Inside Story! Watches Are Often Ruined by Repairs

Watch Repair

However, after being repaired, they are more prone to developing new problems that were not there before, such as:
1. During disassembly:
1Careless removal of the second hand, leading to a broken second pivot;
2Improper use of tools, resulting in scratches on the dial;
3Improper removal of dial feet, causing them to snap;
4Excessive force when removing the balance bridge, causing the hairspring to stretch and deform;
5Forgetting to“release the tension”before removing the pallet fork, resulting in damaged or loose pallet jewels;
6Careless removal of the shock absorber, leading to a broken shock spring;
7Careless opening of the barrel, causing the mainspring arbor to fly out;
8Improper operation or poor tools leading to lost parts: such as cap jewels, shock settings, shock springs, setting levers, or setting springs;
9Low skill levels of the operator often lead to: scratches on the case back during opening, scratches on the bridges, broken pivots, or scratched screws.

 When the above occurs, the typical countermeasures taken by watch repair shops are even more appalling (corresponding to the points above):
1Splicing the second pivot; (Once spliced, there is always some deviation, creating hidden risks for the future stability of the watch's timekeeping!)
2Attempting to repair with coloured solvents; (When your watch enters the second-hand market, its value is significantly reduced!)
3Gluing or welding; (Creating hidden risks!)
4adjusting the balance spring; (poor isochronism! )
5fitting original or replacement pallet jewels, securing pallet jewels with shellac; (reduced efficiency! )
6fitting original or replacement shock springs; (reduced shock-absorbing performance! )
7fitting an original or replacement barrel arbor; (loss of kinetic energy! )
8finding an alternative when the original cannot be sourced; (potential hidden issue)
9for watch workshops, scratches are really not an issue at all;

in fact,a watch damaged during use can be repaired,whereas a watch ruined by poor repair is disabled for life. But since we are not professionals and do not have that much time to watch over watch repairs, we often let these unscrupulous repairers take advantage.