The buzz on the Internet is that some Rolex models now have an 8 digit “Serial Number” which is a mix of letters and numbers without any apparent order. I suspect and hope that there is in fact an order to these numbers. If in fact they are random, we won’t be able to call them serial numbers any more because they wont be in series, we’ll have to call them “Random Unique Identifiers.” Unfortunately, without having a database of every Rolex generated RUI it will be impossible to estimate the production date of Rolex models identified with this new system.

As I was saying, I believe that Rolex is in fact using a system to generate these numbers. I would like to prove it and be able to provide a reference to watch enthusiasts in the future. In order to “break the code” I need the help of the entire Internet Watch Loving Community. If you have a Rolex with an apparently random serial number please register it at The Rolex Registry. You can also access the registry by clicking on the Rolex tab at the top of any page on this blog. If you participate in watchmaking forums on the Internet in any language please help to spread the word. The more serial numbers I get registered the sooner we can break the code.

Since I work with Rolexes all the time whenever I encounter a Random Unique Identifier I will register it in the database as well. If you work with watches I ask you to do the same. Nobody will see the see these serial numbers except for myself and a dedicated team of mathematicians which I may employ to help me break the code.

The movement above is the ETA F03.111. It has 3 Jewels and lots of plastic, including complete wheels and pivots in the gear train (it’s what I would expect from a low end Seiko or a Timex). Don’t get me wrong. Plastic isn’t bad but it evokes poor quality and the rest of the movement follows. I would never service one of these movements, it would simply get replaced. So how much do you have to pay for one of these gems? This particular watch is a steel & plated gold model with a diamond bezel and diamond dial which is listed for $4100 retail but can be obtained at Amazon for just $2,660.00. The value of the movement is less than half of a percent of the market price and less than a quarter percent of the full retail price. In contrast the value of a Rolex movement represents around 1/3 of the cost of a comparably priced model.

This watch came to me for a power cell and a water resistance test, which I performed, but then the setting lever broke and I had to replace that as well. The quality of the ETA F series just isn’t good enough to be used in any watch that costs more than a few hundred dollars and Tag Heuer should be ashamed of using them in this watches. Spend a few more dollars and use a good quality quartz movement that will stand up to customer use. The F03.111 is a part of ETA’s Trendline which they describe as “economical movements for mass produced watches.” In contrast ETA’s Flatline watches which include the 256.xxx movement is described as “flat, reliable, numerous functions, high performances.” Which would you rather have in your watch? Some Tag Heuer chronograph’s now have movements from ETA’s Fashionline, also described as “economical movements for mass produced watches.” I guess that settles it, Tag Heuer is a fashion watch.

In this case . . . you don’t get what you pay for, you get much less.

Now You Know What I Know

The Gruen Horological Text was really a joy to read. As a young watchmaker who has been exposed mostly to modern repair techniques, I found it reassuring to know that fundamentals of watchmaking have not changed. That is, the concepts that I was taught were also being taught in 1948. Unlike the WOSTEP textbook The Theory of Horology, which is full of formulas and theory about how watches operate, the Gruen text is an instructional guide in servicing and repairing mechanical timepieces.

The text follows the order of instruction in a watchmaking course taught by the Gruen watch company at a school they operated on their campus. At the beginning it covers watchmaking tools, their use, and preparation along with the basics of micro-mechanics including filing, sawing, and turning.

In the first 78 pages everything is covered from the critical basics like fitting the dial and hands and cleaning and oiling to the more advanced techniques like positional and temperature adjustment. The text is full of well written descriptions, step by step procedures, and accompanying illustrations. Obviously, hands on practice and constructive feedback are also necessary when learning these techniques.

Additional topics covered include:

• Balance wheel staff replacement, truing, and poising
• Hairspring formation, manipulation, vibrating, poising, adjusting, and untangling
• Jewel replacement
• Mainspring handling
• Escapement theory and adjustment
• Gear train calculations as well as how to recognize and solve problems with depthing
• Balance staff and stem fabrication
• Isochronal Adjustment
• Tightening loose cannon pinions
• Fitting and adjustment of watch bands

In addition to the basic techniques critical to watch repair of all brands, the book includes technical bulletins from Gruen covering the specifics of several Gruen Autowind models for gents and ladies, calendar models, and stem interchangeability.

For the beginner watchmaker this book serves as an excellent guide for topics that should be covered in their study of watchmaking. However, some caution should be exercised. While 95% of what is taught is still considered to be good watchmaking, some of the techniques would not be considered good watchmaking by modern standards. These techniques could be applied in the repair of vintage timepieces where parts are no longer available, but should not be used on modern production calibers for which parts can be readily obtained.

For the young watchmaker with modern training this book serves to build confidence in the techniques taught in school, as well as to expose the watchmaker to other techniques that were perhaps not taught in school. In addition, the book covers some topics appropriate to older timepieces but sometimes overlooked in modern training like the replacement of bezel type jewels and the turning of a new jewel setting.

For the experienced watchmaker the book is a good review of the basic techniques and a resource for technical information specific to some Gruen calibers.

The Gruen Horological Text puts forth an excellent watchmaking course that, if followed by a diligent student who has access to an instructor or mentor to critique their work, could produce a well qualified watchmaker.

UPDATE: We have redirected all book links directly to the author’s web page. When you follow any of these links to gruenwrsitwatches.com and purchase the book, you are purchasing the book directly from the author and you help support Mr. Barnett in his endeavors. Watchmakingblog.com also gets a small commission. Please mention that you read the review here to show your support for the blog.

In addition, fans of Gruen wristwatches can find lots of valuable information and discussion at the author’s page gruenwristwatches.com

Written primarily for clockmakers, this book goes into excellent detail covering everything you will need to know to cut gears for clocks. The principles for cutting wheels for watchmaking are similar, but performed on a smaller scale. Mr. Penman details every step of the process, including the repair of damaged components when manufacturing a new part isn’t necessary. The book is well written and black and white illustrations are provided to give added clarity to the written instructions.

Topics covered include: the equipment you will need, identifying and choosing the different shapes of teeth, the purchase and making of cutters, different indexing devices, the preparation of the gear blanks, even the layout and depthing of gears in the creation of a new clock. Procedures are outlined for making large gears, small gears, and escape wheels. He also covers the repair of gears, including straightening bent teeth, or the replacement of teeth when only one or two teeth are damaged. He also covers the repair of lantern pinions and spring barrels.

If you need to make a wheel and have the necessary tools, this book is the next step to getting you into the shop and making or repairing wheels for clocks. If you do this already you may find some different techniques in this book which will help you to work more efficiently. Overall, Gear Cutting on the Lathe
is a good manual on gear cutting.

My father-in-law is the kind of person who, when he is at a museum, reads every plaque about every artifact. If you are like my father-in-law, then this is the book for you. After a fantastic introduction to the book and the history of watches in general, Thompson highlights 77 watches contained in the British Museum. The watches are arranged in chronological order and range from a 1560 tambour cased watch to a 2007 radio controlled wristwatch. Each chapter reads like a plaque that would accompany the watch in the museum.

The watches presented in the book are tremendous examples from watchmaking history and the photography (by Saul Peckham) is exceptional. The book serves as a fantastic reference for collectors or restorers as it surveys the work of many watchmakers, working mostly in London and Europe, pointing out the defining characteristics of each region, time period, and watchmaker with photographs of the watches inside and out.

The book is a history of the watchmaking profession as much as it is a history of watches. Thompson describes in much detail the circumstances of the watchmaker as well as case-makers, bell makers, pendant makers, enamelers, and all other tradesman involved in the art of creating fine timepieces. Thompson discusses the technical capabilities of each watch, but fails to describe how such feats were accomplished in a manner that would appeal to a watchmaker.

Whether you are a collector of historical timepieces, or just interested in expanding your knowledge of the history of our trade, this book is worth reading. My knowledge of the watchmaking trade was greatly expanded and I have a much greater appreciation for early watches. Should I ever need to date a watch from the 17th or 18th century or attribute it to a specific maker, I will definitely include this book among those I turn to as a reference.

Note: It wasn’t more than two weeks after reading this book that I came across an example of a watch very similar to one illustrated in this book and it proved very useful in identifying the piece.

In light of the tidal wave of feedback I’ve received in the less than 24 hours since Kello went live on the App Store, I realize that I babied the app too much in testing and that it’s not quite ready for full public consumption. Due to the large number of people who have had trouble getting Kello to work successfully, I’ve decided to pull the app from the store and head back to the drawing board to focus on making the it easier for the end user to derive reliable results without having to toy with microphone positioning or eliminating ambient noise.

If you were an early adopter and are interested in beta testing the pre-release updates as they become available, please touch base with me.

If you weren’t an early adopter and are interested in beta testing, drop me a comment below and tell me what excites you about the potential of having an app like Kello in the App Store.

I want to apologize to those of you whom I’ve disappointed with the performance of this initial launch. It is my hope that the next update will better suit your needs.

My heartfelt thanks to those of you who pushed through the app’s present shortcomings and have been able to get it to work successfully.

After nearly a year and a half of development, I am very, very pleased to announce the worldwide debut of Kello - a timing machine for the iPhone - on the iTunes App Store this week!

In the mean time, I am really looking forward to seeing how it performs for other watchmakers, as well as watch collectors, particularly on Apple’s faster A4 processor, and I intend to evolve it into a much more sophisticated, pocket-sized timing machine, able to perform on par with a Witschi, as the native iOS APIs and iPhone hardware continue to improve.

If you happen to have been keeping an eye on the conversation that sprouted from this earlier post regarding the spare parts policies of several brands that sell their products in the United States, you may already be aware that the case for making parts available to watchmakers is being revisted in US courts this month. Although I am not American citizen and I do not operate as a watchmaker in the United States, the outcome of this case will undoubtedly have an impact on a more global scale. Especially for those of us who place orders with American watch part suppliers.

The last time this case went to court, the brands won out and those brands who have chosen to have been very successful in restricting parts from being supplied to third parties to repair and service their timepieces. The unfortunate result of this previous settlement has been the degradation in quality of service for brands that have chosen to restrict their parts, which in turn has yielded a souring effect on the unfortunate owners of their timepieces. Simple tasks, such as ensuring the water resistance of a particular timepiece can easily be executed by any capably equipped watchmaker as long as brand X is willing to supply the appropriate crown and gaskets. In cases where the brand chooses not to supply such parts, it can be impossible, at times, to achieve proper water resistance. When this happens, if the owner of the watch wishes to have the water resistance of their timepiece restored, they are forced to ship the watch to said brand. The client pays for shipping to and from the brand. The brand then charges an oftentimes exorbitant amount of money to reseal the watch and the client is more than likely stuck without their watch for weeks, sometimes months, at a time. All of this, when the parts could have been ordered, installed, and tested, on site - possibly for less than it would have cost the client to ship their watch, insured, to the company. This is just one the of many scenarios that we, as watchmakers, deal with every day and it needs to change. It’s bad business and our clients deserve better service.

The case is being re-opened in the courts on June 23rd. Myself and numerous other watchmakers have written letters expressing our concerns and hopes for the outcome of this case to the Honourable Judge Chen, who will be overseeing this case. Form letters have been made available by some watchmakers on their websites to aid others in writing letters. A sample letter for consumers can be found here and one for watchmakers is available as well. Andre Fleury, who has been diligently fighting for the cause, has also posted an emailable version on his website, which you can fill out in a matter of seconds if you are pressed for time.

If you have time to write, I encourage you to. Nothing says I mean it like good old-fashioned pen to paper. To aid you in writing effective letters, I also highly recommend trying to get your hands on a copy of The Oxford Guide to Effective Writing and Speaking, which has helped me considerably.

All letters should be addressed to:

US District Court Clerk
450 Golden Gate Avenue, 16th floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

Be sure, as well, to quote case number CV 05 04525 EMC in your letter.

In this latest issue, watch journalists, Norma Buchanan and her husband, report on their exclusive trip into the heart of the revered ‘Fort Knox’ of watchmaking and go into appreciable detail about the manufacturing and assembly of Rolex’s fantastically executed chrono calibre, the 4130. The article left me with an even deeper respect and awe for the extreme lengths that Rolex goes to to achieve maximum precision and perfection in the execution of their watch movements. It also shed a hint of light on Rolex owned, PreciTrame. An innovative machining solutions firm that Rolex has used to develop numerous task-specific and highly precise automated solutions for the production of its calibres. If you are at all interested in what it takes to make a top-notch, 21st century, mechanical timepiece, the article is definitely worth a read.