One of the brands we regularly see in our workshop is Tag Heuer. Tag Heuer in its current iteration was established in 1985, though the Heuer company has existed since 1860. Watches are produced both with quartz and automatic movements in a variety of different models including the Aquaracer, Kirium, F1, Link, 2000 Series and…
Continue readingWater Damaged Tag Heuer repair
Tag Heuer is a brand we regularly see in our workshop. Tag Heuer in its current form was established in 1985, though the Heuer company has existed since 1860. Watches are produced both with quartz and automatic movements in a variety of different models including the Aquaracer, Kirium, F1 and Carrera. Our workshop holds a…
Continue readingTypes of Pivot
In watchmaking we use a number of different types of pivot, depending on the situation. The pivots are the end part of a wheel’s arbor – so the part which holds it in place in the bearing as it rotates. In this blog post we’ll briefly look at the different types of pivot commonly found…
Continue readingShock protection in mechanical watches
Before the introduction of shock protection, one of the most common causes of a mechanical watch stopping was an impact or shock causing the balance to break. A watch balance generally has a large diameter and mass, but in order to keep friction to an absolute minimum it rotates on fine pivots. As such, were…
Continue readingRolex Oyster Perpetual Date servicing and refinishing
A recent job in the workshop involved servicing and refinishing the case and bracelet of a Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date. Rolex are arguably the biggest name in the world of watches, with numerous inventions, innovations and awards to their name. Their range of watches includes some truly iconic models including the Datejust, Submariner, Air King…
Continue readingHow a quartz watch works
Quartz watches – watches usually powered by batteries – are very popular and we regularly see a huge variety of quartz models in our workshop. But how does a quartz watch actually work? In this blog post we’ll do our best to describe just how a quartz watch is able to transfer power from a…
Continue readingWatch pressure testing
In order to check water resistance of a watch we use pressure testing equipment. In our workshop we use two different types – a “dry” tester and a “wet” tester. In this blog post we’ll discuss using the wet pressure tester and how this is used to help us check a watch case for any…
Continue readingJewels In Watches
You may have seen the word “jewels” in relation to watches. Some watches say “17 jewel” on the dial, whereas other say “25 jewel”, but what does this really mean? Is a watch with more jewels better? In this blog post we’ll discuss what jewels actually are and how they’re used in a watch movement….
Continue readingIWC Mark XV servicing
A recent restoration project for one of our clients involved fully servicing an IWC Mark XV automatic watch. These models are very desirable – great looking military style watches, with excellent quality movements. IWC was founded in 1868 – so over 150 years ago. The company is well known for producing military/aviation style watches, just…
Continue readingSwiss Lever Escapement
In a mechanical watch or clock, the escapement is the mechanical linkage which allows the gear train to be periodically released. Controlling this release means we are able to adjust how watches or clocks keep time. There are numerous different types of escapement, though the most common one found in mechanical watches is the Swiss…
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