Tools
There are myriad tools to streamline your workflow, I've listed them in order so you can add more as you progress; and tools can be resold quite easily if you've gone far enough to scratch the itch.
Optics, tweezers and screwdrivers can't be skimped on. If you can justify a full set of Bergeon screwdrivers on the little carousel that's great and cost-effective, otherwise just pick up the three or so essentials and buy the rest as you go.
Expect to fork out £500 to service a basic watch.
I've added the product code in brackets, the six-digit ones are Cousins UK own brand.
Inspect
You don't need much to get started -- you're basically just having a closer look -- but I often go out and about with a loupe in my jacket pocket. You know... just in case.
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Eyeglass/loupe 2.8x (Bergeon 4422-3.5) | The Bergeon name is the focal length not the magnification | 7.95 |
| Large cleaning cloth (Selvyt Medium White Size: Size A 25x25cm) | I think it's good practice to always handle watches with a cloth, especially if it's not yours; a decent microfibre cloth is a good alternative | 5 |
| Spring Bar Tool (Bergeon 6767-F) | It's really nice to choose straps with quick release spring bars if you can, otherwise this tool is essential |
Explore
Now we're cooking: get the case back off and inspect the insides for any issues.
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Rubber Case Ball (Bergeon 8008) | Squishy ball case back remover that works far better than you might think | 5 |
| Case knife (C20800) | Pen knife style and oyster shucker style; I generally prefer the oyster-style but it's good to have a choice | 4 |
| Eyeglass/loupe 4x (Bergeon 4422-2.5) | Slightly more magnification | 8 |
| Eyeglass Holder (Bergeon 5461) | It's just a loop of spring steel wire that goes around your head, the ones that clip on your glasses look nice but can be more expensive; I tend to swap between depending how I'm feeling, eye glasses can get a little steamy too! | 6 |
| Case cushion (Bergeon 5395-75-N) | Treat yourself to a decent, large gel cushion | 15 |
| TOTAL | 38 |
Disassemble
This is getting serious... and you'll need quite a few more tools. But you will have enough to completely disassemble a basic movement (and by "basic" I mean a three hand manual winder). Note we are replacing broken parts at this level, rather than making new ones. And always use the correct size screwdriver, otherwise you just risk chewing up the blades, screw head or both.
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Movement holder, gents Size, Carbon Fibre (Bergeon 4040-P) | Essential and even the Bergeon ones are reasonably-priced | 20 |
| Tweezers (Idealtek Anti-Magnetic No. 7 Very Fine, Curved Tips) | I actually got a job lot of tweezers on eBay but these curved tipped ones are my favourite | 17 |
| Latex ESD Finger Protection Thimble Cots Large, Pack Of 144 (Bergeon 7968-18) | The sizing of these is a bit of a mystery, I've never thought I had particularly big hands but anything smaller than large is unbearable and even they are a little tight on the thumbs | 5 |
| Cloche | You will never have enough pots to store things | 5 |
| Screwdriver with blades yellow 0.8mm (Bergeon 30080) | 12 | |
| Screwdriver with blades red 1.2mm | 12 | |
| Screwdriver with blades pink 1.6mm | 12 | |
| Dial protector (Bergeon 6938) | Very cheap, or use the traditional "ripped baggy"; I've found that hands can sometimes ping off so the baggy does at least prevent that; be careful with applied indices as they're quite easy to un-apply | 1 |
| Hand Levers, 3.0mm Tips (Bergeon 5431) | Buying these hurt! I also bought some of the cheap ones from eBay for a 10th of the price | 40 |
| Hand pushers | Pack of 4 from Cousins | 5 |
| Barrel press | eBay £5, if it's good enough for Marshall... | 5 |
| Sealing Grease Winder | For gaskets on the case back and crown tube; a nice little finishing flourish | 5 |
| Cannon pinion remover | Can be very expensive for such a niche tool; alternatively do it carefully in a bag with tweezers, I found some blunt-end brass ones that work: pull upwards to avoid bending anything | |
| Plastic pointy stick/peg wood | Starbucks call them "coffee stirrers" but they look like peg wood to me | 0 |
| Total | 217 |
Vintage clean and restore
Tidy up an old case and crystal.
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Polywatch | Acrylic crystal polish: vintage crystals, won't touch mineral glass | 10 |
| Polishing buff (Bergeon 2290) | For steel cases, don't use on gold-plated or it won't be gold-plated for much longer | 8 |
| Rodico Premium (Bergeon 7033-1) | For picking up dust and small components; also useful for manipulating hands into position, a little Rodico on the end of a closed oil dropper is my go-to | 5 |
| Crystal press | The screw down type seems a bit more controlled; I also padded the lower dies out with sticky felt furniture pads into a dome shape | 16 |
| TOTAL | TBD |
Lubricate
This is a big old can of expensive oily worms. But let's get started with the basics, and just go for the smallest volume as you'll be using it sparingly. You can buy just the red and green oilers but you might as well get the set. There's a bit of a knack to loading the oiler: kind of slow dip and then quick out; you just want the tip to be wet.
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Light oil | For the quick wheels; e.g, Moebius 9010 | 20 |
| Grease | For the high-friction metal-on-metal components; e.g, Moebius 8300 | 13 |
| Oilers, pack of 4 (Bergeon 30102-P4) | Red for the rubies; green for the grease | 12 |
| Total | 45 |
Stem cutting
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Nippers (C49671) | You can cut the stem with regular pliers but you'll make a better job of it with end cutters | 10 |
| Emery sticks (E33809) | To refine the cut stem, you can get away 800 grit paper | 7 |
| Pin vice | To hold the stem when you're polishing it | 4 |
| Total | 21 |
Additional
Non-essentials, but these might improve your workflow when you start getting into it.
| Product | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dumoxel Non Magnetic Tweezers with Boxwood Tips | Not a replacement for really fiddly work, but a luxury for hands/dials and pingy things | 50 |
| Loctite 222 | Screwlock | 12 |
The next level
Take it to the next level by repairing and servicing your own watches; but know this: the rabbit hole goes deep... see where to go next in watchmaker's resources.