Member X 91 Posted April 5, 2010 I fear this is another silly question lol but just in case it isn't... You remove the hands. You replace them. Do you need to stop the movement while the hands are off? Does it matter what position you put the hands back on, as long as they line up at 12?? I assume that the cogs that move the hour and minute (and a central seconds) hand just tick round at their respective speeds and don't actually care how you put the hands on as, as long as they line up at 12, as the cogs don't have a certain position relative to the hands on the watch face? Does that make any sense at all?? LoL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dingle 57 Posted April 5, 2010 I fear this is another silly question lol but just in case it isn't... You remove the hands. You replace them. Do you need to stop the movement while the hands are off? Does it matter what position you put the hands back on, as long as they line up at 12?? I assume that the cogs that move the hour and minute (and a central seconds) hand just tick round at their respective speeds and don't actually care how you put the hands on as, as long as they line up at 12, as the cogs don't have a certain position relative to the hands on the watch face? Does that make any sense at all?? LoL haha...I was thinking the same thing when I did my hands on my 183. I just replaced them at the 6 olock position and everything works fine......I may have gotten lucky tho...... Sconehead? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greg_r 81 Posted April 5, 2010 I don't know much, but I do know this - from back when I was still playing with pocket watches as a kid Yes, you should stop the movement. No, it doesn't matter how you refit the hands, so long as they line up. UNLESS, of course, the watch has a date complication, at which point it gets a little more important Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KBH 7 Posted April 5, 2010 I stop the hands. I prefer to do that kind of work when the power reserve is completely run down. If not, the 6497 movements are relatively easy to release the mainspring. On automatics, if necessary I'll use a small piece of rodico putty to hold the hairspring. If you have a date function you rotate the watch until the date just clicks over and then set the hands at 12:00. Most perfectionist will do this a couple of times to make sure it switches at 12 exactly. I'm not that picky. If it switches within a minute or two, I'll live with it. After you get the other two hands where you want them then you can put on the second hand. It doesn't matter how that goes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Member X 91 Posted April 5, 2010 Cool, cheers for all the info I may be soon to do my first mod so wish me luck... lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KBH 7 Posted April 5, 2010 haha...I was thinking the same thing when I did my hands on my 183. I just replaced them at the 6 olock position and everything works fine......I may have gotten lucky tho...... Sconehead? The main reason to do the hands at 12 is that's the best way to get them lined up EXACTLY right. You can see the two tips of the hands exactly straight up and lined up when one is right behind the other. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
