Those T-Tabs on the mainspring can be a royal pain. The barrel may have a notch that the tab has to go into as well as the cover. Of course the tab can't fit into the hole until it's released from the winder. I have marked the winder with a pen where the tab is and marked the barrel too. Line up the marks and it gets pretty close. So long as winding the spring draws the tab closer to the hole it'll pop in with a little fiddling.
I have many various makes of spring winders all I have found have positive and negative issues. The Bergeon is without doubt the best in terms of build quality. The issue I have found is some of the winding arbours are to fat fir the centre of the spring being wound. When I have this issue I use another winding system made by “Master craft” which is bi directional. The Chinese version of the Bergeon are problematic because the wind notch ( hook) is made of brass and wears away very quickly. I have noticed most pro watch repairers as a matter of cause just fit a new spring.
Derek, you bring up some interesting points. The Chinese set I owned had a steel hook, but it was not machined well so it didn't grip, among other things. I have also experienced the Bergeron winder arbor being a little "fat". You need to take care to wind the spring very tightly so everything fits in the winder barrel. Sometimes that is a struggle when the spring has a tail on it. Finally, I have purchased new main springs and gone to install them, only to find that they are pre-wound in a diameter that is too wide to fit my barrel. So I had to unwind it from the washer and wind it myself. What a pain! That was the final straw before I bought myself the Bergeron winders. 😁
Absolutely agree it really is not one option / method that works. As a pro horologist said to me spending a while deciding the plan of repair can save hours of frustration. I have tried the hand insert method with mainsprings with some success BUT many failures as well. . @@WatchWithMike
I found a less expensive solution, but it took some trying. I first tried 3D printed winders and found them fiddly to get the staple hooked into the mainspring. I then tried the 3D printed barrels with some Bergeon generic winder arbors that I bought. That was better, but still not a long term solution. I tried a cheap Chinese set. The problem with those is that they are caliber specific, not generic sizes like the Bergeon set. Trying to find an arbor and barrel combination that was needed just wasn't possible for many of the vintage watches that I was working on. My solution was to turn the Chinese set into a generic set, like the Bergeon one. To do so, I needed to drill out the arbor holes in the barrels on some to accommodate larger arbors. Then in combination with the Bergeon #6 and #8 arbors (3.0mm and 3.5mm arbors respectively), I now have a more generic set with up to a 3.5mm arbor. The cost of the Bergeon arbors is far cheaper than the full winder cost. If I need a left hand wind instead of a right hand wind, or vice versa, I drilled out the inner hole on some brass washers to various sizes. I'll wind the main spring, insert into the washer, flip and then press into the watch barrel. This solution is working for me so far, without having to fork out for a Bergeon set.
Interesting ideas! I agree that the most crucial part of the whole winder assembly comes down to the arbor and the hook. The Chinese set I tried had terrible hooks. I like all your adaptations - thanks for sharing your ideas!
@@WatchWithMike Did you have a set with brass hooks and arbors? I know the brass hooks would wear out pretty fast. The newer cheap sets are steel. But the those sets only have arbors up to 2.7mm, which was too small for many of the mainsprings I needed to wind, which was why I added the Bergeon #6 and #8 arbors.
@@WatchWithMike I try to match up the size of the winder arbor with the watch's barrel arbor. So, far I haven't had a problem with the hooks engaging the mainspring
This looks like a smart purchase for many hobbyists. I think what I'll do is buy a Bergeon case for winders, and buy individual Bergeon arbors & barrels the first time I re-use a mainspring for that size/direction. It's also not strictly necessary to have both the left- and right-handed handles, even if you use winders in both directions. I won't have the satisfaction of a complete set (probably ever) but I'll at least have good quality winders for the sizes & directions I need as well as a nice (sparsely populated) home for them. Buying a new mainspring is always an option for a caliber you don't expect to work on often, although I've seen more experienced hobbyists than me flub the (seemingly simple) installation, which then puts you back in the position of needing a winder. Anyhow, thanks for sharing this. 👍
Your plan sounds like a good one! Another situation I ran into with new hairsprings is that they came wound, but the retaining washer was too big for the barrel I needed to get it into. When I asked the vendor (Cousins UK) if I could get the same spring wound smaller, they told me to use a mainspring winder, which they were happy to sell me. Lol! Good luck with your projects and thanks for watching! 😁
Ha ha! @ 06:30 "I'm glad we're learning together" I'm glad we're learning together too! And that spring is unwinding in your hand not mine! 😂😂😂 (Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be in an even worse situation with my Chinese ETA 2472 winder!) Thanks for this video, Mike! It's really helpful!
Hey Dayton, do you remember those toys that looked like a mushroom and they had a spring and a suction cup and you would push the mushroom cap down and compress the spring and engage the suction cup, and then just wait for the suction cup to reach the limit of its holding power and the spring would explode up and make the toy jump in the air? Similar feeling... 🤣😎
@@WatchWithMike I do! I also remember the Jack in the Box wind up toy. Springs are probably the number one reason I love mechanical watches so much. May those that get away from us rest in power!
@@IMakeWatches The only force in nature that's more fascinating to me than a spring wanting to relieve its compressed power is water's unapologetic compulsion to flow downhill. In fact here were 'water clocks' long before there were timepieces powered by metal springs! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_clock
Most of the tools I have are on the cheap. They suffice for most of the things I do but when you seriously get into it like you these great tools are a must! Proper tools enhances a craftsman's capability!
Well put! 😄 Yay, I'm a craftsman now! I need to use this reasoning with my wife. You should've seen the look on her face when I told her how much these cost. (But beyond her initial reaction she's completely supportive!)
That is always awesome to have a supportive spouse! You could also tell her about the cost per use where the price is divided by the times you used it. That way it seems expensive now but in 5 years it would cost you a few bucks per use. As the saying goes... Buy once, cry once.
@@johanvandersandt8904 lol, yes! I figured it out… If I do 43 watches then the winders pay for them selves as opposed to buying new main springs. I love math!
Mike, this is great be someone has probably suggested this but to avoid accidentally pushing the still unwound spring prematurely, use the barrel WITHOUT the handle and only put the handle on when you’re ready to deploy it into the watch barrel
Agreed, you can wind the spring without the handle. Now that I am used to the set, I like having the handle because it gives me a firm grip. The deployment button is far enough away that it hasn't been a problem. I suggest people practice both ways and see which is more comfortable for them. 😁
Hey @elderpinto4102! Yes that's a pretty sweet sound. Much nicer than having the barrel explode and sending the mainspring, arbor and lid flying, which of course I know from personal experience! 🤣
@@WatchWithMike hahahhahahhahha that will take the love out of watchmaking very quick ... i saw battling that crazy mainspring hahah he can grow in couple of seconds from little to big 🤣🤣🤣 i know that one also from personal experience!!!
Nice purchase. Enjoy. I sometimes have a difficult time attaching the mainspring onto the winder’s arbor. Guess that I need more practice. Appreciate the video.
Hi SkyBlue! The arbor attachment is definitely one of the trickiest parts. The better construction of this set gripped the hole in the spring much easier than the other set I had. Definitely: practice makes perfect. Thanks so much for watching and joining the conversation! 😊
@dale4034 - Definitely! Good tweezers and so rewarding. Tip: check out Esslinger.com's clearance section for tweezers. I got my Dumpnts there for a reasonable price. It looks like they are still on sale.
Hi Colin! This set seems to be an Esslinger.com exclusive. It's not on the Bergeon website as such. Does watch school require eye protection for certain tasks? I've definitely been saved by my glasses a few times! 😁
@@WatchWithMike oh that’s a shame. Pesky import taxes. Wondered why I couldn’t see them on cousins. I wear eye glasses and yes they have protected me on a few occasions
Thanks Mike for a great demonstration in regards to using the mainspring winder. I find that on a lot of videos I can't quite see all the steps involved. I have avoided servicing the mainsprings so far in my hobby as a beginner and have just started to practice unwinding and winding them by hand. I was thinking of buying a cheap mainspring winder kit, but now I think I will wait until I can afford a nice Bergeon set like yours as well as upgrade my tweezers and screw drivers. I want to thank you for your great videos. I find them very uplifting and helpful.
Hi Ross, thanks for the nice words! Good tweezers and screwdrivers are indispensable. Getting a pre-wound new mainspring is definitely an option to rewinding an old one, and doesn't cost that much. I had some bad luck getting the correct one, but that shouldn't stop you. 😁
@watchrepairtutorials - Hi Alex! I'm so glad you stopped by! The Bergeon winders are a luxury to use, having tried hand winding and struggling with a set of poorly made winders. The Bergeon set feels very 'positive' (secure? solid?) when the arbor hooks the spring. Thanks for the nice words on the videos... I have a bunch of projects and videos coming, including my first attempts at using my new watchmaker's lathe. Today was 'motor rewiring day' and now it works! Looking forward to making metal chips, and if I'm lucky, usable watch parts! 😁
Your studio makes me think you and I have a lot in common 😂 also, my favorite tweezers are my bronze Boleys. I'm still working through tweezers and I'm sure I'll find others but right now, those Boleys are such great quality.
Hi Eric, watchmaking is one of MANY hobbies! Even though I'm mostly making watch videos in my studio, it is also my music jam space. I've been using my Dumont tweezers almost exclusively. The gold pair I have looks like bronze but is actually gold plated stainless steel. I really need a good pair of bronze tweezers... 1) because they are softer, and 2) because my SS tweezers keep getting magnetized! Ugh! 😂 I'll take a look at Boley - thanks for the recommendation!
@dodabartman123 - I think mainspring winding was my biggest source of frustration for my first year of watchmaking. It's amazing what the right tools let you accomplish.
As I find myself making more and more custom tools for various applications, it simply boggles my mind that people can make such (needlessly) hyper-specific tools for minimal speed/reliability increases, for such galactic sums of money... and yet people still pay for them! And as it happens I'm looking at a fully adjustable winder patented in the early 1900s right now and thinking how something similar or better might be made with surely minimal effort. It's 2023... I think we can do better than the innumerable barrels and winders for vast sums of money. Surely!? I guess I'll find out. Yet another custom tool to make it seems. I guess I'm off to the workshop. Again.
I agree with what you're saying! I bought this set because "it's what professional watchmakers use"… I really like using them, but since acquiring them I have seen many other mainspring winder designs. This is a great application for a DIY tool. If you have shop skills then watchmaking is a great opportunity to innovate. Thanks for watching and joining the conversation! 😁
It’s interesting to see how the human mind sees no or little complexity in the fields it has little or no knowledge. Perhaps a good thing or we would be too intimidated to start any new endeavors. One parameter often overlooked is the arbor diameter. So, not even the complete Bergon winder set covers all variants. Anyway, good luck!
@@VWatchie indeed, the Bergeon offering of mainspring winders has arbor diameters that go up proportionally with the size of the barrel diameter. The Chinese set I purchased was movement specific, and some of the matched arbors were ridiculously narrow compared to the width of the barrel. A great example of the equation "number of tools I need = number of tools I have + 1" 😁
It wasn't mentioned, but the T on that spring has to engage the notch in the barrel as well. Hole there can be seen at 4:45. Has to engage both parts of the barrel. ANYWAY, :) Once again someone shows me I don't need to go full-bore on the big master sets. :) I've bought so many one-time need Mac/SnapOn master kits for automotive work on personal vehicles... and I'm not in that trade. LOL!
Great point about the T tab on the spring, yes! It's satisfying to own every size tool in a set, but you don't save that much money buying the watchmaking tools master sets. I like this basic set, and I'll purchase a la carte as needed.
I tried to fix an inexpensive Tissot and wanted to replace the main spring. Because I don't want to spend that much, I purchased a spring that one came rolled up tight enough. I didn't install it correctly and now I have an unwound spring, no idea how to wind it up again and no Idea on how to find the right tool without spending more than the rest of my tools combined. Starting the hobby can be quite disheartening at times
I hear you! Mainsprings CAN be re-wound by hand. I did it in my first manual watch rebuild video: th-cam.com/video/4b3ImfaxauM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rjAAE-qWemISfCz7&t=1034
@WatchWithMike I've been told that it's the Japanese movements that are left hand wound, and Swiss are right hand. I asked you because I'm in search for a set of main spring winders, and was wondering if I needed the left hand ones.
Looks like you created the same 'birds nest' out of the mainspring with the $700 set as you did with the $35 set. Maybe it's operator malfunction? The cheap sets have a small pin protruding from the flat milled spot near the end of the shaft. You can wind them in either direction. Makes no difference. It would appear that with the more expensive set and directional handles that the engagement pin on the winding arbor is directional thus the left and right hand winders. This would probably make disengagement easer on the Bergeon set than on the cheap set. On the cheap sets one must carefully pull the winding arbor out a little and disengage the pin with some tweezers where as with the expensive set it appears all one need do is crank the winder arbor backward. With a little bit of practice this is NOT a difficult task. I think it comes down to how many watches a person expects to be working on over time. The more watches that require installing the mainsprings the more justified the very high cost of the Bergeon set. Would I consider them worlds apart regarding their function? No way. If I'm a fumbling mess lacking coordination then yes, one will be a little better than the other and I see that being a function of the directional winding arbor designs, otherwise they're functionally the same.
Spending $600 to wind a main spring is top-shelf stupid! I have the Chinese set and I make it work and I've been making it work for the last thirty watches I've restored. Seriously, it's just a main spring! And you're just winding it, that's all you're doing!!!
It's a hobby and all about enjoying yourself, the reality is that these tools make it fun and doable and there will always be people willing to pay a good price for good quality second hand tools, so the financial hit is not so bad, especially for us older folks with cash to spare.
![โรงเรียนห้ามรัก โดนจับได้ตาย...!! [เอิร์นไดเม่]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4u02Sbr556Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![CAMPปลิ้น | EP.83[1/2] เปิดแคมป์หลอนต้อนรับ 2 ตัวพ่อแห่งวงการผี!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2uPuHYHgwiI/mqdefault.jpg)
Those T-Tabs on the mainspring can be a royal pain. The barrel may have a notch that the tab has to go into as well as the cover. Of course the tab can't fit into the hole until it's released from the winder. I have marked the winder with a pen where the tab is and marked the barrel too. Line up the marks and it gets pretty close. So long as winding the spring draws the tab closer to the hole it'll pop in with a little fiddling.
Those t-tabs drive me crazy! I never thought of marking them in advance… Great idea! 😁
I have many various makes of spring winders all I have found have positive and negative issues. The Bergeon is without doubt the best in terms of build quality. The issue I have found is some of the winding arbours are to fat fir the centre of the spring being wound. When I have this issue I use another winding system made by “Master craft” which is bi directional. The Chinese version of the Bergeon are problematic because the wind notch ( hook) is made of brass and wears away very quickly. I have noticed most pro watch repairers as a matter of cause just fit a new spring.
Derek, you bring up some interesting points. The Chinese set I owned had a steel hook, but it was not machined well so it didn't grip, among other things. I have also experienced the Bergeron winder arbor being a little "fat". You need to take care to wind the spring very tightly so everything fits in the winder barrel. Sometimes that is a struggle when the spring has a tail on it. Finally, I have purchased new main springs and gone to install them, only to find that they are pre-wound in a diameter that is too wide to fit my barrel. So I had to unwind it from the washer and wind it myself. What a pain! That was the final straw before I bought myself the Bergeron winders. 😁
Absolutely agree it really is not one option
/ method that works. As a pro horologist said to me spending a while deciding the plan of repair can save hours of frustration. I have tried the hand insert method with mainsprings with some success BUT many failures as well. . @@WatchWithMike
I found a less expensive solution, but it took some trying. I first tried 3D printed winders and found them fiddly to get the staple hooked into the mainspring. I then tried the 3D printed barrels with some Bergeon generic winder arbors that I bought. That was better, but still not a long term solution. I tried a cheap Chinese set. The problem with those is that they are caliber specific, not generic sizes like the Bergeon set. Trying to find an arbor and barrel combination that was needed just wasn't possible for many of the vintage watches that I was working on. My solution was to turn the Chinese set into a generic set, like the Bergeon one. To do so, I needed to drill out the arbor holes in the barrels on some to accommodate larger arbors. Then in combination with the Bergeon #6 and #8 arbors (3.0mm and 3.5mm arbors respectively), I now have a more generic set with up to a 3.5mm arbor. The cost of the Bergeon arbors is far cheaper than the full winder cost. If I need a left hand wind instead of a right hand wind, or vice versa, I drilled out the inner hole on some brass washers to various sizes. I'll wind the main spring, insert into the washer, flip and then press into the watch barrel. This solution is working for me so far, without having to fork out for a Bergeon set.
Interesting ideas! I agree that the most crucial part of the whole winder assembly comes down to the arbor and the hook. The Chinese set I tried had terrible hooks. I like all your adaptations - thanks for sharing your ideas!
@@WatchWithMike Did you have a set with brass hooks and arbors? I know the brass hooks would wear out pretty fast. The newer cheap sets are steel. But the those sets only have arbors up to 2.7mm, which was too small for many of the mainsprings I needed to wind, which was why I added the Bergeon #6 and #8 arbors.
@@gpraceman mine had steel arbors and hooks. You are correct, the arbors were too skinny. And the hooks weren't very hooked… More like little nubs. 😂
@@WatchWithMike I try to match up the size of the winder arbor with the watch's barrel arbor. So, far I haven't had a problem with the hooks engaging the mainspring
Your experience is in invaluable for me.
For me, too! 😁 I'm sharing as I learn.
I've been using a vintage K&D set. Begeon is quality, but the price for this set is just too hard to justify for me as a home hobbyist.
I'm seeing good comments about the vintage K&D winders. 😁
This looks like an excellent tip. Thanks for sharing it!
Could have been me 6 months ago. Great watching your channel Mike.
So in 6 months time I'll definitely have this down to a science. Awesome! 😀 And I'm glad to have you watching!!!
This looks like a smart purchase for many hobbyists. I think what I'll do is buy a Bergeon case for winders, and buy individual Bergeon arbors & barrels the first time I re-use a mainspring for that size/direction. It's also not strictly necessary to have both the left- and right-handed handles, even if you use winders in both directions. I won't have the satisfaction of a complete set (probably ever) but I'll at least have good quality winders for the sizes & directions I need as well as a nice (sparsely populated) home for them. Buying a new mainspring is always an option for a caliber you don't expect to work on often, although I've seen more experienced hobbyists than me flub the (seemingly simple) installation, which then puts you back in the position of needing a winder.
Anyhow, thanks for sharing this. 👍
Your plan sounds like a good one! Another situation I ran into with new hairsprings is that they came wound, but the retaining washer was too big for the barrel I needed to get it into. When I asked the vendor (Cousins UK) if I could get the same spring wound smaller, they told me to use a mainspring winder, which they were happy to sell me. Lol! Good luck with your projects and thanks for watching! 😁
Thanks for this Mike!! Good to know it’s worth the investment
Agreed! And I did everything I could to bypass buying "good" winders… But in the end this set is definitely worth it. 😁
You bet!
Ha ha! @ 06:30 "I'm glad we're learning together" I'm glad we're learning together too! And that spring is unwinding in your hand not mine! 😂😂😂 (Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be in an even worse situation with my Chinese ETA 2472 winder!) Thanks for this video, Mike! It's really helpful!
Hey Dayton, do you remember those toys that looked like a mushroom and they had a spring and a suction cup and you would push the mushroom cap down and compress the spring and engage the suction cup, and then just wait for the suction cup to reach the limit of its holding power and the spring would explode up and make the toy jump in the air? Similar feeling... 🤣😎
Cannot wait on that Chinese ETA 2472 winder video!!🤣😂🤣
@@WatchWithMike I do! I also remember the Jack in the Box wind up toy. Springs are probably the number one reason I love mechanical watches so much. May those that get away from us rest in power!
@@IMakeWatches The only force in nature that's more fascinating to me than a spring wanting to relieve its compressed power is water's unapologetic compulsion to flow downhill. In fact here were 'water clocks' long before there were timepieces powered by metal springs! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_clock
Most of the tools I have are on the cheap. They suffice for most of the things I do but when you seriously get into it like you these great tools are a must! Proper tools enhances a craftsman's capability!
Well put! 😄 Yay, I'm a craftsman now! I need to use this reasoning with my wife. You should've seen the look on her face when I told her how much these cost. (But beyond her initial reaction she's completely supportive!)
That is always awesome to have a supportive spouse! You could also tell her about the cost per use where the price is divided by the times you used it. That way it seems expensive now but in 5 years it would cost you a few bucks per use. As the saying goes... Buy once, cry once.
@@johanvandersandt8904 lol, yes! I figured it out… If I do 43 watches then the winders pay for them selves as opposed to buying new main springs. I love math!
There you go! Have a good one Mike! 😁👍
If one doesn’t have a hobby it’ll be cheap too…😅
Mike, this is great be someone has probably suggested this but to avoid accidentally pushing the still unwound spring prematurely, use the barrel WITHOUT the handle and only put the handle on when you’re ready to deploy it into the watch barrel
Agreed, you can wind the spring without the handle. Now that I am used to the set, I like having the handle because it gives me a firm grip. The deployment button is far enough away that it hasn't been a problem. I suggest people practice both ways and see which is more comfortable for them. 😁
nice mike!!! now injoy the most nicest click in watchmaking putting the spring in the barrel enjoy your sweet set!!! ( like you pinfeise trick)
Hey @elderpinto4102! Yes that's a pretty sweet sound. Much nicer than having the barrel explode and sending the mainspring, arbor and lid flying, which of course I know from personal experience! 🤣
@@WatchWithMike hahahhahahhahha that will take the love out of watchmaking very quick ... i saw battling that crazy mainspring hahah he can grow in couple of seconds from little to big 🤣🤣🤣 i know that one also from personal experience!!!
Thanks for the video. I need to order soon...
Awesome! I'm glad it helped.
Thanks for the info Mike!
You bet! Thanks for watching! 😁
Nice purchase. Enjoy. I sometimes have a difficult time attaching the mainspring onto the winder’s arbor. Guess that I need more practice. Appreciate the video.
Hi SkyBlue! The arbor attachment is definitely one of the trickiest parts. The better construction of this set gripped the hole in the spring much easier than the other set I had. Definitely: practice makes perfect. Thanks so much for watching and joining the conversation! 😊
Hi Mike. That was a great video. Looking forward to buying the same set real soon. Much appreciated.
Hi Monte! I've got nothing but good things about it, except the cost. 😁
I envy your spring winders. I'll be buying good tweezwers before I spring for the winders.
@dale4034 - Definitely! Good tweezers and so rewarding. Tip: check out Esslinger.com's clearance section for tweezers. I got my Dumpnts there for a reasonable price. It looks like they are still on sale.
Brilliant Mike . I didn’t know about that set. When I’ve used them at school I’ve come close to taking my eye out a few times. Not as easy as it looks
Hi Colin! This set seems to be an Esslinger.com exclusive. It's not on the Bergeon website as such. Does watch school require eye protection for certain tasks? I've definitely been saved by my glasses a few times! 😁
@@WatchWithMike oh that’s a shame. Pesky import taxes. Wondered why I couldn’t see them on cousins. I wear eye glasses and yes they have protected me on a few occasions
Thanks Mike for a great demonstration in regards to using the mainspring winder. I find that on a lot of videos I can't quite see all the steps involved. I have avoided servicing the mainsprings so far in my hobby as a beginner and have just started to practice unwinding and winding them by hand. I was thinking of buying a cheap mainspring winder kit, but now I think I will wait until I can afford a nice Bergeon set like yours as well as upgrade my tweezers and screw drivers. I want to thank you for your great videos. I find them very uplifting and helpful.
Hi Ross, thanks for the nice words! Good tweezers and screwdrivers are indispensable. Getting a pre-wound new mainspring is definitely an option to rewinding an old one, and doesn't cost that much. I had some bad luck getting the correct one, but that shouldn't stop you. 😁
Hey Mike,
Just wanted to stop by to say hey. How do you like the set. Your video’s are well done my man. Keep up the good work.
@watchrepairtutorials - Hi Alex! I'm so glad you stopped by! The Bergeon winders are a luxury to use, having tried hand winding and struggling with a set of poorly made winders. The Bergeon set feels very 'positive' (secure? solid?) when the arbor hooks the spring. Thanks for the nice words on the videos... I have a bunch of projects and videos coming, including my first attempts at using my new watchmaker's lathe. Today was 'motor rewiring day' and now it works! Looking forward to making metal chips, and if I'm lucky, usable watch parts! 😁
Good video, Mike, and great video production as well
Thanks, JD! This was a big purchase for me and I was really excited.😁
I wonder if that 5 piece set would do for most watches and pocket watches or if you need the big 17 piece set
@@2010stoof I can't answer for pocket watches but this set has suited all of my needs for wristwatches.
Your studio makes me think you and I have a lot in common 😂 also, my favorite tweezers are my bronze Boleys. I'm still working through tweezers and I'm sure I'll find others but right now, those Boleys are such great quality.
Hi Eric, watchmaking is one of MANY hobbies! Even though I'm mostly making watch videos in my studio, it is also my music jam space. I've been using my Dumont tweezers almost exclusively. The gold pair I have looks like bronze but is actually gold plated stainless steel. I really need a good pair of bronze tweezers... 1) because they are softer, and 2) because my SS tweezers keep getting magnetized! Ugh! 😂 I'll take a look at Boley - thanks for the recommendation!
Nice, I hae the same frusteration, thanks for sharing.
@dodabartman123 - I think mainspring winding was my biggest source of frustration for my first year of watchmaking. It's amazing what the right tools let you accomplish.
As I find myself making more and more custom tools for various applications, it simply boggles my mind that people can make such (needlessly) hyper-specific tools for minimal speed/reliability increases, for such galactic sums of money... and yet people still pay for them! And as it happens I'm looking at a fully adjustable winder patented in the early 1900s right now and thinking how something similar or better might be made with surely minimal effort. It's 2023... I think we can do better than the innumerable barrels and winders for vast sums of money. Surely!? I guess I'll find out. Yet another custom tool to make it seems. I guess I'm off to the workshop. Again.
I agree with what you're saying! I bought this set because "it's what professional watchmakers use"… I really like using them, but since acquiring them I have seen many other mainspring winder designs. This is a great application for a DIY tool. If you have shop skills then watchmaking is a great opportunity to innovate. Thanks for watching and joining the conversation! 😁
It’s interesting to see how the human mind sees no or little complexity in the fields it has little or no knowledge. Perhaps a good thing or we would be too intimidated to start any new endeavors. One parameter often overlooked is the arbor diameter. So, not even the complete Bergon winder set covers all variants. Anyway, good luck!
@@VWatchie indeed, the Bergeon offering of mainspring winders has arbor diameters that go up proportionally with the size of the barrel diameter. The Chinese set I purchased was movement specific, and some of the matched arbors were ridiculously narrow compared to the width of the barrel. A great example of the equation "number of tools I need = number of tools I have + 1" 😁
I purchased the cheap one.. for 40€. I hope It'll suit my needs for now. Not yet ready to purchase a high end one.
In my experience it all comes down to the quality of the arbors. If it works, it works! 😀
5,6 and 7 seem to be my most gone to winders. If you can’t afford a whole set buy these three as you need them. FWIW
I agree! And if you mostly do European watches, then a right handed winder will work for most mainsprings.
It wasn't mentioned, but the T on that spring has to engage the notch in the barrel as well. Hole there can be seen at 4:45. Has to engage both parts of the barrel.
ANYWAY, :) Once again someone shows me I don't need to go full-bore on the big master sets. :) I've bought so many one-time need Mac/SnapOn master kits for automotive work on personal vehicles... and I'm not in that trade. LOL!
Great point about the T tab on the spring, yes! It's satisfying to own every size tool in a set, but you don't save that much money buying the watchmaking tools master sets. I like this basic set, and I'll purchase a la carte as needed.
I tried to fix an inexpensive Tissot and wanted to replace the main spring. Because I don't want to spend that much, I purchased a spring that one came rolled up tight enough. I didn't install it correctly and now I have an unwound spring, no idea how to wind it up again and no Idea on how to find the right tool without spending more than the rest of my tools combined. Starting the hobby can be quite disheartening at times
I hear you! Mainsprings CAN be re-wound by hand. I did it in my first manual watch rebuild video: th-cam.com/video/4b3ImfaxauM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rjAAE-qWemISfCz7&t=1034
Tools. We need more tools! Wind them up! :D 🕐⚙️⚙️
More watches requires more tools. More tools lets us work on more watches. Rinse & repeat!
@@WatchWithMike Watches or not. We all know that tools are what we want. LOL Glad this Bergeon set works for you. :) 🕐👍🍭
Esslinger link appears to be broken
Thanks for the heads up! I guess they are out of stock since it's no longer on their site.
How many mainsprings have you done with the left hand winders?
None yet!
@WatchWithMike I've been told that it's the Japanese movements that are left hand wound, and Swiss are right hand. I asked you because I'm in search for a set of main spring winders, and was wondering if I needed the left hand ones.
@@tracymcknight8978 I think that's generally correct. Seiko has left-wind springs.
Looks like you created the same 'birds nest' out of the mainspring with the $700 set as you did with the $35 set.
Maybe it's operator malfunction?
The cheap sets have a small pin protruding from the flat milled spot near the end of the shaft. You can wind them in either direction. Makes no difference. It would appear that with the more expensive set and directional handles that the engagement pin on the winding arbor is directional thus the left and right hand winders. This would probably make disengagement easer on the Bergeon set than on the cheap set. On the cheap sets one must carefully pull the winding arbor out a little and disengage the pin with some tweezers where as with the expensive set it appears all one need do is crank the winder arbor backward. With a little bit of practice this is NOT a difficult task.
I think it comes down to how many watches a person expects to be working on over time. The more watches that require installing the mainsprings the more justified the very high cost of the Bergeon set.
Would I consider them worlds apart regarding their function? No way. If I'm a fumbling mess lacking coordination then yes, one will be a little better than the other and I see that being a function of the directional winding arbor designs, otherwise they're functionally the same.
👍🏼
Affordable dream on cinderella
Affordable compared to the "big set". This has been my biggest watchmaking purchase to date! And yes, I feel like a princess! 😁🤴
Be aware of the pea… Princess! 😂
Yes! Royalty has its risks! 🙂
I have found hand winding (without winder) to be much superior to using Chinese rubbish, which will damage the watch. Bergeon is the best.
@coopoylozenge5964 - Agreed! I was OK with hand-winding until I attempted my first 's' shaped spring. I made a mess of it! 😆
Spending $600 to wind a main spring is top-shelf stupid! I have the Chinese set and I make it work and I've been making it work for the last thirty watches I've restored. Seriously, it's just a main spring! And you're just winding it, that's all you're doing!!!
Marshall at @WristwatchRevival convinced me to buy them! 🥲
It's a hobby and all about enjoying yourself, the reality is that these tools make it fun and doable and there will always be people willing to pay a good price for good quality second hand tools, so the financial hit is not so bad, especially for us older folks with cash to spare.
@@You.are.boring.me.now2024 Are you seriously trying to teach me something right now? I'm not going to spend $600 to wind a spring!
What do the call the small plate steel with holes of descending size?
I think you are talking about what's called a 'staking block'.