Elgin A-11 World War II Military Vintage Watch Restoration

[@Simon-xx2wq]

As a professionnal watchmaker i have some advice or just commentaries to say: - the mainspring was pretty fine for me. - don't forget to oil the side of the barrel arbor, where the mainspring is in contact with the arbor. Put a little bit of grease, like Moebius 8200. - when you oiling the jewels you need to be very precise and do the right thing. For example 25:23 the first one was bad oiled and the second one is very nicely oiled. You need to see the oil going on the pivot and going through the gap beetween the pivot and the jewel in the hole. Not like a "pond" on the pivot. And don't put 2 times oil on the jewel. A good oiled jewel, is a jewel where you don't see the oil on it. :) And i can explain to you why the jewel of the balance bridge broken. At 12:56 or 15:17, do you see the 4 little dot where the balance bridge is suppose to be ? In french we call that a "grenadier". It's an old and pretty bad (but effective) technique that we normally never use. Why doing that ? Because, at a previous service, i think that the balance staff was broke and the horologist change it with an other balance staff but a little bit to long. So, this little dots are made with a screwdriver to lift the balance bridge for rectify the difference of length of the new staff. Overall, you made a very good job ! On every videos, you make less and less mistakes and that is very nice. Keep it up ! :) Sorry if i made mistake, english is not my native language.

[@bsimpson6204]

I see the dots, I think I've seen the balance bridges shimmed before on youtube to lift it. I do like to read the pro tips!

[@rodrigozurek]

what would be an alternative and better technique for performing the dots?

[@WristwatchRevival]

Hey Simon, thanks for the advice and I am definitely trying to improve! Turns out watchmaking is hard :) Very interesting about the balance bridge! I didn't notice those divots in the main plate but I totally see what you are getting at now that you point it out. That's something I will keep an eye out for in the future :)

[@Simon-xx2wq]

@@rodrigozurek The alternative is having or making a balance staff to the perfect size. I said that we almost never use this technique in new movements or from high luxury brands. On a very old movements that is not a problem, we can't see them anyway. Use a good sharp corners screwdriver for performing this dots.

[@machinistmikethetinkerer4827]

@@Simon-xx2wq I call it "swedging" and I use this technique on vintage pocket watches if I can't find a correct length staff or correct shimstock. I see many come thru my shop. Hampdens more often it seems. The trick is as old as watchmaking but does come in handy. You're right tho- not on modern stuff!

[@ajsmith8799]

My great-grandmother worked for the Egin watch factory during WWII through the day they closed the factory doors. My grandmother still has the chair her mother was allowed to bring home on the last day. I've heard her stories of how normal production stopped during the war, when they went to military contracts exclusively. They also made mechanics for timers, bombs, etc. According to my grandmother, the primary reason they closed in the 60s was that Timex was getting a huge boost in popularity, and Elgin couldn't compete with their prices. I recently received my great-grandmother's watch, and am having it professionally repaired/restored. Now I'll need to keep my eye out for an A-11!

[@markwarren7116]

Good story!...Keep the memories.

[@benjaminholt4292]

Amazing family history! Thank you for sharing

[@tonyseeley]

I love how open/honest you are in your videos - makes me think I could learn this too. Thank you for another great video.

[@pingkee5553]

L-

[@dire67]

I totally agree. I'm in the process of collecting tools. 😆

[@mmacoupon]

This is so cool. My grandfather served in the marines and talked about how his watch stopped working when it got wet during the beach landing of Guam.

[@tortron]

Ive thought about this recently, especially with ww1 trench watches. They are almost totally open to the environment, 99% of them must have stopped working in the field when knocked, from dust, or from water. I have seen one or two that have threaded mounting that could be greased up and offer some protection. (the one i have here dated 1918 is in decent working condition however so maybe it wasnt that big of a deal)

[@WristwatchRevival]

Yes they still hadn't perfected the whole waterproof/dustproof/shockproof thing yet at this time. I assume they had enough of these around to replace broken ones which would then be repaired.

[@MrGrentch]

@@WristwatchRevival Some were better than others. The Borgel style cases when new were pretty good and would survive a temporary dunking. Their movements today tend to be in better condition than the more open designs. Even so enough of the more open designs survive down to today in good working condition which suggests they weren't so delicate. At least from the quality makers, Swiss and US. Then you had the true "waterproof" examples, like the "Submarine" from 1917 sold by a Scottish jewelers, that was also the first antimagnetic wristwatch, designed to a brief by actual submariners. DePollier also had water resistant cases a year or two after that, screw back and front and twist down crowns and all. Of course these days many seem to think Rolex invented that sort of thing, when in fact they have innovated remarkably little in their history, save in the area of marketing. Personal experience? I've a few Trench watches, a1916 Longines that I have for nearly 30 years and at times wore it as my daily watch going about my day, working, traveling, the occasional hike etc has never missed a beat and is accurate too(daily wear would be under a minute a month, whatever gains or losses made up by resting overnight on my night stand). That's another fallacy(usually by dealers trying to sell sub par examples) that they weren't particularly accurate. They had to be for obvious reasons(like you noted with the Elgin) and men were used to pocketwatches with their much larger balances so would notice pretty quickly if their new fangled and expensive(around 4-6 months wages for a working man) wristlet was off.

[@MrGrentch]

@@WristwatchRevival Great channel BTW! 🙂 Subbed.

[@zakvandal6816]

The precision machining and engineering of this era just blows my mind, I had no idea such a fine level of manufacturing could be achieved even 80 years ago, absolutely fascinating!

[@dazuk1969]

You have patience of a saint my friend and a very steady hand. I could not believe the size of those tiny half mil screws, the literally looked like two specks of dust. Absolute respect for your amazing work and restoring/preserving these little pieces of history.

[@paulschumacker9901]

Another Marshall gem. The best part is troubleshooting when the watch doesn’t seem to be working as well as it was before the teardown. As an amateur myself, this is where I seem to spend the most time, but also where I learn the most. Cheers!

[@WristwatchRevival]

I am finding that to be true for myself as well. I have my go-to places to look, but beyond that I just get stumped and turn to google for hours and hours :)

[@pigskinfanboy]

I just grabbed one of these off ebay myself. I’ll be using your videos as a guide. Thank you for doing these in such great detail ! I’m a disabled veteran and trying to find a hobby I can do from the sitting position. I’m partial to the military watches and Old Pocket Watches. Hopefully I can eventually find one of each of the 3.

[@scottlarson1548]

After catching up on dozens of your videos, I like ones like this that pose frustrating and mysterious problems instead of the watches that just start going.

[@dennisc.1189]

It just goes to show that you don't know what you are going to see when you open a watch, it is just a beautiful movement in there. Great job on this watch.

[@russellschultz7312]

Certainly exceeded my expectations. Great job as usual, Marshall! I admire your tenacity.

[@greatdogg]

I'm having a great time watching these with my son who's fast becoming an enthusiast. Hamilton also made a version of the A-11 along with Bulova, Waltham and Elgin.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Totally. I'm working on another one of these for a video now that is... a little more far gone than any other watch I've tried to work on. lol

[@seryoga940]

Great watch. It's nice to meet people on the Internet who return their former beauty to antiques. I also do a little restoration of watches and I like this topic !!!

[@chrisjvales2]

One watch that I've been wanting my whole life. I'm a new watch collector and only have a few watches. I really want to get into vintage watches especially military watches. Family and personal history

[@Andrewausfa]

Great camera work, great commentary, love the way you explained things and what each part was...essential for those non-horologistseses like me! Thanks for making the video.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Very glad to hear that as a goal of mine is to make this channel accessible to people that aren't necessarily super into watches

[@anj4de]

Great video! I have a 1943 Bulova A-11. Mine was also dead but a watch maker clened it and it has been running for 15+ years now.

[@todddaugherty1324]

I love the commentary on your videos, it's like I'm watching a sportscast.

[@MrKenny777]

It was so exciting and satisfying to see that balance wheel burst into vigorous life. I've got an old military watch I've disassembled and maybe I'll give it a go now!

[@ronwalsh]

Just amazing watching how you disassemble and assemble these timepieces. Great job, and thanks for sharing the hobby we love.

[@firewalker1840]

I really like how you explain everything, really clearly. Great video! love military watches

[@danpatterson8009]

Nice video quality- sharp, no focus dancing, even illumination.

[@antoniocomputersbarreto7429]

I really enjoy this one. I'm a computer 💻 guy , I hold a degree in computer information systems and believe me, I know the feeling when one discover the problem on a computer and get it fix , either hardware or software. I just learn a lot from your project. Nicely done. God bless God bless

[@allanpullin7435]

I have the same watch which was worn by him during WW II. Thanks for the video. Now I won’t be afraid to work on it 😊

[@BCM1959]

I really enjoy these, said it before and I'll say it again. Feeding the log rhythm.

[@Gary-Seven-and-Isis-in-1968]

This is a fascinating video, I hope you find the time to replace the jewels in that original bridge and get both examples up and running. Anything with WW2 on the label seems to fetch a high price, even on eBay. Just saw one of these priced at £750 😱

[@henrylee8081]

Fantastic Marshall, you have skills, removing and putting every tiny bits together is amazing!

[@bsideadventures2180]

This is one of the most underrated Channels on KZbin. Thanks for the great content sir

[@johnhaddock373]

Very interesting video. My Dad is 98 next month and was a WWII RAF navigator. He wore his Bulova A11 every day until the 80s when he went digital. It needed demagnetizing a few times (he was an electrical engineer) but other than that I don't think it's ever had any real repairs. He doesn't wear it now because it's of great sentimental value and he's afraid to damage it but it still runs. It looks so tiny alongside my 43mm beater!

[@WristwatchRevival]

Wow that is incredible! Tell your dad thank you!

[@Biblicalgiants]

I bought an old Elgin wrist watch that has commemorative etching on the caseback to a man in 1927. It's a square case in 14k white gold plate with etch designs on two sides. The face seems to have aged pretty well. I think I might have it serviced. Great upload!

[@TeslaTales59]

Excellent restoration of a cool watch from the past.

[@scotthaddad563]

Love the history behind things! I have two watches that my dad had when he served during WW-II. One is a Bulova and the other is a Girard Perreaux. Both are military watches but I think the Bulova was issued to him since it has subdued colors. The Girard Perreaux has a bright white face and is rather shiny. The shine wouldnt matter much when you are nose Gunner in a B-24 flying over the South Pacific.

[@nickf2523]

Great job Marshall! 👏 Your videos are an inspiration and this one prompted me to restore a vintage Hamilton W10 I’ve had in my projects box for months. Thanks, please keep them coming 😀

[@WristwatchRevival]

Awesome, good luck with it!

[@robertrishel3685]

I love these vintage WW2 era watches. Actually quite shocked how nice the movement is! I have to add, your tweezer skills are Ninja Master level👍. I wish you were around when I was a kid and needed splinters removed😂 Beautiful work😍

[@andrewclarkehomeimprovement]

Superb. Nothing quite like solving a difficult problem and we all learn something too! Thanks, really enjoyable.

[@nesvarog14]

Amazing work, beautiful clockwork, congratulations on bringing back such an interesting piece. Thanks for such a good video.

[@mariabright5003]

This is such an informative video for me, and you did good explaining about the jewels and correct placement, that is a something I struggle with. Your videos are also pretty awesome, because I don't get bored watching them :) Thank you for your content!

[@bsimpson6204]

Sat and watched it start to finnish, well done sorting the jewel issue. Just amazing an 80 year old watch can run to 2 seconds a day!

[@WristwatchRevival]

Yeah I'll be honest I was also surprised to see that. My guess is that it won't keep that kind of time consistently but even getting it to that state for a bit is kind of amazing.

[@jeff1176]

Woke up to this!!!! You just made my Saturday ! Thanks Marshall

[@thomasherrin]

awesome video...as someone who is just venturing into the hobby--its nice to find a video where the "how it works" is explained. thank you!

[@WristwatchRevival]

You bet! My goal for the channel is to have people who are just getting into it be able to watch the videos, but also put enough good stuff in there so that people who are already into the hobby won't feel dismissed.

[@samsum3738]

Total respect for your work and patience .

[@Kingstonsmac]

Just came across your KZbin and instagram pages today and I am hooked. Thank you for the amazing content. I have a love for all time pieces and it’s great to see you at work.

[@DaveMGmovies]

Enjoyed seeing you overcome the challenge. Very enjoyable.

[@GordonjSmith1]

Really wonderful commentary, and an excellent insight. I learned a lot. I am the largest shareholder of a sixth generation tower clock making company and I find your vlogs more informative, and useful (!) than many or most, or even all of my professional contacts. Deeply appreciative.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Wow that is cool, and I appreciate the compliment as well! Would love to know more about the clock towers, sounds really interesting.

[@GordonjSmith1]

@@WristwatchRevival Please show me how to get in contact.

[@nicholasolifant9538]

This was a joy to watch and a learning curve never knew jewels had so much influence in a watch thank you 🤙🤙🤙🤙😝😝😝

[@pablocramer9669]

Great work. Could watch for hours. Thanks for sharing.

[@umeko204]

I have a Vietnam era (‘68) issued Benrus DTU-2A/P that sadly, was damaged by a loose thread on a pair of jeans, forcefully ripping the winding steam out. I tried to have it fixed, but three different watchmakers said it couldn’t be repaired. It was very accurate. Would love to have it running again.

[@Andrew.W75]

I have one of these as well & had it serviced last year, really accurate little watch. The crown stem is designed to come apart, as there is no removable caseback & the movement comes out from the front of the watch. I can give you the name of my watchmaker if you like, he may be able to help fix your watch, cheers

[@machinistmikethetinkerer4827]

I think your watch is repairable bro. Andrew^ is on to something. It's a 2 piece stem.

[@geobel1669]

Just picked the Bulova sister on eBay , not opened yet and little bit worried for the movement condition and finding parts , but after all it’s part of the game. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and skills with us !

[@bradmoyer9737]

Do you have a merchandise site where someone could purchase one of your completed projects? You refer to yourself as a hobbyist, but your attention to detail and persistence in not stoping until every detail is carried out to the highest standards, makes one supremely confident in getting a high quality timepiece. Not to mention it is absolutely mesmerizing watching your content, Thank you!

[@WillyMcCoy50]

Very nice! The 10 sided case back (decagonal) is a trademark of Borgel/Taubert/F.B. who had the patent that rivaled Rolex as the first "waterproof" wristwatch case. The inner cover would normally seat onto a lead collar making it dust and waterproof. Since the Armies would be in different temporal zones a watch that would shun dust and moisture would be spec'd. I love time only/hacking movements. Power reserve meters are cool but rare. The PX's always had a fantastic selection of watches for soldiers that lost or gambled their watches away.

[@SorryIwasntListening]

I always enjoy your videos and the world of crazy small things.... just a great way to spend 50 mins..... thanks.

[@torokun]

That’s a beautiful movement. I honestly did not expect it.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Same. Was really surprised honestly.

[@torokun]

@@WristwatchRevival do you still have this watch?

[@ericsissenwein3601]

Didn’t know what I was getting into when I opened your video. I am absolutely amazed at the detail and commentary throughout. Wonderful! Thanks so much. Subscribed.

[@fubarmodelyard1392]

Really is a beautiful watch did a fine job bringing it back to life

[@johnschultz9947]

Thanks, you gotta love these A-11’s. I sure do.

[@richardhopkinson7931]

Just want to say how much I enjoyed this project! Loved the videos!

[@TheeYellowDart]

I really enjoy watching your videos and listening to the commentary. As a neophyte you strike a good balance with explanations. I feel like I'm discovering the watch with you. Keep it up!

[@WristwatchRevival]

I love hearing that! My goal for the channel is to open up the world of watches and watchmaking to people while also not being boring for the people that are already into it :)

[@theprussian4616]

You are the reason I want an A-11.

[@davidrasch3082]

Fascinating. In '71-'74 we got Timex encased in plastic and guaranteed for a year watches. In the artillery 'time-to-target' is crucial firing close infantry support.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Interesting, I never knew that, thanks for chiming in. I was basically just guessing as to the actual military application as I haven't served in the military before. I'm very grateful to those who have.

[@TailormanUK]

Another great video mate, I really find them entertaining and very informative. I'm not even going to pull you up when you say "off of". Brilliant video.

[@hiker64012]

Excellent video, outstanding servicing.

[@WolfeVintageWatches]

Thanks Marshall! Excellent video as always.

[@francispalmer9737]

Nice to see you bring back to life a bit of history even though you had that hidden problem it was great to watch, excuse the pun.

[@snapfitness1]

Well done ... Really a nice job and very interesting to watch.

[@bjcundiff8623]

Great video man. Really learning alot watching your stuff.

[@rogerstokes123]

From pool to poker, you are my favorite channel.

[@AusTactical]

So cool really glad I came across your channel love your work, takes away a bit of the mystery of watches

[@stonecutter2]

Watching some of your older videos, just wanted to note that on the case back, you can see "AF43" so the Elgin case was made in 1943. The movement however dates to 1945 production year.

[@ricks7464]

I just dug out my father's A-11 to see if it still runs. It sorta does. I thought it was the one he used as on 51 missions as a B-17 bombardier in N Africa and Sicily, but I see this one has a 44 prefix serial number, so I guess he lost his first one. This must have been issued after he returned to train replacements.

[@moviesfan5513]

This is my favorite you tube channel.

[@wendyglasgow6394]

Lovely job on great looking watch. I also love your accent . Thank you .

[@BeeBobierto]

Marshall- honest question: at the beginning and again especially at the end as you’re about to put the dust cover on before the caseback, it looks like the movement is a little loose. At 47:55, are the two open holes at/near 12 and 6 for movement/case screws? It looks like that would remedy the slight jiggling the movement is doing once cased, but I can’t really tell if those holes are screw holes or not. And in thinking a little deeper about it, could that extra shaking the movement is doing have contributed to the broken jewels, possible previous balance staff repair Simon mentioned, etc.? Loved the progression of the troubleshooting. I really enjoyed this one (and of course your others).

[@wadehampton1534]

Marshall, I'm in the process of buying watchmaker tools and equipment. Could you please tell me what type of microscope that you are using? I have a collection of loupes, but I need a microscope like yours. Love your channel, I've been learning so much about watch servicing and repair/restoration, and I appreciate the knowledgeable that you are sharing with us. You've shown us many of the pitfalls that you encounter during the service and repair of mechanical watches. I've been fascinated with mechanical watches since 1966, when I received a wind-up Timex boys watch for my sixth birthday. It's high time that I learn how to service and repair my own collection of watches. Thanks again, buddy, you are the man!

[@johnboyofalaska4182]

Testing your patience. You got it. I work in the evenings after a days work. I had an AS 1194 that took me 2 full evenings before the train bridge would not fall in. I just could not get the 3rd wheel to line up at the same time as the escape wheel. Try, fail... succeed... but it was a fail.. get up.. take time to watch a video.. finally the 3rd night I just gave it a little push and it went together. *sigh** Now the old Helbros is working great!

[@WristwatchRevival]

Hey congrats! I've been there myself, I know the feeling :)

[@cfl941]

i do like the look of that watch, just nice and simple

[@NormanF62]

The field watch was designed to tell time. That’s the reason a date complication was absent.

[@0514asm]

Great quality video again! Really enjoyable to watch

[@CWERNER]

You got yourself a new subscriber. You are a Maestro my goodness you have all the patience in the world. Thank you for sharing your master skills sir.

[@stevenworsley2441]

Great video. I’ve just sent my Hamilton 6b Military watch away for repairs. Wish I could have sent it to you 👍

[@KRColson]

Well done Marshall! You amaze me with your skills! I would love to own such a time piece! Thank you for showing us this video.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Thanks Kevin! These are very cool watches indeed.

[@bgdavenport]

Jewels, springs, pivots, lubrication. That should be your inspection checklist when you take the watch apart and during reassembly.

[@DavidWendel]

Great video! Now I want an A11! I can tell that you learned a lot from Mark and I have heard you mention him before. Many people do videos but I like your methodical clean methods much like how Mark works! Keep up the good work and I’ll keep watching!

[@WristwatchRevival]

Basically learned it all from Mark, hope to be half as good as he is some day!

[@angelgarciafranco1035]

excellent work with that piece of history

[@stephenbridges2791]

That is a very fine job, for a hobbyist. Or anyone, for that matter. I will say that I would encourage you to try your hand at metal plating. It is not all that difficult. It is safe. And; very inexpensive to get a start in. With the skills you already have, the sky would be the limit. Good job!

[@WristwatchRevival]

Ok, I will do that. I just don't have any experience with it and it's kind of intimidating setting up a bunch of chemicals and electricity and stuff. Also I do all of this work in my apartment and I don't have a proper work area outside of my kitchen table ahha. I'll look into it though.

[@jantepas7511]

Thanks for this tutorial. Nice watch.

[@adrianbirkett594]

We never stop learning!, well done. 👍

[@dakotaflora6998]

Nice video, I have this watch and the stem came completely out. A local watchmaker said he couldn't fix it but I think that meant he just plain didn't want to.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Sadly yes I agree, it's not that hard to fix honestly :/

[@rdmths]

Yeah! A new Marshall video.

[@gglsniper]

Love this watch. I have been trying to find a WWII Marines watch, but its really hard to find as they are in really low production.

[@lahm9690]

Thank you for always uploading interesting videos. I became your fan because I like watches too. support you in South Korea.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Love to hear that, thanks for watching and greetings from the US!

[@hockeyrd99]

To save time, before putting it back together I check all the jewels under magnification to see if any are cracked or broken (sometimes I'll check before cleaning the parts). Also, gotta love when a customer says "it runs, just needs a cleaning", then you check and some gears are broken and some jewels are missing (yeah, it was running)! lol

[@Vitupers]

IMHO, the metal cover under the case back it's definitely an anti magnetic protection, based on the faraday cages principle.very common in watches of that era. Good job thanks for sharing

[@WristwatchRevival]

I think so too

[@wes11bravo]

I'm sure both my grandfathers wore these in WWII. I'd love to find one someday.

[@emmettthompson3332]

My Grandfather, Veteran of three wars, WWII, Korea and Viet nam, used to say after getting an engine running well, "runs like an Elgin watch". I guess they were nice watches for the time.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Fantastic anecdote! They were out of business for the most part by the time I was learning about watches as a kid, but I was impressed with this one for sure.

[@happygolucky1100]

Love your videos great stuff you do it so well. Been doing this for 40 years . I went through a A-11 Bulova 10AK-CHS today Beautiful. Was looking on eBay and there’s some oem 1945 gov issues straps for 19.00 gona be pretty.

[@eugenedenegin6609]

Marshal i watched your video where you bought some strange tool from eBay. I found how to use balance wheel calipers you got. It looks like two circles with measurement scale. Fine tuning balance wheels and watch for wobbles

[@watchjewelryauction6519]

Super I am sagheer shah from Pakistan 🇵🇰 and i am Watchmaker i have learned a lot from you because you are good maker

[@radwanderer6165]

18:04 You're true: This seems to be a quiet manageable amount of parts! Altough from my POV it seems like rocket science what you do every time 🙈

[@robertroy1435]

There are many TV shows that aren't anywhere near as interesting or well produced. Great stuff.

[@SuperHeliboy]

My dad has an old rectangle face Elgin that he worn in the Korean War. I would love to get it serviced and running again. Got a picture with him wearing it in uniform.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Wow that is awesome, you should totally do that!

[@deeman1643]

Kudos! Great video. Thank you. I am inspired.

[@stomartalar]

I would recommend using sawdust to help with the drying of the hairspring after putting in the one dip. It would absorb all the liquid and it actually would give you a better performance. I like all you're videos and like you, like to tinker with my watches.

[@WristwatchRevival]

Sounds risky!