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Tampa & Orlando

Complicated Watch Repair and Unusual Watch Repair requires a thorough understanding of the mechanisms. The diversity of mechanisms invented by watch making geniuses over the centuries is amazing.
	Complicated watches may chime, play music, record elapsed time, show phases of the moon, have special calendar mechanisms, display astronomical time, have an equation of solar time feature, have moving figures and do many other things. There are other unusual watches that employ special mechanisms designed to be very accurate or unique. Sometimes they are one of a kind. This page shares some of the Complicated Watches and Unusual Watches we have restored.
The watch shown is a "Wandering Hour" with a "Quarter Hour Repeater" mechanism that is visible through the crystal dust cover in the back. Normally the repeater mechanism is hidden under the dial. When we received this watch there were a number of things out of order including a broken crystal dust cover. Note the winding holes to accommodate the key winding in the dust cover. The blued steel plate underlying the repeater mechanism was also scratched and deteriorated. We refinished and re-blued the plate to match the ornate spiral blued serpentine gongs. This watch is once again absolutely spectacular and functioning as it did a couple hundred years ago.
	Shown on the left is the calendar mechanism that is hidden under the dial of a Charles Frodsham Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater. This watch has a wheel that rotates once in four years allowing the display of February 29 once every four years. It also strikes the time to the nearest minute when the repeater mechanism is activated.
This Audemars Piguet is a self winding wrist watch with a perpetual calendar mechanism similar to the larger watch above. There is about a hundred years difference in the age. It uses a wheel that rotates once a year and caries a planetary wheel that rotates a quarter turn each time the year wheel turns, thereby showing Feb. 29 during the leap wear. It must be carefully cleaned and lubricated by hand with a modern lubricant during servicing.
	On the left is the chronograph mechanism of a Patek Philippe Minute Repeater with Chronograph. The balance has been removed from the watch.
On the right is a modern skeleton Chronoswiss wristwatch movement with dial and hands. Both of these chronograph watches are able to record lapsed time like a timer or stopwatch. Again there is about a century difference in the age.
	This is a picture of a Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater dismantled for cleaning. All of the old oil and dirt is removed and the parts are inspected for defects. The parts must go back together exactly as they were intended. Even the small screws vary in shape and size and must not be mistakenly placed incorrectly. The proper type and amount of lubricant must be put in the many places where it is needed an not where it will cause sticking or other problems. The job requires much skill, knowledge, and attention to detail. There are also many adjustments to the fit and interaction of the parts They must function as a symphony of mechanical art, all performing as intended.

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