The Rolex Forums   The Rolex Watch

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Old 18 July 2016, 09:06 AM   #1
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
1936 Ladies Rolex not working :(

Hi everyone, I bought this as a present to my other half. She's been wearing it a week and yesterday it decided to stop working.
It's fully wound but will not start, the movement is clean inside and looks perfect.
Can anyone recommend anywhere in the midlands to have a look and asses the problem?
The movement is a 15 Jewel manual wind.
Thanks
Dan
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 01:23 PM   #2
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
Did she drop it? ;-)

They don't generally just "stop working" if they are working.

it's not shock resisting. A drop on a hard floor and it's toast.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 05:48 PM   #3
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
As far as I'm aware she has not dropped it, she is equally suprised as I.

Is there anywhere that I could take this to have it looked at?
Thanks
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 05:51 PM   #4
MonBK
Banned
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kingstown
Posts: 58,281
Where is Midlands?
MonBK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 06:04 PM   #5
Old Expat Beast
TRF Moderator & 2024 Patron
 
Old Expat Beast's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Real Name: Adam
Location: Hong Kong
Watch: SEIKO
Posts: 28,262
Quote:
Originally Posted by MonBK View Post
Where is Midlands?
Central England.
Old Expat Beast is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 06:24 PM   #6
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
Thanks,

Sorry I forget that this forum is global!

I am in the UK, near a town called Nuneaton.

Dan
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 06:43 PM   #7
MonBK
Banned
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Kingstown
Posts: 58,281
Then it'll be a question for UK members to answer.
MonBK is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 07:52 PM   #8
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
Lots could happen.

Balance staff is always the likely candidate if a hard shock or drop to hard surface has occurred.

If it's wound tight and not working...it could be a roller jewel issue..either the roller jewel has come un shellacked from the roller table or for some reason the safety is just such that a slight shock at the right time would allow the roller jewel to jump out of the pallet fork.

Or it could be some piece of debris has lodged in one of the teeth and is stopping the train.

No telling without a look under the bonnet so to speak.

Movement is pretty simple...parts...not so much but hopefully it is minor.

Staff could get tricky as there are 3 collet sizes that I know of.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 July 2016, 08:21 PM   #9
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
I did open it to have a look. I have a delicate touch... I took pictures if they help?
The balance wheel seems to move fine, I managed to release some slack into the mechanism by moving the pin back and slowly letting the crown move back a 1/4 to 1/2 turn.
Now I can wind it but still no movement. Below is a picture although very poor quality, sorry.

IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19 July 2016, 04:03 AM   #10
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
Okay cool...so the balance is swinging freely. That is VERY nice :-)

So can you see the pallet fork?

It is the part that engages the balance with the escape wheel.

If you can see the balance swinging...and the pallet is not moving back and forth ...then you have lost your roller jewel.

You probably should have been looking carefully for that if you were going to open it up but I didn't know. :-O)

so...check that. If the balance swings and the pallet does not move back and forth most likely the roller jewel has come loose from the roller table.

Not much fun...especially on that size watch. Especially if it is lost... which it very well could be. Keep your eye out for it...it would be red and the size of a spec of dust :-/

Let me know I'm curious.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19 July 2016, 06:02 PM   #11
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
The balance swings but I see nothing engaging it, no roller fork? I'll have to look again tonight.
I'm sure nothing fell out. I was working in a clear White bench and would have seen it I'm sure.
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19 July 2016, 09:18 PM   #12
77T
2024 Pledge Member
 
77T's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Real Name: PaulG
Location: Georgia
Posts: 40,569
Isn't the mainspring, cap and/or barrel a common source of trouble if they haven't been looked after? Meaning the movement may be free, but something thwarting delivery of spring's power to drive it...
__________________


Does anyone really know what time it is?
77T is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20 July 2016, 02:47 AM   #13
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
I'm really struggling to find and decent local watch repair places.

The balance wheel... How freely should it move? If I tilt it, it rocks from one side to the other, but I wouldn't say it was smooth.
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 20 July 2016, 07:25 PM   #14
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
Well it should swing back and forth...it if it doesn't remain parallel with the plate or it won't swing when you hold it in certain positions the staff is likely broken.

Since you are in it...if you take the rim of the balance wheel and if it will move substantially out of plane with the rest of the movement the staff is broken.

which means...it got dropped...or smacked VERY hard against a hard surface.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6 August 2016, 06:55 PM   #15
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
Update,
I took the watch to Roy Hancocks 2 weeks ago and they quickly opened the watch to confirm the balance shaft was indeed broken.
He gave me an estimate of 30-40 pounds to repair and a rough time of 2 weeks.
A quick phone call today as I've heard nothing and the guy said it would probably take another 2 weeks. I told them that he estimated 2 weeks before so he is getting back to me..
Have a feeling that they aren't going to fix it and I'll be collecting it still not working... Was I too wishful ?
Thanks,
Dan
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7 August 2016, 06:11 PM   #16
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
He may be having trouble locating a staff. There are 3 different ones at least for that mvt.

Don't write him off yet. That's an incredible price. I wouldn't touch it for double that.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17 August 2016, 12:29 AM   #17
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
Unfortunately they can not locate the correct part and have said I can collect the watch. Does anyone know the type of movement in the picture? What part number staff should I be looking for?
Thanks
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17 August 2016, 05:31 AM   #18
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
Dan the problem is there are at least 3 staffs for that movement.

You can't just say staff.

The movement is a calibre 400 I feel relatively sure. It could be a 500 but I don't think so.

I believe if you measure it is a 7 3/4 ligne size.

So there are multiple hairspring collet sizes for that movement.

I am not near my references but I can tell you from experience that is what you are dealing with.

I may be able to help you but truly you are going to have to have a watchmaker measure the collet shoulder on the existing staff to even begin.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18 August 2016, 11:59 PM   #19
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
R.W.T, thank you so much for all of your input.

If I collect the watch on Saturday I will ask then if this is something they can do while I wait.

If not can I do this myself? We have plenty of accurate measuring equipment at work, I just wouldn't want to break anything.

Thank you again.
Dan
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 19 August 2016, 03:00 PM   #20
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
I wouldn't recommend that. You have to remove the balance from the watch and really most likely remove the hairspring if the shoulder is not sticking out above the collet. If you aren't used to doing these things you could easily damage the hairspring slightly or a lot and then....you might as well forget it.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 30 August 2016, 11:22 PM   #21
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
Ok so I have collected the watch now.

These are the notes I was given.

9 3/4 Hunter
Movement no. 5414

There are 5 staff part numbers...
2728
2159
2160
4357
2161

Does any of that help?
Thank you :)
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 31 August 2016, 07:00 PM   #22
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
Not really because we have no idea what staff you need unless you have the collet size of the one that is in YOUR watch.

Really 9 3/4...that would be a BIG watch for a ladies watch in that era.

They are mostly 7 3/4 and 8 3/4.

Can you measure the diameter of the movement please in MM.

9 3/4 ligne is 21.994 mm

8 3/4 ligne is 19.739 mm

7 3/4 ligne is 17.483 mm
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1 September 2016, 06:43 AM   #23
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
You'll have to excuse how crude this is but I only have a tape to hand but it's definitely over 20mm in size.


Is there anything else I can do?
Where abouts are you located? We are in California in two weeks if you know anyone on the west coast?
Thank you so much.
Dan
IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1 September 2016, 07:04 AM   #24
IbanezDan
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Midlands
Posts: 14
Took a video of it helps at all...

IbanezDan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1 September 2016, 01:52 PM   #25
R.W.T.
"TRF" Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Central Texas
Posts: 1,973
PM sent.
R.W.T. is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Takuya Watches

Bobs Watches

Asset Appeal

My Watch LLC

OCWatches

DavidSW Watches

Coronet


*Banners Of The Month*
This space is provided to horological resources.





Copyright ©2004-2024, The Rolex Forums. All Rights Reserved.

ROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEXROLEX

Rolex is a registered trademark of ROLEX USA. The Rolex Forums is not affiliated with ROLEX USA in any way.