Pocket Watch repair

[Riknos]

Hi guys,

I have a silver James Michael pocket watch that is broken, it's an issue with the crown, it's constantly 'pulled out' so is constantly on 'set the time mode' (I don't know watch terminology...) so doesn't hold time well. Asked around a few places and none of them will touch it. It's not worth a lot so don't want it to cost too much. Anyone here able to fix or know somewhere that will?

I'd have a crack myself but can't even seem to open the thing, the back doesn't just twist off like normal watches, as the back flips open also - this is the one:

http://www.kay.com/en/kaystore/***james-michael-po...

Thanks.

[Aidayboy]

Hi, I appreciate it might not be local to you but worth a call at least.


http://www.martinsjewellers.co.uk

Goodluck

[Variomatic]

Chinese skeletons aren't the nicest things to work on but there's a fair chance of it being a simple bypass on the winding gear.

Can you post or email a photo of your own watch, from the front, showing the area just under the "12" on the chapter ring? It's the steel plate with a "finger" coming off it towards 11 o'clock and the lever that's hiding behind it that matters.

If you can, may just be able to see enough of the keyless work to give an idea from that.

[Riknos]

Variomatic said:

Chinese skeletons aren't the nicest things to work on but there's a fair chance of it being a simple bypass on the winding gear.

Can you post a photo of your own watch, from the front, showing the area just under the "12" on the chapter ring? It's the steel plate with a "finger" coming off it towards 11 o'clock and the lever that's hiding behind it that matters.

If you can, may just be able to see enough of the keyless work to give an idea from that.

Thanks for your help. I've tried capturing it the best I could, but the closer I got the more blurry the picture, hopefully this one is sufficient:

[Variomatic]

Can't be sure with the blur, but it looks like the return bar (the lever under the pplate) is sitting in the groove of the clutch wheel (the little cylinder with teeth on the end), which is where it should be. A bypass would have the lever out of the groove and sitting "behind" the clutch, which jams everything solid.

That means it's probably a fault with the setting lever (under the dial / chapter ring) and / or the stem. May still not be a big problem, but spare parts don't really exist for these so it's hard to say more without seeing the watch in the flesh I'm afraid.

[Riknos]

Variomatic said:

Can't be sure with the blur, but it looks like the return bar (the lever under the pplate) is sitting in the groove of the clutch wheel (the little cylinder with teeth on the end), which is where it should be. A bypass would have the lever out of the groove and sitting "behind" the clutch, which jams everything solid.

That means it's probably a fault with the setting lever (under the dial / chapter ring) and / or the stem. May still not be a big problem, but spare parts don't really exist for these so it's hard to say more without seeing the watch in the flesh I'm afraid.

Thanks. I notice you are a Watchmaker. Any chance you would be able to give a rough estimate of the cost if it was either scenario? PM if you prefer it

Thanks.

[Variomatic]

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