Tag: watchmaker

On dissolving broken stems and saving crowns

theindianseikosmith7 Comments

A frequent challenge faced when working on wristwatches is the occasional breakage of a stem, typically near the threaded portion of the crown and often the broken piece is impossible to grip with a pin vice or flush cutters. In the case of vintage watches, replacement stems and crowns may not be readily available. While the broken stem can sometimes be salvaged with the help of stem extenders (illustrated below) rescuing the crown presents a more intricate task, requiring the delicate extraction of the offending stem fragment without causing harm to the crown.

Tap 9 and Tap 10 extenders (top)
A stem threaded into an extender (bottom)

Scouring through the internet, the oft found bit of wisdom is to first prepare a saturated solution of alum powder, (potassium aluminium sulphate) which is available is speciality grocery stores. The crown with the broken stem is submerged in the solution and over the course of several hours or days (sometimes requiring the application of heat) the softer steel of the broken stem dissolves into the alum solution forming a black sludge. Meanwhile the harder stainless steel (or brass, aluminium, copper and even gold-plating) of the crown-in-distress is unaffected.

The advice is perfectly fine and works as advertised. However, when we come to Seiko watches, there is a frustrating surprise lying in wait. MOST STEMS MADE BY SEIKO ARE OF STAINLESS STEEL!

Submerging a Seiko stem and crown in alum solution, even at elevated temperatures, proves futile. Heated alum solution (and even concentrated acetic acid/ vinegar) does nothing. The offending crown in my case was a 50M04NS crown from a beaten up 6119-6400, popularly known as the UFO. The stem in question, the 357612, features a square shoulder at the crown end for a tiny gear bearing the part number 998613 supported by a spring. This configuration is found in the Seiko 61 series of calibres with internal rotating bezels, correctly termed as the Rotating Dial Ring. While the stem could not be saved due to being rusted solid, the crown remained in fair condition. Although not rare, and aftermarket reproductions in plentiful supply, I still tried to look around for some guidance to save the target of my attention.

During a conversation with a seasoned collector and restorer who goes by the moniker ‘saldog’, and boasts of a far more experience in collecting vintage Seikos than myself, I stumbled upon a working solution (pun intended).

Descaling powder, used commonly for cleaning coffee pots, dishwashers and washing machines was the answer. A saturated solution proved effective in targeting the heat-treated and hardened stainless steel of the stem while leaving the softer stainless steel of the crown unscathed. Accelerating the process is possible by heating the solution, perhaps on a coffee mug warmer. As you can see below a merry stream of bubbles erupts from the tip of the broken stem while the crown remains unharmed.

And there you have it—a guide for all fellow enthusiasts to follow when faced with a broken stem lodged in a crown out of a Seiko, desperately in need of redemption.

An introduction

theindianseikosmith5 Comments

Welcome everyone to the first instalment of my blog! Here, I aim to chronicle my profound fascination, and what I hope to be a long and serious affair, with vintage mechanical timepieces, particularly highlighting the allure of Seiko’s enchanting and reliable vintage watches!

My venture into collecting and restoring old Seikos has its roots in my childhood when I often dismantled things to uncover their inner workings (and rendering them non-functional in the process). Looking back, it’s clear that the absence of today’s ubiquitous digital devices played a profound role as well.

As I mentioned in the “About” page here, while tinkering with DIY kits and preparing Arduino sketches, one of the most impactful events to affect all of humanity struck in the early months of 2020. Stumbling upon an old HMT mechanical watch, most of which are powered by the 17-jewel hand-winding calibre 020 licensed from Citizen, I found myself with ample time during the lockdown. With no better activity in mind, I decided to crack it open, turned to a YouTube tutorial, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fumbling through the initial steps, dismembering old movements, acquiring necessary tools and absorbing insights from seasoned experts through online posts and videos followed by hours hunched over my makeshift bench, I now find myself in the humbling depths of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Now, I want to embark on this blog as an act of self-encouragement with the audacious aim of furthering my education and learning more about restoration and repair of vintage watches.

Needless to say, I do not have any formal training as a watchmaker . With only the opportunity for self-instruction at my disposal, I regularly make comical blunders, perhaps an indication that I am taking my first steps up the “Slope of Enlightenment”.

The aim here is to share anything I find captivating and worthy of preservation with fellow aficionados. This exercise is purely a journey of self-discovery and I fully appreciate that the wealth of expertise and superior resources wielded by seasoned individuals in the vintage watch repair and restoration community far surpasses my own. I refrain from working on others’ watches primarily due to time constraints as my own pursuits take up much of my time. Moreover, I prefer having sole ownership of the outcomes, whether good or bad, resulting from my explorations and creative endeavours.

I am excited and look forward to presenting before you a wide array of mechanical watches, mainly from Seiko, with intermittent features of electric or quartz timepieces. Occasionally, there may be highlights from other manufacturers.