This video documents the emergency restoration of a vintage British military watch, a Smith's W10, after it endured a full washing machine cycle. The presenter details the rapid intervention taken by the owner (removing hands and placing it in rice) and the comprehensive service performed to mitigate potential water damage. The process includes full disassembly, meticulous cleaning of all components, replacement of a brittle gasket, reinforcement of the lumed hands, and polishing of the acrylic crystal. The video also highlights the reassembly, lubrication with various specialized oils and greases, and fine-tuning the movement's accuracy to achieve optimal performance, demonstrating a successful recovery of the cherished timepiece.
Emergency Watch Restoration: Rescuing a Vintage Military Timepiece from a Washing Machine
0:00 Emergency Patient: The video opens with a vintage watch showing severe internal condensation, having survived a full washing machine cycle.
0:30 Owner's Quick Actions: The watch owner, Alex, promptly placed the watch in rice and performed initial disassembly, including removing the hands and case back, which significantly reduced potential damage.
1:33 Initial Assessment: Despite the incident, the movement appeared surprisingly dry and was still running, with only minor water droplets visible under magnification.
4:12 Watch Identification & Unique Features: The watch is identified as a Smith's W10, a vintage British military watch. Unique design elements include a two-screw balance bridge and a "hack" mechanism that stops the watch when the crown is pulled for precise time setting.
8:26 The Washing Machine Story: A humorous anecdote about how the watch ended up in the washing machine, with the owner initially dismissing a "weird noise" from the machine.
11:32 Gasket Replacement: The old rubber gasket was found to be brittle and shattered upon removal, confirming its failure and necessity for replacement to restore water resistance.
12:18 Comprehensive Cleaning: All movement parts were thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, and dried in a professional watch cleaning machine to prevent rust and remove old oils. The case was cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner.
12:47 Dial & Hand Care: Water spots on the dial were carefully removed using Rodico. The Tridium lumed hands were dried with a fan and reinforced from the back with a clear binder to prevent future degradation or flaking due to moisture exposure.
21:00 Jewel Cleaning & Mainspring Service: Pivots and jewels were meticulously cleaned with pegwood to ensure optimal performance. The mainspring was safely reinstalled into its barrel using a specialized winder.
24:40 Lubrication & Reassembly: The movement was systematically reassembled and lubricated with various Mobius oils (HP1300 for general parts, U 9415 for escapement) and blue Mobius grease for high-tension metal-on-metal components.
39:45 Troubleshooting & Correction: An initial timegrapher reading showed poor performance (running -224 seconds/day), leading to the discovery and correction of a misaligned center seconds pinion/fork, which significantly improved the movement's function.
45:09 Final Adjustment: After correction, the watch's rate and beat error were finely adjusted on the timegrapher, achieving excellent accuracy (0-1 second/day with zero beat error).
46:00 Crown & Crystal Restoration: The crown was reattached to the stem with Loctite for security. The heavily scratched acrylic crystal underwent a wet sanding and polishing process with Polywatch, restoring it to a "good as new" appearance.
50:32 Final Casing & Protection: The movement was cased with a new, properly lubricated gasket and an antimagnetic/dust cover, "future-proofing" the watch against moisture.
52:00 Successful Outcome: The watch was fully restored, looking and running exceptionally well, exceeding its condition upon arrival, ready to be returned to its grateful owner.