Okay, so I’ve been meaning to mess around with this old Elgin gold watch I found at a flea market. It looked pretty rough, but I figured, why not? I’ve always been curious about how these things tick, literally.
First thing I did was gather my tools. I didn’t have any fancy watchmaking stuff, just a small screwdriver set I use for my glasses, a pair of tweezers, and a magnifying glass (because my eyesight isn’t what it used to be!). I also grabbed a soft cloth to work on, so I wouldn’t scratch anything up too badly.
Getting Started
I started by trying to open the back of the watch. This was trickier than I thought! It was one of those snap-on backs, and it was really stuck on there. I carefully wedged the smallest screwdriver I had into the little notch and gently pried it open. Took a few tries, and I was a little worried I’d break something, but it finally popped off.
Once I got it open, I was pretty amazed. There were all these tiny little gears and springs and things, all working together. It was like a miniature city in there! I used the magnifying glass to get a closer look, and I could see how everything was connected. It’s really intricate.
The (Small) Disaster
I decided to try and take out one of the gears, just to see how it fit. Big mistake. It was so tiny, and my hands are kinda clumsy. I dropped it, and it bounced off the table and onto the floor. Spent a good ten minutes crawling around on my hands and knees looking for the darn thing. Finally found it hiding under the rug.
After that little scare, I decided to just look and not touch. I spent some time tracing the movement of the gears with the tweezers, trying to figure out how it all worked. I didn’t really understand everything, but it was still fascinating.
Putting It Back Together
Getting the back of the watch back on was another adventure. I had to line it up just right, and then press down firmly until it clicked.I made sure is was closed.
I’m definitely no watchmaker, but it was fun to take a peek inside this old Elgin. It gave me a whole new appreciation for how these things are made. I think I’ll stick to looking at them from now on, though. Maybe I’ll leave the repairs to the professionals!
