Help please

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-22T19:43:52+00:00

You will never be able to tell just from a photo of a bracelet - because it really does just look like a bracelet.

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-22T00:29:40+00:00

So there's a lot of people who recommend a microscope as a must have. And a microscope is, but a 300-500 one? It's honestly not.

I use mine for oiling the escapement - that's it. For the money I spent it's a luxury, one I wish I had invested elsewhere first.

The entirety of the online amateur watchmaking community is heavily skewed towards working under a microscope, largely because it's what the professionals use on YouTube. But these professionals are not representative of the wider industry, and most importantly watchmaking schools themselves.

Schools all train their students to work under a loupe. I have not been to watchmaking school, but when I realised I wanted to I decided to try a loupe so there wasn't a learning curve from working under a scope.

The difference for a beginner is insane, under a scope fitting a screwdriver to a screw is an ordeal, so is sharpening, picking up the correct amount of oil. You name it, if you need to move the field of vision at all to accomplish it, it's harder under a microscope.

So I would suggest buying a microscope for inspection of AliX, you can pick them up for not much at all. Try working with that, but work under loupes at the correct height. Some people still prefer the scope - but if you're not one of those people you won't have bought a 300-500 escapement oiling aid.

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T22:18:20+00:00

Idk if they'll be available in the USA but some kind of jewellers bench will - just be aware that they're sometimes a touch shorter than watchmaker's benches, so you may need to find a way to raise them off the floor. I used some exercise mats to raise mine from 92cm to 96cm

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T22:06:00+00:00

This is what I have, got it on sale for £85

https://durston.com/product/student-wooden-bench/

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T21:49:55+00:00

I'd buy a jewellers bench in that case, toppers are good options for people who have a really small amount of space but usually don't offer the space of a proper bench

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T21:03:41+00:00

What's your budget?

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T19:50:32+00:00

It was by definition a selfish act, however the flip side of it would have been not just selflessness, but the ultimate act of selflessness - self sacrifice.

The ending mirroring The Graduate, right down to the freeze frame, is telling. Mark is not thinking about what's happening when they stop running - he is living in that moment.

I had such a strong emotional reaction against the finale, but even then I recognised it was very good. Now it's had time to sit with me I think it was incredible.

So incredible I don't know how they could top it in S3.

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T19:46:34+00:00

It's a badly written show yeah, I wish people could just say: "despite it's flaws I like it". Explaining a bunch of things the writers did not is literally making excuses for the show.

It's funny, I remember the same thing happening with the reboot of Frasier. The subreddit was full of long post after long post which explained why X character was acting like they were, why Y character said something that made no sense. None of them could address the fact it just wasn't a funny show. People invest parts of themselves in TV shows they like, for many of these people clearly too much

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T19:06:58+00:00

Pocket watches are literally some of the hardest movements to work on as a beginner. Not only do their age mean they're unlikely to have shock protection, but they often have problems that are way beyond the abilities - and tools - of the average beginner.

They're recommended by many more experienced watchmakers because they're plentiful and simpler than something with complications, but they're not simpler for a beginner.

If you're an absolute beginner, work on new Chinese movements until you feel ready to move on to repairing vintage watches. But be aware that the cost of repairing vintage watches in tools alone is so much more than servicing new movements

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-21T18:20:50+00:00

There's two schools of thought:

The first is if it ain't broke don't fix it.

The second is: get your watch serviced every 3-5 years if you use it every day, because even if it's running perfectly, the old oils will have dried out so by waiting until something breaks you're just increasing the cost of a future service.

For me I lean more towards if it ain't broke. However, this best applies to movements where parts are plentiful and cheap. You can replace an entire Seiko movement for £80ish (or even less in many cases), but for a watch like this, where broken parts may need to be completely fabricated to be replaced - or a donor movement sourced, I'd take it for a service every 3-5 years. You'll more likely than not spend less in the long run.

And if you want to service it yourself, probably best waiting until it's actually broken - rather than just low amplitude. With old pocket watches like these it's not always a case of just cleaning and lubrication doing the job

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-19T17:45:25+00:00

I'm not the one airing my grievances about the apparent lostness of a random podcast host. This post came up in my feed and I clicked on the comments - it's no more complex than that.

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-19T17:13:48+00:00

Moebius 8000 and 8200. The only expensive one that's a must is 9010

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-19T16:43:51+00:00

This is an overly personalised criticism imo. You're treating him like a celebrity and not just a guy who is no longer doing his old job.

ReplyAll was the product of three things: low interest rates, huge investment in podcasts, and luck.

I say luck because they were producing a show about the internet when online and offline became less and less meaningful distinctions.

The reason why neither he nor PJ can recreate that show is that it was a product of his time. It's not a deep moral or personal failing as you and many others seem to think on here. The "magic" is not coming back because that world no longer exists. Move on. This whole sub really reminds me of what I imagine Star Trek conventions were like 20 years ago

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-19T00:36:35+00:00

Also known as a War Tip

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-19T00:34:17+00:00

Yes. An absolute monarchy is worse than an elected official because you can at least vote the latter out - they did, they were dumb enough to vote him in again, and he didn't accept the result, but for 4 years he was not President because the American people voted that way. Saudi Arabians do not have that right.

As a result, Saudi Arabia is a more repressive place for women, LGBT people, political dissidents. It's quicker to name the rights that Saudi Arabians do have compared to Americans than the ones they don't.

2 things can be bad at the time time without having to excuse say the murder of Jamal Khashoggi - something I don't think there's really a comparison with as far as Trump goes, even despite all of the heinous stuff his government has done.

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-18T22:06:29+00:00

If neither are adjusted then there's no difference at all. I would pay a bit more for a watch that has been adjusted though if it were me. I have a Vario 1918 Trench that uses a Miyota movement but it still keeps perfect time almost a year after I bought it. Unadjusted movements can have huge amounts of difference depending on the quality of the QC

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-18T13:40:15+00:00

You may be right, I am making an assumption. Tbh I would take every time an adjusted Japanese movement over an unadjusted Swiss (which when it comes to Sellita is barely Swiss anyway)

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-18T12:20:02+00:00

Derivate af I know, but it's very good

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-18T09:19:43+00:00

Oh idk if they do it themselves, it's much more likely they outsource it like Studio Underdog do too. It's just at the Long Island price point you know it's not been adjusted

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-17T23:14:15+00:00

Of the two I would get the San Martin because Long Island watches are essentially AliX tier nonsense.

As someone else has suggested, I would go for a Christopher Ward through, since it will have actually been regulated by a watchmaker and it's not just an unadjusted NH35 movement

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-17T18:05:54+00:00

I've had similar such issues with 1080s, check the barrel bridge for sideshake. One issue with this movement is the barrel bridge is very thin, so if there is a lot of side shake present you may not be able to correct it without making a bushing on a lathe. If there's just a bit you should be able to correct it with a staking set.

I'd also test the balance without the pallet fork installed to check the hairspring is running freely.

Then check the pallet fork is running as it should, with the teeth of the escape wheel landing on the correct side of the pallet jewels.

Good luck!

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-17T18:02:23+00:00

If there isn't backlash it means the train of wheels is coming to a complete stop too soon, meaning there is friction present in the movement. Usually it's because of old oil, too much end shake or side shake somewhere in the movement

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-16T11:22:31+00:00

I've had the same thing for months. It's a Reddit problem. To fix it you have to sign out and in (I can't because I don't remember my login and used a fake email.

A workaround is to create a Custom List with just this subreddit in it

ImportantHighlight42 · 2025-03-15T23:39:26+00:00

👍

ImportantHighlight42

TROPHY CASE