Post by atomic on Dec 24, 2009 13:02:02 GMT -6
So yesterday I had to drive down to Montreal to pick up a Christmas present to myself.
As some of you may recall, many months ago I purchased two very dead and non-working vintage Hamilton pocket watch movements. My plan was to install one or both in something wearable on the wrist, since I'm not exactly a 'pocket watch guy'.
Because Al is a master at vintage watch movement restoration, and because he's a very close friend, there was never any question who could do the work. So off it went to the Archer Watch spa for a full treatment. Al can better describe what he did, but aside from a regular strip down, cleaning, oiling and reassembly and regulation, he discovered one jewel was missing and IIRC two others were cracked. It also had a broken end of a spring (can't remember the name of it)... Al got these replaced and running very nicely for a 57 year old movement.
Earlier this fall I gave my tobacco dial project rad to Nancy, and had Al build me up a new one with a chinese 6497 movement in it. This movement was going to be a placeholder.... for the vintage Hamilton 917.
Because the Hamilton can't simply drop-in to a case designed for a Unitas 649X, some modifications were needed. Al and I both knew that our good friend Marc in Montreal was the man for this job. Marc had to mill out the spacer ring to fit the slightly larger size 10 917 movement. Further, he had to manufacture from scratch two tiny sleeves in order to make the hands I have, designed for a 649X movement, to fit the smaller Hamilton pinions. And it doesn't stop there folks, Marc also custom made proper dial feet to attach my sandwich dial onto the 917 movement and fab a stem that would jive with the Rad case.
Here's the result, ticking away happily, 57 years after it was manufactured and who knows how long since it died:
This movement is absolutely stunning! It really blings out like no other movement. The way the plates are finished with the cotes de geneve, the anglage and the snailing is really amazing, particularly when you consider this movement is almost six decades old. Truly a fine example of how great the Hamilton movements were of yesteryear.
So a BIIIG THANK YOU to Al and also to Marc for their patience and attention to detail in helping make a crazy idea dreampt up by an artsy, come to fruition. Can't say enough about how cool it is to have a watch on my wrist that was built by two good friends.
As some of you may recall, many months ago I purchased two very dead and non-working vintage Hamilton pocket watch movements. My plan was to install one or both in something wearable on the wrist, since I'm not exactly a 'pocket watch guy'.
Because Al is a master at vintage watch movement restoration, and because he's a very close friend, there was never any question who could do the work. So off it went to the Archer Watch spa for a full treatment. Al can better describe what he did, but aside from a regular strip down, cleaning, oiling and reassembly and regulation, he discovered one jewel was missing and IIRC two others were cracked. It also had a broken end of a spring (can't remember the name of it)... Al got these replaced and running very nicely for a 57 year old movement.
Earlier this fall I gave my tobacco dial project rad to Nancy, and had Al build me up a new one with a chinese 6497 movement in it. This movement was going to be a placeholder.... for the vintage Hamilton 917.
Because the Hamilton can't simply drop-in to a case designed for a Unitas 649X, some modifications were needed. Al and I both knew that our good friend Marc in Montreal was the man for this job. Marc had to mill out the spacer ring to fit the slightly larger size 10 917 movement. Further, he had to manufacture from scratch two tiny sleeves in order to make the hands I have, designed for a 649X movement, to fit the smaller Hamilton pinions. And it doesn't stop there folks, Marc also custom made proper dial feet to attach my sandwich dial onto the 917 movement and fab a stem that would jive with the Rad case.
Here's the result, ticking away happily, 57 years after it was manufactured and who knows how long since it died:
This movement is absolutely stunning! It really blings out like no other movement. The way the plates are finished with the cotes de geneve, the anglage and the snailing is really amazing, particularly when you consider this movement is almost six decades old. Truly a fine example of how great the Hamilton movements were of yesteryear.
So a BIIIG THANK YOU to Al and also to Marc for their patience and attention to detail in helping make a crazy idea dreampt up by an artsy, come to fruition. Can't say enough about how cool it is to have a watch on my wrist that was built by two good friends.