CousinsUK Watch Parts restriction Court Case gets a helping hand from USA

CousinsUK Watch Parts restriction Court Case gets a helping hand from USA

Latest News from Watch Parts Etc, CousinsUK has posted on their web site the latest news relating to their court case.

It seems that US Federal Trade Commission may also be taking up the case of watch manufactures restricted practice on parts supply to independent repairers like me..

You can read the full news at:  https://www.cousinsuk.com/page/news

From CusinsUK web site:

News Update: 07/8/19 - The Sleeping Giant Awakes

Back in March of this year, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is the American counterpart to our Competition and Markets Authority, announced that it would be holding a conference in July under the title “Nixing the Fix” (https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/events-calendar/nixing-fix-workshop-repair-restrictions). 

The event was part of an investigation by the FTC into how some manufacturers are using clauses in product guarantees to prevent consumers from getting their items repaired anywhere other than at the manufacturer, but it quickly became apparent to the FTC that controlling parts supply was an equally dubious practice that was likely to harm consumers. The FTC obviously only deals with the American market, and the laws over there are somewhat different to ours, but if the USA were to rule that parts restrictions were illegal, the knock-on effect for the rest of the repairing world would be significant.

Within three days of the event being announced, Cousins had contacted the relevant individuals at the FTC and supplied them with a summary of events in Europe to date in relation to watch parts restrictions. The Conference was streamed live over the internet and was also recorded. The link above will lead you to the archived video if you would like to review any of it. The FTC is now asking for “empirical evidence” on how restrictions are affecting consumers and markets. Full details on how to submit a contribution are on this link: -

https://www.ftc.gov/nixing-the-fix-call-for-research

If you would like to contribute something but are not able to meet the presentation requirements of the FTC, you may like to know that the person leading the charge in the USA for the watch repairers is Andre Fleury, who took on Cartier some years ago and has been fighting on ever since. He has put together a web site www.andre-fleury.com where he has gathered together evidence on many brands. He would be very grateful for any contributions to add to his collection. His contact details are on his website.

Cousins will be providing more data about the UK market to the FTC shortly, but we are only one voice. If the FTC receives many more inputs from around the world, it may well recognise the kudos that comes with being the first regulator in the world that actually forces the large corporations to play fair with independent repairers, who create a competitive market that provides a valuable service to consumers, and prevents them from being abused

Vintage Seiko 5 Automatic Mechanical Movement service

Today I started the service on the smallest Automatic Mechanical Movement I have so far worked on.

This watch is a Vintage Seiko 5 Automatic fitted with the Seiko 4206/B Mechanical Automatic Movement.

I found the Parts and Technical sheets for the movement online, so I have something to work to when servicing the movement.

I will have to use my strongest Loupe when working on this caliber of watch.

Fingers crossed I don’t lose or break a part!

Ellesse 03-0033 Watch, New ETA 955.412 Quartz Movement fitted, Relume Hour and Minute hands.

Ellesse Watch service

Photograph Album

Stripped down the ETA 955.412 Quartz Movement

See Photograph album “MovementETA 955 412 Quartz watch movement. (E3A) deconstruction”

Found the fault in the movement, the (Rotor, step motor) Bottom pivot broken.

So a new movement purchased and fitted to watch.

 Also needed to relume the Hour and Minute hands.

Job Completed.

Replacing the movement on a Vostok Europe, Expedition North Pole -1 Watch

I had an interesting job in the workshop today, which was to replace the movement on a Vostok Europe - Expedition North Pole -1 watch

Full Photograph album of the replacement movement

The Expedition North Pole watch was named after the first Soviet, manned, drifting polar station. The North Pole-1 polar station was opened on June 6, 1937, some 20 km from the North Pole and operated for 9 months during which the ice floe travelled 2,850km.

The expedition ended 75 years ago.

The movement is a Japanese-automatic Movement NH35A – 5955195 Made by SII (Seiko)

When replacing the dial, I could not line up the date numbers thought the dial window!

Can you spot the difference in the old movement and the new replacement movement?

The numbers on the date rings are printed 90% to each other. So I had to exchange the date rings.

Job Done

Completed the rebuild of Waltham Pocket Watch Model 1883

Today I completed the rebuild of Waltham Pocket Watch Model 1883 - Movement 8911964.

Reset the roller table on the balance staff and then refitted the hairspring.

Photograph album of the rebuild of movement

Replaced the complete balance on movement, and it started ticking straight away!

Replaced the complete balance on movement, and it started ticking straight away!

Found some hands to replace the missing ones, so will run the movement for a week to let it all settle down then check and adjust timing.

Next on the to list is to manufacture a couple of keys for the two Model 1883 Waltham Pocket watch movements I now have running in the workshop!

Two Model 1883 Waltham Pocket watch movements 

Waltham Pocket Watch Model 1883 - Movement 8911964 start of the rebuild

Waltham Pocket Watch Model 1883 - Movement 8911964 start of the rebuild.

So now the movement is completely stripped down to its fifty-nine parts, it’s time to clean all the items well.    

 

All the items have now been cleaned and ready for reassembling.

All the items have now been cleaned and ready for reassembling.

Photograph album of the rebuild

With the train wheels fitted and oiled, now they are moving freely. 

Train wheels fitted and oiled, now they are moving freely. 

Next, the mainspring was lightly greased and replaced in the barrel.

Mainspring was lightly greased and replaced in the barrel.

Barrel refitted with the click, and now winds correctly.

Barrel refitted with the click, and now winds correctly.

Replaced the Balance wheel without hairspring and roller table so I could test that the deep cleaning of the jewels and pivots now let the Balance wheel run freely, which it does! 

Waltham Pocket Watch Model 1883 - Movement 8911964 deconstruction

Waltham Pocket Watch Model 1883 - Movement 8911964 deconstruction

7 Jewels (Screw Set) – Grade: A.W.Co.

(Year of Manufacture: 1898)  Run Quantity: 7,000 - Size 18s - 42mm

Movement Configuration: Open Face. Movement Setting: Key. Plate: Full Plate

Hairspring: Breguet – Adjusted: No.

Movement Finish: Brass (Gilt).  Winder on back (Key)

Hour Hand on a good Dial.

Movement dust cover. No

Deconstruction video made up of photographs from stripdown of the movement.

On stripping down this scrap movement I found the following items that need attention.

Firstly the whole movement is rusted up, the mainspring and balance wheel did not move.

During the deconstruction, I found the mainspring had been fully wound up and this caused the click to be jammed on ratchet wheel, plus the barrel was stuck to the barrel bridge by dried out grease!

After carefully taking and train wheels out from the movement due to them being very tight in the pivot holes, it is clear the whole movement had been over oiled, and because the movement had not been used for a long in oil had dried out and everything had become stuck.

One Dial and case screws are missing, and the roller table on the balance staff is loose.

So now the movement is completely stripped down to its fifty-nine parts, it’s time to clean all the items well.

1883 Model Waltham Pocket Watch brought back to life

1883 Model Waltham Pocket Watch Movement no 14304394 Brought back to life!

The eBay scrap movement was completely stripped down and cleaned.

1883 Model Waltham Back to Life

Needed a new mainspring and top balance jewel.
Now back to life, all I need for the movement is a Second Hand.

With a replacement second hand found, the movement is now finished.

Photograph album of the rebuild

I found an old Pocket Watch case which I hope to use with this movement. The case is marked Dennison Watch Case, with the stamps of ALD (Aaron Lufkin Dennison), the hallmark of the lion passant (.925 purity), the Anchor (Birmingham), letter h (1907), and the case number 2776. So the case is a Waltham Pocket Watch model size, it will need a replacement button and crystal.

Old Pocket Watch Case

1883 Model Waltham Pocket Watch Movement no 14304394 Deconstruction

Video of the deconstruction of a Model 1883 Waltham Pocket Watch made up from photographs from the strip down.

Watchmaking: "What Makes a Fine Watch Fine" 1947 Hamilton Watch Company

I found this old film on YouTube, its worth a watch for the interesting insight to the Hamilton Watch Company after the old time "Adverts".

Watchmaking: "What Makes a Fine Watch Fine" 1947 Hamilton Watch Company

Practice of Making a Balance Staff

I spent a bit of time in the workshop today having a practice at making my first watch Balance Staff.

This photograph album and video are relating to my first “practice” of making a Balance Staff out of 1.4mm Blue Steel on my Vintage Telco Watchmakers Lathe.

Link to the photograph album

The Balance Staff is to replace a worn staff on a Model 1908 Waltham Pocket Watch.

Everything went OK until I turned one pivot down to less than 0.2mm, at which time I think I pushed too hard with the hand graver and it broke off.

Don't think I did too bad for my first attempt at making a watch Balance Staff!

Now to practice again!