Watch Rebuild – OSA Member Owned – U.S. Contract Pilot's Watch Issued In Vietnam – LONG POST - PIC HEAVY

[dennishoddy]

I've been wanting to find a Seiko Bullhead chronograph for myself for quite a while. If I were to get one for myself, that'd be the one. It's got my name written all over it. We have similar tastes! @dennishoddy, I'd really feel a lot better about it if you'd let me just buy it from you, that way I can take it apart and rebuild it without the worry of messing something up. Just food for thought, haha!! I'm good on about 90% of that watch, the other 10% that I haven't messed with yet is what worries me. Is it running at all at the moment? I really wish you hadn't shared that picture, now you've got me thinking!!!

I had a watch repairman get it going for me in the 80's after it quit running.
Only ran about a month before slowing down and quitting.
It's been resting in my memory box with knives, coins, and other memorabilia from those days ever since.

 

[Shadowrider]

@ttown that is one cool watch sir! Bravo!

 

[thor447]

I had a watch repairman get it going for me in the 80's after it quit running.
Only ran about a month before slowing down and quitting.
It's been resting in my memory box with knives, coins, and other memorabilia from those days ever since.

I'll be in touch one of these days. That's a hell of a watch for me to start on (chronograph wise). I'm 100% confident that I can get the watch part of it back in working order. Seiko's are my happy place! It's just that chronograph makes me nervous. I just need to get a few under my belt, lose the butterflies, and I'd work on one belonging to someone else.

 

[xseler]

I'm the fella that owns the old Benrus VN era military issue wrist watch.

I acquired and wore the watch in VN after I returned to work there as a civilian after getting out of the Army and I later wore it for over 2 yrs. while working in Libya.......it is also the watch that I've always worn when hunting.

Before @thor447 worked on my watch we had met a few times to do a little horse trading so we already knew each other and I can't say enough good about the man......he's good people.

Thank you again sir ! !

And I'm the one that owns the odd ball. I've also known Adam for a while and consider him a friend.

The 1930 Dashtronic is a watch that I had coveted for quite a few years. Just never wanted to spend that much for a watch. I happened upon a sale a while back and got it for about 75% off. I don't know if it is even worth that --- except that it seems to be a great conversation starter!

 

[coolhandluke]

What a fantastic thread with amazing photos and descriptions of the work performed.
I’m seriously in awe that you have progressed so quickly.
I’m also unabashedly waiting until you feel confident to tackle this watch bought from that same era in a PX.
It does me no good sitting in my memory box not working.
I’m patient. Thinking your going to say let’s tackle this new challenge soon when the desire to take on a chronograph gets stuck in your mind and you can no longer deny me.

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Nice bullhead Dennis!

 

[dennishoddy]

Nice bullhead Dennis!

That watch and I have some history for sure, but nobody behind me will know. It will just be an object to them.

 

[thor447]

And to think guys here on OSA complain about losing a spring or something from working on their firearms.

Let them go looking for that screw.

I keep a large magnet on standby. Thankfully I haven't had to use it in awhile (knock on wood). When I was first starting out, I would send parts flying because I hadn't yet figured out the right technique to handle those small parts, nor had I learned how to dress my tweezers, screwdrivers, etc. I use an Arkansas stone and a jig to keep the tips of those tools in pristine shape nowadays.

 

[thor447]

And I'm the one that owns the odd ball. I've also known Adam for a while and consider him a friend.

The 1930 Dashtronic is a watch that I had coveted for quite a few years. Just never wanted to spend that much for a watch. I happened upon a sale a while back and got it for about 75% off. I don't know if it is even worth that --- except that it seems to be a great conversation starter!

I'd imagine it would be a great conversation starter. It's a really interesting watch. I secretly wanted to keep it, lol.

 

[HoLeChit]

Nice work @thor447 here’s a watch that was used in WWII and Vietnam, this watch was considered out of specification if it lost over 7 seconds a week and used on mission critical assignments.

This one is an 8 position watch, an unadjusted watch while fine time piece for a consumer grade watch, those watches were not used on the railroad up to the late 1890s

The accident that changed it alll.


On the 19th day of April 1891, there was a collision of two trains in Kipton, Ohio. The accident resulted in the death of engineers of both trains. From the official news, an engineer’s watch stopped running for four minutes before restarting which led to the accident. After that day, the people of the era started to acknowledge the importance of proper time standardization for rail transport. In addition, an accurate standardization of watches was necessary to be used by rail transport’s workers. That was the beginning and the birth of Ball railroad watches.

The Lakeshore and Michigan Southern Railway employed Webb C. Ball as the Chief Time Inspector to examine the watches and set a new standard of watches used for rail transportation. After a thorough investigation, Ball decided to set an official RR Standard (RR stands for the railroad) to ascertain the right timekeeping devices for railroad workers. Then, the workers should bring their watches to be checked regularly at the Ball Time Service once every two weeks.

Since punctuality is the key to every sort of rail transportation, it’s essential to make sure that the watches have no difference in telling the exact time. After such an accident, now it’s very much clear that having the right timepiece on the wrist decides the matter of life and death. As it’s a must for the train employees, strict criteria must be maintained to produce the reliable Ball railroad watches.

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Here’s a watch I went though about 20 years ago.

Hamilton, 4992B, United States Air Force Navigational Master Watch GCT, 22 jewels, adjusted six positions. 16 size, Elivar extra hairspring. Made in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Hack setting (stem pulls out to stop second hand). Military nomenclature on back.

The 4992B is based is a slightly modified version of Hamilton’s famous 992B which was developed for use in the railroad industry in the United States and is probably one of the finest mass-produced pocket watches ever produced. It was introduced in 1940 and billed as “America’s finest and most accurate railroad watch.” The 4992B is the same design but modified with a sweep second hand that could be stopped for synchronization and had a 24-hour dial which was important when operating in areas all around the globe.

These timepieces were used by the navigator and pilot as the airplane’s master time source during World War II through Viet Nam era (today’s Navigational timepiece can be found here: Marathon Navigator Watch). It was intended to be set to Greenwich Civil Time (GCT) as a reference timezone. Late 1950’s pieces were carried by Navigators aboard B-52 long-range bombers as seen in the Movie, Dr. Stangelove.

Thats gorgeous. Every time I see a pocket wtch it gets me all fustered and angry, 2 years ago I purchased a nice pocket watch from a clock/watch shop in weatherford TX. It was supposed to be working, it wasnt. I took it back, the guy said he would fix it and call me. 2 years later I still havent gotten a call, and I know I should call, but I just feel like He's gonna say he has no clue what I am talking about, and I am not ready to hear that. I have been bamboozled.

 

[DavidMcmillan]

That is amazing! Much enjoyment following this thread, and all of your others.