How To:Graphite Lubrication For Resuscitating Seconds at 6 Movements

[onzenuub 374]

Francisco's How to DIY

 

INTRODUCTION

 

The original layout of the Asian 7750 movement is hour totalizer at position 6, watch seconds (no chrono seconds) at position 9 and the minute counter at position 12. However, some genuine watches do not follow this configuration.

 

For example, one of the most elegant watches, the IWC Portuguese, has the minute counter in position 12, and the watch seconds at position 6, instead of 6. Therefore, the A7750 has been modified to be employed in the Portuguese model, and in the Daytona.

 

This modification is made using a gear train to take the seconds from 9 to 6. However, it is known that this set of gears is not well designed. This can be seen later in this post. There are no rubies and the gear directly rest on the surface of the plate.

 

Therefore, it is logical to find many buyers complaining about a dead Portuguese or Daytona. The problem is that there is a moment where the amount of wear is too much for the movement and the watch simply stops.

 

This set of gears is not lubricated. Probably you think that employing good oil we can reduce the amount of wear. However, using oil to lubricate will worse the problem. A layer of oil between the gear and the plate will stick these pieces. Therefore, all the train of gears is intentionally not lubricated.

 

The idea of using graphite lubrication is from a member of RWG, Fredyy333. Please, all the credits for him.

 

In my opinion this technique should be applied to the movement just when it is bought, to avoid future problems. A friend of mine, Gonzalo, let me his dead Protuguese to try this new technique. Follows a picture of the watch.

 

 

PROCEDURE

First, the back case is opened. In the case of the Portuguese is fastened by 4 screws.

 

 

Once the rotor is removed, it is possible to see that the movement is hold by 4 screws, the more exterior screws in this picture.

 

 

Next step is to remove hands and dial. I am not going to show pictures here, because this has been explained many times. However, this is probably the most difficult step. Be careful.

 

Follows a picture of the movement without the dial. There no date wheels, as the Portuguese is not using them, and there are two plates covering the movement. These two plates have the gears to move the seconds from 9 to 6.

 

 

Next step is to remove three screws that hold the first plate.

 

 

The next pictures shows the face of the first plate. There is one gear is this plate. This gear is the “output†for the seconds in the modified A7750, i.e., position 6, the last gear.

 

 

I decided not to remove this gear. All the rest of gears are removed for cleaning and lubrication purposes. However, I think that removing this gear could be tricky. I had a bad experience once. However, the plate will be cleaned, what means that the gear will be cleaned too.

 

 

The next task is to remove the second plate by unscrewing 3 screws. The two visible gears on the next picture are part of the gear train. The silver gear is removed very easily.

 

 

However, the another gear is fastened / hold by a button/pin that is inserted in the plate just using some pressure. Follows a picture of this gear when is removed with the button on the right. Now it is possible to see the very bad design of this modification. The gear rotates over the surface of the plate, hold down by the button. Now it is possible to understand the amount of problems with these watches.

 

 

In addition, in this picture it is possible to check the wear on the gear. And there is wearing on the plate as well. Where is the material that has been worn? The answer is.. stopping the watch.

Next it is a picture of the reverse face of the plate. There is another gear hold by another button.

 

 

The gear has to be removed.

 

 

This is a view of the movement without the two plates. In the original output location of the seconds at 9 now there is a gear, connecting to the second place.

 

 

The next step is to clean the gears and the plates using an ultrasonic machine. This is just a view of the material employed.

 

 

Just as a curiosity, L bottle contains the cleaning liquid, and E1 and E2 the raising solutions. The gears are placed in a small basket and the plates in an inexpensive tea baskets, that works as well as the very expensive ultrasonic baskets.

 

 

 

 

The next step is to lubricate employing powder graphite.

 

 

We put some graphite in the friction areas on the plate. Then the graphite has to be rubbed against the surface of the plate. The idea is to pulverize the graphite.

 

 

The next step is to use the blower to eliminate all the visible graphite. Yes, all the graphite. We want just to keep a molecular layer of graphite.

 

Now we only have to assembly the gears and the plates on the movement, dial and hands. The dead Portuguese is now running without problems.

 

SOME FINAL COMMENTS.

 

Why is it working now? Because it has been cleaned or due to the graphite? I think both causes are important. Perhaps without the graphite the watch would work again. But graphite will reduce the amount of wear in the future.

 

How long will it last? Nobody knows. We are just beginning to apply this technique. I think that this procedure should be repeated in regular intervals. Of course, a regular service is a good chance to make again this graphite lubrication.

 

On the other hand, finally I am going to buy a Portuguese. I have been waiting a lot of time for a solution to this problem. When I received, the first work to do is to follow this tutorial, just to avoid future problems.

 

 

And, very important, remember to blow out all the graphite before installing the gears.

 

If you make this task on a wood table, the graphite will penetrate the table and it seems impossible to remove it

On the other hand, IMHO the use of an ultrasonic cleaner is a must. Specially with dead Portuguess where it is very important to remove the very small particles of wearing. In Ebay you can find cheap cleaners that play a decent role. If you want to reduce cost at maximum, use a drop of soap for washing (warm water), and denaturalized alcohol for rinsing. For baskets, the inexpensive tea baskets shown in the pictures. Total cost less than 50 euros.

 

BTW, the dead Portuguess is still working

 

After I wrote this tutorial I discovered that there is another version of Portuguess that has no screws to fasten the bezel. If this is your case, you have to remove the beze +crystal using a knive or similar. And remember to unscrew the two screws that fasten the movement to the case.

[10:10 Watch Repair 1]

Thanks.

Did you look at the plate with a loupe to see how much graphite was left?