nevenbekriev

No problem, this is verry common. What happens is that few coils of the main spring stick together when the spring is wound, and in some moment, they detouch from each other when spring is unwinding. The bad thing here is that when this happens, significant portion of energy is released and the chain may get broken. Normally, this kind of sounds are sign that it is allready time to service the movement. The service must include dissassembling the barrel, taking the spring out, cleaning all, lubricating and assembling it. In old clocks with signs of ware of the spring ocsidation, it is goot t

I can only say that the movementi is fusee, which is seen on the pictures. So it is a litle older, probably pre 1900

Hi Colin, I will only advice to wear the watches for a day or two in You pocket and only then to deside if they keep time and are ready to be returned to You wife's father. You may be don't want to dissapoint him...

Hi there, This is not just a pocket watch, but a repeater. I am not sure what kind - quarter or minute repeater, but I guess that the button is pressed and doesn't want to come out, so the repeater function is not working... Pictures of the movement are needed to identify it, so open the dust cover an take picts. My first guess is Lephare, but with no pictures, this is only a guess.

OK then, Can You show pictures of the parts? If the steel parts are verry rusty, may be no cleaning wil help... The hairspring... This is a task that most of the normal watcmakers won't be able to do, not for a newbie for sure. Anyway, You will need to have hairsprings to choose from and hope that at least one of them will be good for this balance. For the terminology - not sure... I can say for sure, that the pallet cock doesn't ride anywhere, it stays on it's place fixed with at least one screw... There are 5 stones for the balance: two endstones, two holestones and one impuls

Hi Pete The hairsprings can be replaced, but it is not just like 'take it out from the package, put it on the balance and done...' The hairspring mus be a litle 'longer' than needed so it's lenght must be shortened in order to obtain correct balance frequency. The hairspring this way is matched to the balance wheel and becomes a part of it and is no usable with other balance wheels. Actually, if You take the hairspring from another clock of the same model, ant with it Your clock goes slowlier than needed, then You can shorten the hairspring and everything will be OK. But, if the clock go

Hi Bill, If You watch is like this on the picts, then one of the easiest ways to take the cannon pinion out from it's shaft is to tighten it in a pin wice and try to turn and pull with pliers the square part of the shaft on the rear.

Yes, You need to upload images to some hosting site and then use the URL, or simply paste the link to the images in the message.

Hi Bill, Just show a picture of the movement from the rear side and under the dial, with the hour wheel out. There are different types and systems cannon pinions, and You must take out the cannon pinion in order to remove the center wheel. This P. Andrie probably is just a retailer and movement manufacturer is some of the big manufacturers. May be a picture will help to identify it.

This is a nonsence, as first wrist watches ever stared to appear about 1900. Especally if talking about Tho's Russel watch in Denisson case... To show pictures, upload them in some hostihg site like Imgur or so, copy the link and paste it in the message.

Sorry for the female name, Dessy (Desislava) is the name of my smallest daughter (25 years old...) Unification appeared in USA first and about 50 years earlier than in Europe. It came to Europe with the american way of masss production... So, there is a chance that the whole balance will fit from a donor watch. But don't replace balance with the bridge, use always the original bridge to the movement. The problem is that balance pivots are broken in the most old watches, and if not broken, at least bent... The turning of balance staff is standard, regular job that every restorer of old wa

Hi Jason, I think that Tho. Russel watch in Denison case rather exclude 'one of a kind'. It sounds like pocket watch converted to wristwatch, but with no pictures, no one will tell much. If there are any halmarks on the case, it can be dated exactly. If no halmarks, then pictures of the movement and sometimes it's serial number may provide aproximate dating.

Hi Gareth, I don' have such a tool, but it is no problem for me to do bushings on all kind of clocks and watches. What is the thing that seems to be the problem? You must drill a hole exactly in the correct center, then ream the hole to correct size to fit tne bush, press the bush in the hole and then to ream the bush hole to the correct size of the pivot. Drilling the hole in correct place is easier to do by usig a 'mask' with hole of the same size, drilled with the same drill bit. You must place the mask on the plate, so You can see the pivot hole in the center of the mask hole and then

Hi Dessy, Actually, in Europe intercangeabillity of watch parts began to appear from 1900 and became real in all watch movement producers after 1950's. You can swap parts for example in Omega movements from 1920, but sometimes the sizes of pivots and stone holes are a bit different... In earlier watches, there is no point to search for donors, as every watch is unique. But all depends on what part You need to replace, so there is no point to discuss unless we don't know the particular case. In all cases, it is better an easier to repair the original part. If balance pivots are broken, it

Inside, this is usually accessible from the front, not from the back...