes rare it also becomes more valuable. A 5 cent football card can all of a sudden be worth thousands once there aren't many of it...
I picked up a used Breguet Type XX 3820 off Ebay for a song. It was in great condition, except it didn't quite reset to zero. I got itchy and sold it, and I've kicked myself ever since. Wish I'd known more about Lemania. I thought that it was a "lesser" brand. Darn!
Hey, would you explain the functions on your Time Grapher and what they mean to the mechanical operation of a watch?
Hello Larry, Lemania was indeed not a lesser brand :) I explain the timegrapher functions in a few different videos, I cannot recall which ones so you'll have to watch all of them 😂
Very good job, another chronograph done. Is anything special used for plastic parts?
No, plastic doesn't need lubrication
INTERESTING.
Thanks!
Thanks love your channel nice comentry thanks ⌚
Thanks Richard, that's great to hear! More to come, so stay tuned :)
I've come back to this edition of your series just to marvel at the complexity of this movement and hear again, the history/ chronology of the watch industry at that time.
Do you think you could (or have you already?) feature the tuning-fork watches and their place in the evolution of the industry, at some point?
Many thanks for your very informative and humorous guide to the watchmaking galaxy.
Hello Ian, thanks for watching my videos! I'm not really into electric or quartz watches, I'm afraid :) There are so many mechanical watches still to cover so I'll be busy with that!
@@VintageWatchServices Thank you for your reply Stian, and for responding to my previous email about the Longines and Zenith watches I own.
In my ignorance, I've always thought of the tuning fork design as a kind of hybrid between mechanical and quartz. To be honest I'm not sure how they work, hence my interest in seeing you take one apart, simply to illustrate and explain what they're about.
It would seem to me that you apply a bit more Moebius 9415 grease to the pallet stones than many other watchmakers on YT. It would be interesting to know if there is a particular reason for that. Thanks!
I used too much on this watch 😉
What is the cause of the increase in amplitude when automatic works are installed?
Hello Bob, thanks for watching and for your great question! As you might know, the mainspring in an automatic watch slips inside the barrel when the mainspring becomes too tense. That's why we grease the barrel and it is essentially a safety feature. When winding the mainspring with the crown, the mainspring is wound very fast and hence the force against the barrel wall changes accordingly quickly. This makes the mainspring slip more easily. The automatic works winds the watch very slowly, which lets the mainspring tense up more gently and slip a bit later. It will not make a massive difference in the amplitude, but 10-20 degrees can be expected.
I'm not sure it's a good analogy, but if you've ever tried to pull a table cloth off a decked table, the table cloth will slip more easily the faster you pull.
@@VintageWatchServices I was about to ask this very question. So, are you basically saying that the auto will wind the mainspring a little more tightly thus imparting more force to the fork giving the ballance a little more impulse?
Hi Ashley, yes, that's exactly right :)
And just to add to it: the mainspring will also slip a bit less violently when it's wound gentler by the automatic works.
Excellent, time to pull up a chair and learn something. Thank you good sir.
Thanks so much, Franklin!
Great work, as usual. Between column wheel chronographs and cam are there any superlatives or advantages from one to the other? Is one more prone to wear?
Hello westend, column wheel/pillar wheel chronographs operate a bit smoother since less force is needed to operate it, but the column wheels and the interacting parts are more difficult to manufacture and need finer tolerances. I don't believe there are any real differences in terms of wear, but most chronographs are cam operated for the reason that they are easier and cheaper to manufacture.
@@VintageWatchServices Thank you!
Is this movement similar to the Lemania 1350 used by Ebel and Breguet in the Type XX?
It's not too different, the 1350 was based on the 1340. Early XX's had the Valjoux 225, which you will soon see 😉
45:32 What about the hour counter? Didn't reset.
Hello, thanks for watching and for your sharp eyes! You're right in that the hour counter didn't reset in the video and I didn't catch that until long after uploading it. It's a result of trying to use the reset button on the wrist while taking a video; the button needs to be fully depressed and I didn't do that. It works as it should so I didn't think about checking that in the video before it was too late...
As you probably know, TH-cam videos cannot be edited for small updates like this, so I'd have to re-upload an entirely new file for replacing that little clip. Given that it already had quite a few views when I was made aware of this by another viewer, I decided to leave it :)
You’re amazing!!!!
What grit sand paper you use to sand the crystal and what else did wise after that to polish? Thank you
Thanks Jaime! ☺️ Depending on how deep the scratches are I might start out with 280 grit or 400 grit and then 800, 1200, 1600 and 2000. I use Polywatch for the last step but you can even use toothpaste!
Speaking of lubricants getting sticky and gelled. Are all your modern lubricants synthetic, or is it still a mix of old and new???
They're all synthetic now. The last natural oil I used was D5 and I replaced it with HP1300 a few years back.
@@VintageWatchServices thank you ^~^
@@VintageWatchServices I was thinking about this cracked crystal. There are polymer (plastic) repair adhesives on the market if thin enough could be used to flood the crack and fill the void made by it. This will make the crack disappear and then allow for the regular reconditioning of the crystal you showed.
Thanks for sharing another great video! Do you use Fixodrop on the shock jewels too?
Hello Woody, no I don't. I know some watchmakers do, but in my view it simply isn't necessary, and the reason is something called capillary action. Due to capillary action, the oil will stay put on the flat, clean surface of the cap stone. When there are sharp edges on a surface however, the oil will creep over the edge to the other side. Thus for the pallet jewels, which is a tiny square-ish surface with four sharp edges, you need fixodrop/epilame to stop the oil from creeping over any of the edges. For the cap stones, which are a bit larger, round surfaces, the oil will not creep unless you make such a big blob that the oil is very close to the edge. And that is way too much oil for a cap stone anyway.
Note two other points of importance for the cap stones: there are no sharp edges on the end of the balance wheel pivot, so the oil will also not creep down onto the arbor, and there is no sliding motion of the pivot. On the pallet jewels you have both sliding motion of the escape wheel teeth and the escape wheel teeth have sharp edges that will make the oil creep.
Lastly, let me also say that epilaming the cap stones can only have positive effects, so there is no harm in doing so. If you want to use epilame for the shock settings, make sure you only use it for the cap stones, however, and not on the chatons, as these may be subject to rust if they do not dry properly.
@@VintageWatchServices Thank you very much for the thorough reply! I really appreciate the help!!!
very interesting lesson and of course another great job. maybe some speedmaster in the future? 861/321 I would love to see how you make that movments, of course, with great like always substantive a comment
Hi Karol, thanks for your loyal viewership! I'll service an 861 shortly, but unfortunately not inside a moonwatch. Still the same movement though :)
“Cleaner than a cat’s conscience”. That would be really, really clean.
Please tell me where you got your curved brass tweezers from.. Mine are SS but to blunt for the delicate work so i use them as a screwdriver steady when near the ballance
Hello Carl, my curved brass tweezers are from Regine Horology and I buy them through Beco-technic.com. You can also find them on eBay but they cost a lot there.. if you're based in the US, you might find them somewhere there also.
do you have a version for eta c01.211 please ?
Hi there, thanks for watching and for your question! There will in fact be a video of the c01.211 in not too long :)
"Cleaner than a cat's conscious ". That's a new one I'll have to remember.
Cats' consciences are pretty clean, I believe :) I actually came up with that one myself 😂
I love your sense of humour, what cleaning solution do you youse L&R
Thanks Kaz! I use Bontech from Boley. I don't think there's a huge difference between the various brands tbh, but I'll try another brand next time I replenish to find out :)
Another excellent video. A question. Yesterday unintentionally (I forgot when I shouldn't get it right after 9 pm) I changed the day in the quick setting when it was 10 pm. I never realized that before, but now the day changes at 11:50 pm. I don't know if he was already doing this or if he lost control. Everything is working well and the change always occurs at 11:50 pm. The move is a 4r36. Is it normal or did I change something because I messed up the calendar when I shouldn't have? Can you test one of your 4r36 movements manually and tell me what time your movement changes? Is everything okay with mine? I would appreciate your feedback.
Thanks, A.M! In reality, basically all watches with a date function made after the 1960's have safety built on so that the mechanism does not get damaged in the scenario you describe. So you should be safe.
For the time of the change over, it's actually the other way around. The mechanism changes date when the date wheel flips one of the teeth on the date disc over. As a watchmaker you forward the mechanism until the date flips, and then you place the hour hand to point at midnight then. This is thus a matter of accuracy by the watchmaker. It is generally acceptable if the data changes between 1145pm and 0015am, although I personally think one should strive for between 1155pm and 0005am.
So in short, all is likely good with your watch 😉
@@VintageWatchServices Uff. Thanks for the answer. It is logical, because I imagine how I do, many do not know and others like me forgot when it came to getting it right. If I didn't have that security, it was just watches for repair or trash. It made me more relieved. Thank you very much.
My pleasure and without these features there would be a lot of broken watches 😁
Congratulations great job and video. But is glass omega?
Hello Thomas, thanks for watching and for your comment! Yes, both the case and the crystal are Omega branded. Omega, Tissot and Lemania merged into an organization called SSIH and worked very tightly together.
Since you mentioned 7750, I wonder if a watch movement could be made that has a semi instantaneous jumping hands like the chrono minute hand on a 7750?
Meaning that the second, minute and hour hand do that 6° accelerating "jump" - could there be a time be setting problem on it, would there be enough torque to power it when all three hands need to move at once...?
Hello Griffn, what you mention would for sure be possible but it begs the question why? What would be the actual benefit of it?
Note that the minute hand in your scenario would operate like most chronographs already do, while the hour wheel could be flipped by a finger on the minute wheel, so those two would not be too difficult to make, but having the seconds hand jump every second is a bit more complicated.
@@VintageWatchServices No benefit other than interesting to look at the hands at work - that semi instantaneous jump looks really good to me, I know that kind of hand movement is considered a horological imperfection by some though.
Now at least I know it could be a possible lets say "complication" haha. 👍
Oh yeah, most things are possible, they just take a bit more effort 😁
Did you start a garden and grow tomatoes with all of that soil you removed from the case?
😂
What do you with the watches that you repair
I eventually sell them, sometimes after wearing them for a while myself :)
the watch is gorgeous but did not have a good owner . Nice job 👍👍
Thanks Bojidar! It certainly hasn't been kept as well as it deserved. It's a huge watch, so it's likely to receive more than its fair share of bumping into things, but still...
Great work on this watch. Lovely patina on the case. Thanks for not polishing it to "make it look perfect".
Thanks for watching and for your comment! Fully agree that cases should be treated gently as far as possible 👍
Hell's Watchmakers: & there was that Hunter S Thompson book: Fear And Loathing In Switzerland.
Hell yeah! 😎
Did I see an Omega proof mark on the case? sorry you answered the question in the video.
Yes you did and yes we did 😁 Thanks for watching!
The most difficult caliber I have seen so far lol
Me too 😉
Hi you can remove deeper scratches by burnishing which does not remove metal.
The Lemania 1340 had not been made to face the quartz crisis. It had been made to face the "three first automatic chronograph movements" The Buren Caliber 11, Zenith El Primero and Seiko 6139, that came out in 1969. Lemania had been left out of the race, and had to react quickly. In a little over one year (a very brief time) they turned the Lemania 1873 into an automatic movement, but they had to compromise to do that. In industrial design, you need time to make things simpler.
Having a little more time, they made the 5100, that came out in 1975. Same functions and apt for mass production.
I just bought a Croton Chronograph with the Lemania 1340, a really great peace!!
How much do you think I would spend if I decided to service it? (I open the case back and needs a service)
Thank you, Keep up the great work!
Hello Jaime, thanks for your comment and congrats with your watch! That sounds like a fantastic piece indeed :)
Servicing it will probably be quite expensive, I'm afraid. If you can find a vintage specialist in the local area that would probably be ideal, but I think you would spend at least $400 or similar.
Are these movements design by one person, or several?
There would be one chief designer and perhaps someone helping him
Really great job with the watch! I have been watching (pun intended) almost all of your videos and you're very impressive; your jokes while working included! Just a heads-up that I have noticed you keep saying the word "fiddly" in your videos. I think you are meaning "finicky." I look forward to seeing more videos. I would especially like to see you work on a Petek Philippe. Cheers
Thanks Cliff! I would also like to see myself working on a Patek 😉 I'll probably get my hands on one one day, but not quite yet. And I believe fiddly and finicky are pretty much synonyms?
@@VintageWatchServices My apologies, I was not familiar with the word and apparently, it's a British term that does mean the same thing. You are indeed a great Master Watchmaker. Cheers
Why there is No dry luricants .I guess that will reduce oil drag. With Taflon.?
Do you mean as a general lubricant? Teflon has a lot of downsides in production but is used for mainsprings for instance, and Rolex famously coats their purple reverser wheels in teflon. But applying teflon or other dry lubricants in after-sales service is pretty much impossible and the lubrication we use has been designed specifically for uses in watches.
Now imagine doing s speedmaster 125. It's nearly the same but more complex. Pushers have seals for the water proof.
Didn't Sea-Gull have a Chronograph in 1963?
Doesn't the plastic part disqualify the movement as a "luxury" mvmt?
It's a strange story, they didn't actually make their chronograph in 1963, but a couple of years later. And no, a couple of plastic parts do not disqualify the movement as luxury, but a lot of people would frown a bit upon it indeed.
💖💖💖👍
😊
It amazes me how a piece of sandpaper and a blob of toothpaste can bring a damaged crystal back to life 🤔👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻
Ut oh looks like the chronograph hour counter didn't reset at the end
Hi Slim, thanks for watching and for your comment! You're quite right, and that shows the danger of trying to operate the watch while on camera... the hour counter does reset as it should, but one needs to press the push button firmly and I didn't really do that due to the camera setup. Sloppy not to catch that before publishing though 🤔
how much does the watch cost
Hello Sergiu, thanks for watching and for your question! I need to find a new crystal for the watch before putting it up for sale and I still haven't really done the math, but the asking price will probably be between $1500 and $2000.
la 2000 de $ il iau nou
@@VintageWatchServices
There are always the sad people out there who for no good reason will give a thumbs down. 🤫🏴
Yep, can't please everyone... always someone who hates the world and everyone in it
How does dirt get into a sealed watch????
I think your question kind of answers itself :) It doesn't, which means that the watch isn't sealed, or at least that there are openings for dirt and debris to enter. And that's the case with watches of all sorts, but especially old watches which have received a lot of use and abuse, making them less tight than when new.
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Thanks Vito!
Reminds me of Carmel I put on ice cream!
Crunchy! 😁
Lots of dna. I love it.😂
I feel like Dr Pimplepopper when cleaning the green gunk off... kind of satisfying 😁
Grampa...tell me 'bout the good 'ol days...
I could but I keep forgetting them.
I'll take it!
And that is not gunk! It's patina! 😝
😂
Rosamunde Pilcher film for man!
😂
As to the Hell’s Angels story, I also cannot confirm whether or not you are a green amphibian…
*Poof* 🐸🐸
Errr….Or Can I? 😁
😂👍