# Recommendations For Something To Learn How To Tinker?



## stew1982 (Aug 24, 2012)

I want to have a play with stripping/servicing and a better understanding of the movement - I've been advised a pocket watch is a good place to start - any reccomendations on models/movements?


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## Jewel (Aug 20, 2012)

Stew, I started with dollar watches, non jewelled and inexpensive if you break something, but they give you a good understanding of the way they work when you service them. Try looking for Ingersoll, Westclox etc on ebay for around Â£15 ish.


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## stew1982 (Aug 24, 2012)

Cheers Jewel, I'll have a look now - does it matter what type of movement?


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## Eidian (Jul 9, 2012)

I go to a swap meet that's five minutes away from me. People have all kinds of old Elgins, Helbros, Wittnauers, and Benrus watches that they're trying to get rid of for $5 or even less. I've bought so many old crap watches that I don't even know where to start (if you look at a couple of my other posts in other threads you can see that I have like 4 watches that are "works in progress"). And if I mess up a watch, I don't care but tend to see if I can find the part from a supplier or even from eBay (found a couple of movements to use for parts cheap).

I'm new also to this (only been doing it for a few weeks) but I suggest getting a men's manual wind movement to start off with. Lady's watches are whack in that the movements are smaller than the size of a nickel (don't ask me how I know). Also, day/date/automatic complications are cool when you see how they work, but they make putting them back together more difficult because there are more parts (I know...duh, right?). That's what came to mind when you asked about type of movement.

One thing that I've noticed is that the four or 5 movements that I've opened all follow a basic design (as the books that I've been reading said they would) so brand doesn't seem to matter. Oh, and if you buy from a swap meet or garage sale, make sure to test the watch. Sure, it may not run but make sure that stem pulls out, turns,the hands work, that the day/date work buy not only adjusting them by using the positions of the stem, but by turning the hands also. If any of those things don't work, you might be looking at more than just a rebuild. And if you're a masochist, you can get a watch that is totally frozen; I bought one for a $1 just to see what causes that and it was a corroded mess in there.


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## stew1982 (Aug 24, 2012)

Cheers Eidian, that's pretty sound advice - also a good idea on getting something without complications (which is probably the exact opposite of what I'd of done without thinking about it)


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Another option is a Travel Alarm clock - big enough to only need "normal" tools, and you don't lose the parts as easily







(You WILL lose parts) and the very basic principles are the same - often for three or four dollars or pounds off the bay and even cheaper at sales events. :yes:


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