My FIRST Watch Repair: 45 yr old Bulova Accutron!

This video shows me doing what I thought was a simple battery change on a recently discovered 1976 model Bulova Accutron model 219 watch that my father received in 1979 for 25 years of service to Goodyear. He retired from Goodyear after 37 years of service. The watch has a gold plated back cover with his name, 25 years of service, and the date 1979 engraved on it.

I find out pretty quickly that although a new battery brings the second hand to life, the minute and hour hands were not moving. A detailed thread on the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors website showed me exactly what the problem was (linked below).
0:47 Disclaimer
1:56 Batteries: 1.55v Silver oxide 344 vs the 1.35v mercury oxide 343
2:52 Battery Replacement
4:20 Discovering the minute & hour hands don’t move
4:34 What’s wrong explained / disassembly begins
7:09 Showing the Center Wheel Assembly
7:38 Removing the Date Bridge, Date Indictor, & Date indicator Detent
8:48 Removing the Date Trip Spring, Yoke, & minute wheel
9:29 Mis-diagnosing the bad Center Wheel Assembly
10:21 Problem explained & cleaning the corrosion
11:46 Showing the bad Center Wheel Assembly
12:27 New Center Wheel Assembly w/ P/N explained
13:53 Re-oiling the Center Tube & installing the new Center Wheel Ass’y
15:36 Showing the differences between the model 218 & 219
16:36 Installing the new Setting Wheel, Minute Wheel, Yoke, & Setting Lever
21:17 Installing the Hour Wheel, Calendar Trip Arm Ass’y & Date Indicator Detent
24:34 Installing the Date Trip Spring & Date Indicator wheel
26:37 Installing the Date Bridge & Date Indicator Detent Spring
29:02 Testing & Explaining the date trip action
31:09 Watch hands alignment & installation
333:47 Cleaning the watch with Thinking Putty (similar to silly putty, a Rodico replacement)
34.19 Re-installing the Setting Stem & battery
34:35 Fabricating a new Battery Strap from a Paperclip
36:33 Bump starting the Index Wheel
37:15 Summary, showing the working watch with some matching clothes, belt & shoes & my grandfather’s working 100 year old pocket watch!
Note: I realize running a pocket watch that probably hasn’t been run or serviced in 50 years is a bad idea. I only partially wound it once, and I probably won’t run it again until it gets to be professionally serviced. The pocketwatch shown is a Waltham Model 1892 PS Bartlett grade 17 Jewel size 18 pocket watch.

National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors website article:
https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/bulova-a...

There 3 videos on YouTube by My Retro Watches that showed how to take apart and reassemble a model 218, which is nearly identical to my 219:

"Bulova Accutron 218 Disassembly Tutorial":
   • Bulova Accutron 218 Disassembly Tutorial  

"Bulova 218 Accutron Tuning Fork Watch - Assembly Part 1":
   • Bulova 218 Accutron Tuning Fork Watch...  

"Bulova 218 Accutron Tuning Fork Watch Assembly Part 2":
   • Bulova 218 Accutron Tuning Fork Watch...  

This video on DIY Watch Club showed me how to re-install watch hands:
"Watch hand installation detailed guide part 1: Hour and Minute hands (movement with date)":
   • Watch hand installation detailed guid...  

Next time I will be more careful with not leaving parts on the watch that can fall off, and being more cautious to read small text on the watch, and I'll also wear those little finger rubbers they all seem to wear.

Music Credit: YouTube Audio Library