How To Service An Automatic Watch Movement

How to Clean a Watch Movement

Proper cleaning of all parts to remove traces of oil balance, dirt and other sediments from the surface is 1 of the most essential aspects of a lookout man movement. It is necessary for various reasons, and 1 of them is that it keeps time more reliable.

A clean watch movement will look more than enticing especially when displayed in a lookout man example. Too, thoroughly cleaning the move is essential in order to preserve the movement'due south lifespan.

Although there is a difference between mechanical and manual watch movements, they are cleaned quite similarly. To know how to clean your watch motility, follow these simple steps beneath.

cleaning of a watch with a cloth

Step 1: Soaking the Watch Parts

Source: Watch Repair Lessons

This is the initial step of cleaning a sentinel movement. You demand to soak the parts in a cleaning fluid for a couple of minutes. And so, y'all start brushing the surface using a small-scale paintbrush in order to remove any stroppy particles. Y'all tin can utilize distilled water and washing liquid during this phase.

Y'all can also utilise an ultrasonic cleaner and using a paintbrush to clean upwards the parts. Information technology is also helpful to load the scout parts into a modest sieve and then that it will be quicker to move the tiny parts from one cleaning liquid to another.

One affair you demand to remember is that larger parts should be placed in the solution prior to putting the smaller delicate ones. The utilise of warm h2o is more recommended in cleaning lookout parts.

Stride 2: Transfer to Some other Cleaning Liquid

Source: The Military machine Watch Resources

Later on you're done with the first solution, next is to transfer the picket parts to the next cleaning liquid. You lot can use 99.9% isopropyl booze for this since this blazon of booze is very useful in cleaning solvent. Information technology dissolves any oils or grease that was not removed during the initial step.

No need to dry the parts when moving them to another solution, but it is recommended to blot them on a paper towel. This is to remove excess residuum from the first solution. Usually, the parts are submerged in the solution for nearly 10 minutes. While being submerged, stir the parts' surface to assist the cleaning process.

Information technology is also helpful to steady the parts using a slice of peg forest while cleaning the parts' surface using a small castor.

Pace 3: Moving to the Final Solution

During this stage, all sentry parts should be clean.

Withal, it is recommended to move the parts to 1 more than cleaning solvent to take out residuum traces.

Simply like in the 2d stride, parts should be blotted prior to moving them to the terminal solution. Yous can just use water or to remove traces of dirt.

Transfer each spotter part carefully from the previous container property the other cleaning liquid into a sieve first, in society to get rid of the elements.

And then, move them one by one to the final solution that you have prepared for the total cleaning of your watch and its parts.

Step 4: Drying Every Spotter Function

So your parts are now clean, the adjacent footstep is to dry out them out. All parts should be moved one by one from the cleaning liquid. Brand utilize of tweezers to transfer them from one solution to the final ane. So, dry them up using a blower.

Remember, it should be ane part at one fourth dimension. Once it is washed, each part should exist properly checked for cleanliness and stored in a grit-embrace container to avoid the newly cleaned parts from being contaminated.

If some parts are still dirty, change the cleaning fluids with a new 1, or perhaps use another cleaning fluid blazon. Soaking the parts for a couple of minutes/hours and at the aforementioned fourth dimension stirring the surface will help better the cleaning process.

Step 5: The Extra Delicate Parts

Source: Admirer's Gazette

The pallet fork and balance assembly have jewels that are maintained through shellac. The shellac tin exist dissolved by specific solvents and one of them is ethanol. While it is safe for these sure parts to clean using the same method above, you should take actress precautions to avoid any damage.

Make use of lighter fluid, soak them for a few minutes, and then brush the surface carefully. Once done, transfer them to some other container of a lighter solution to remove residue.

Afterwards you are done soaking these parts in the other cleaning solution, dry these parts thoroughly. A similar method is used to dry them up, but like the other parts mentioned.

One time everything is properly cleaned and all tidy and dry, the watch movement tin can be assembled again and lubricated.

Conclusion

Whether yous're a sentinel expert or not, information technology's important to learn and understand how to clean a sentry movement. This process is essential in maintaining your watch's movement to work properly. The method itself tin be tedious since yous need to bargain with tiny and intricate stuff, only the aftermath is worth information technology. Also, unlike watch movements manufacturers can teach you how to properly do it, what are the best tips, and other helpful insights in sentinel and watch movement. You lot can even learn how to supersede watch battery by yourself. If y'all accept different ideas on the spotter motion, please comment below to share your thoughts.