Okay, so, I had this little problem with my NH35 watch movement. It’s one of those things that you don’t think about until it’s staring you in the face.
It all started when I pulled out the stem, you know, that little knob you use to set the time? Well, I guess I did it in the wrong position because after that, the keyless works just stopped working. It’s called the keyless works, basically the part of the watch that controls the winding and setting mechanism. It was a real head-scratcher.
So, I thought, “Alright, time to roll up my sleeves.” I’m no watchmaker, but I’m pretty handy, and I’ve tinkered with a few watches before. I decided to take the movement apart. It was a bit daunting at first, all those tiny screws and gears. But I took my time, laid everything out nice and neat so I wouldn’t lose anything.
Disassembling the Keyless Works
The keyless works is on the dial side of the movement, so that’s where I focused. I carefully removed the hands and the dial. And there it was, the keyless works in all its intricate glory. Now, the tricky part was figuring out what exactly went wrong. I inspected each piece, and to my surprise, it wasn’t as complicated as I’d feared.
- First I removed the crown and stem, I just pushed hard as usual.
- Then I took off the motion works plate with the three screws.
- After I took out the clutch wheel, I carefully removed the winding pinion.
- The last step, I removed the setting lever spring, and then took out the setting lever.
Turns out, I must have put some extra pressure on the stem release button when I pulled the stem out. This caused one of the tiny levers in the keyless works to slip out of place. It was such a small thing, but it made a big difference.
Reassembling and Fixing
With the problem identified, it was time to put everything back together. I carefully repositioned the lever, making sure it was seated correctly. Then, I started reassembling the keyless works, piece by piece. It was like solving a tiny, mechanical puzzle.
- At first, I put the setting lever back.
- Then I placed the setting lever spring in right position.
- And I put the winding pinion back.
- I carefully put the clutch wheel back.
- I reinstalled the motion works plate with the three screws.
- Finally, I inserted the stem into the movement to check everything is OK.
Once everything was back in place, I put the dial and hands back on, and inserted the stem. I wound the watch, set the time, and listened. That familiar ticking sound was music to my ears. Success! The watch was working perfectly again.
It was a bit of a learning experience, for sure. But now I know a little bit more about how watches work, and I’m not as intimidated by the thought of taking one apart. Plus, I saved myself a trip to the watch repair shop. Win-win!
