First Time Wristwatch Teardown - Mistakes Were Made!

This is my first ever attempt at tearing down and rebuilding a wrist watch.
There were a few catastrophes, but I did get it back together - sort of.
I'd love to see your tips in the comments as to how I can improve.
Please SUBSCRIBE to my channel.
Also check out my other channel ‪@audionautica6843‬ which is mostly about HiFi with some nautical content.
If you want to support me as content creator, you can do that at my Patreon: patreon.com/audionautica

[@kingofcastlechaos]

Kudos to you for filming from the start of the journey. When I see people like Marshall pick up a wheel and place it into the jewel on the first try, I am 100% certain that did not happen overnight. Keep up the good work!

[@watchout9213]

You bet!

[@wgsoundtrack]

I’ve been a hobby watchmaker for about a year now. I love the part of this video when the mainspring jumped out of the barrel, it brought back fond memories of my first (and second) disassembled movements. Our mistakes are our greatest learning resources. Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing.

[@watchout9213]

Yeh, I sort of laughed at that point because I knew I wasn't going to be on the floor for hours looking for it.

[@JustANobody9757]

I’ve watched dozens of KZbin videos and I’m just about to start my watchmaker journey. Your video was so instructive and inspiring. Knowing I’m going to make mistakes along the way doesn’t seem so daunting now. Thanks and I look forward to seeing more.

[@watchout9213]

Can you believe this was filmed on my iPhone and the work done through a maggy lamp. Now I have a microscope and proper cameras. You might like to check out some of my later videos. Thanks for Watching.

[@Van_Der_Lay_Industries]

Love your work. I feel your pain. I've just started my first tear down and rebuild. Picked up so many pieces off the floor, but getting a bit better every time I work on it.

[@watchout9213]

Yep - the only way to learn is by doing.

[@dr.s.p.]

What a lovely honest and pleasant presentation and perhaps reminders of our own first baby steps, or just maybe more importantly, showing the potential pitfalls in time for us to learn!

[@watchout9213]

Oh yeah - plenty of pitfalls. Thanks for watching!

[@ikeman5774]

I really enjoyed watching your work, and that you were kind enough to let us see your first repair. You got the skills and the tools and the desire. The sky is the limit from here. I wish you a world of luck and good fortune in your journey.

[@watchout9213]

Thank you very much!

[@costantinoproietti7578]

Yes. Positioning the bridge on the wheels is a real nightmare. On a ST 69-21 movement there is just a bridge for 4 wheels!

[@haping1]

Great video. To get the pivots in the (jewel) holes in one time, you need better magnification as you said it yourself. And practice, practice, practice on large movements. Some tips: To better grip the parts, modify your pair of tweezers so that only the very end can grip the parts. Yours are bend open an parts fly out under the pressure you put on the tweezers. About a quarter of the oil is way enough. And finally, the thread length of the crown wheel is shorter than the one of the rachet wheel. That's how you can easily see the difference. Stay relaxed and looking forward to your next video 🖖

[@watchout9213]

Great tips and thanks so much for commenting!

[@livefree6878]

I have to say I’ve learned more about watchmaking from this video than all the professionals. I’m trying to make a run at this hobby, because it sounds really fun. Watching the professionals and then seeing the same problems I’m experiencing is super encouraging and helpful. The first watch I pulled apart I snapped The reverse thread on the crown gear. Yep game over for screw. Last week I pulled apart my first pocket watch and got it back together and it runs kind of. Thanks for the video👍

[@watchout9213]

Well done! Now I just have to pluck up enough courage to try a movement with the intention of it running well afterwards! If you feel I've earned a subscription from you, it would mean a lot to me, if you're not already subbed. Thanks for watching.

[@garyhill8333]

Very informative video Stephen. I´ve been watching many videos by expert watchmakers, and it´s really nice to see the differences between a noob and an expert attempting this noble craft.

[@watchout9213]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@dr.s.p.]

All the books mentioned that to remove the barrel arbour, apply a little clockwise turn, while pulling gently upwards. A question. A well known KZbinr said that purchasing and using a microscope was a big game changer. Did you find this? One of Roger Smith’s watchmakers told me that he prefers a loupe.

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for the tip! I've been wanting a microscope for my electronics work as well so for me it was a no brainer. My (real) watchmaker doesn't have a microscope. Another well known KZbinr seems to use his mainly just for oiling the jewels. I certainly expect that as I improve, I will become less and less reliant on the microscope. I have a clip on eyeglass that I quite like. However yes, I do think the statement that having a microscope is a game changer is true.

[@KillingTimeWithNorman]

I just saw a video where screw tightness was outlined as - screw it in until there's resistance, and then just turn it the width of the notch in the screwhead and no more. I had no idea until I heard that.

[@JohnTorcasio]

It looks easy for other people because no one shows their mistakes

[@NomadicPhoton]

Well, that and the more experience one has, the less major mistakes there are anyway. Coordination is improved as well as hand steadiness.

[@HorologyBiology]

Congrats on the start of your journey. Keep it up 💪🏼

[@watchout9213]

Thanks so much HB!

[@alexandregb566]

"I wanna know why on other people's channels the pivots just go straight into the holes!" I guess they threaten the watch 😂.

[@watchout9213]

Now there's an idea, I'll give it a go!

[@ForestWoodworks]

The fact that this looks like the same stuff I'm buying off eBay very late in the evening, very early in the morning, makes me think there's a conspiracy going on. Anyway, let's watch and see how you did...

[@watchout9213]

Oh, I'm sure there is! Thanks for Watching!

[@archloy]

Really interesting ! I watch sometimes wristwatchrevival and seeing a beginner is also a good thing because we can see problems, difficulties etc that disappears with experience (like removing main spring). A good video ! thanks :)

[@watchout9213]

Thanks - yes, I learned a lot!

[@monte4150]

Great video! Im getting something from everyone on here. Knowing the name of parts is where I'm at. Loved the video and new subscriber.

[@watchout9213]

Welcome! I'm so glad you're here - yes, being able to name the parts is a huge step and helps so much for putting a watch back together. I've learned a lot since I made this video, but still a very long way to go. I'm hoping to finish off my current repair project in the next couple of weeks and have a new video up.

[@vonkruel]

This is a great hobby for those with patience (including you most definitely). I think it's tremendously valuable to give a realistic idea of what early attempts at servicing are like. As you said, not to scare anyone away from a great hobby, but just to set expectations appropriately. I think we struggle a lot more when our expectations are unrealistic, but when we know _"what we're in for"_ we can take various mishaps in stride & just press on. By the way, Cousins sells a decent scope that won't devastate your bank account. Thanks for a great video & Happy New Year to you! 👍

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for the encouragement and HNY to you too!

[@TimTellsTime]

I use an Amscope microscope. They are not too expensive and it's a game changer. Also, try removing and placing screws by holding the threads. Much less chance of pinging the screw across the room and scratching the screw heads. iPhone camera is pretty good.

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for that - cheers. I shall need to save my pennies. I'm eying off a trinocular Amscope. Need to have a camera so you guys can see too!

[@edwardfaris8516]

I admire your patience..I have an interest in watch repair also ..but I don't think I could do what you just did...thanks for sharing...

[@watchout9213]

Thanks!

[@JosephYudin]

There’s a seller on eBay who 3D prints mainspring winders. They work great and are inexpensive.

[@fightnflight]

Hey Mate! Not far ahead of you in terms of my practice, but a tip for those watch hand removers is to sand down the backs a little flatter on a stone or fine sandpaper and you will get under the hands quite a bit easier! Thanks for posting!

[@watchout9213]

Thanks so much for the tip and for commenting. I really appreciate it!

[@IMakeWatches]

Hi Stephen! Great video! I did the same thing recently (started a watchmaking channel with no experience). You're going to do fine! My channel has links to Aliexpress for the microscope I use or you can email me if you want advice. Shipping from China shouldn't be too bad for you since you're in Australia.

[@watchout9213]

Thank you - your channel looks great!

[@AstonColey]

Hi Stephen - Great video for a newbee. Your electronic experience on smd components will certainly give you tweezer use knowledge. Do get yourself some really good quality tweezers such as Dumont. Very light action when handling small parts. Also get some angled tweezers as they will help with small screw placing and balance manipulation when assembling. I started 3 years ago my first watch was an ETA 7750 and boy was that an experience.

[@watchout9213]

Thanks - I've got Dumont #00, 2 & 4, as well as the brass tweezers. Just need to work out when to use which ones!

[@terrynaumann9701]

Really cool video, it’s nice to see other beginners efforts to bolster more enthusiasm. I recently completed my first repair on an electronic movement that I bought as a junker to practice with. The stem wouldn’t work along with a few other issues. Somehow I got it back together and she works great now. Lord knows what I did right. My wife just shakes her head as I wear it all the time now as a matter of pride. Anyway, I have a “junker” pocket/mechanical sitting on my desk and I think you just gave me a good shove to take a crack at it. Cheers!

[@watchout9213]

Good luck!

[@jsollowsphotography]

I suspect that a binocular stereo microscope would make your work much easier! I don’t repair watches but I do restore vintage cameras and the shutter mechanisms are very similar to watches. I do everything with a binocular microscope. Mine has built in lights and a gooseneck so I can position it over my work on the desktop. They are not terribly expensive on Amazon.

[@watchout9213]

Yes - I just need to save my pennies.

[@aricbergren6532]

Cool video! Ive been a watchbreaker for a while now too. I think for a split second there (48:26) you had the balance just right but then bumped it and it came back out. Did the staff end up breaking at some point after? Anyways, great video. Fun to watch. I kept forgetting its a recording and kept saying out loud, no no no hold on a second….lol!

[@watchout9213]

Thanks so much for watching. No, the balance staff is not broken.

[@paulnorum1548]

Great effort. I am trying to learn watch servicing too. Keep it up

[@watchout9213]

Good luck - hopefully it won't be too long before we can begin fixing things rather than breaking things!

[@josephbarre38]

Great 1st time attempt I too am about ready to see if I can take one apart and put it back together, after a bunch of research I think I am leaning towards pocket watches. Haven’t bought any tools.

[@watchout9213]

Yes, you can learn the layout and techniques on a pocket watch, however just be mindful that the size difference can be a bit of a pain in a bad way. I did a pocket watch first and it wouldn't fit in my movement holder because it was too big. You might also want to look at some of the chinese clone movements available on ebay or aliexpress.

[@SkyBlue-le7cd]

Thanks. As a fellow novice, I understand your pain. Happy New Year.

[@watchout9213]

Same to you!

[@omegadun66]

Hang in there buddy, it's gonna get easier with experience

[@watchout9213]

Thanks so much!

[@timeandnourishment1961]

Hello, Stephen. You're a hundred times better than me at this! If you're not against buying Russian watches, you could always try a basic Vostok Komandirskie with a 2414a movement. It's based on an ancient Valjoux and is as tough as old boots . I managed to kill a couple of Seiko movements -NH35 and NH38 - from AliExpress , and made a differently-sourced NH35 rather poorly; the cheapo Vostok movements are newly made,so you can replace them for not much money, unlike some vintage examples. Don’t know if you can access Meranom where you are. Thanks again. Looking forward to your follow up. Cheers 🍻!

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for the tips. I've got some FHF ST96 movements that I am hoping will be my first "real" projects. Thanks for watching!

[@documetricsinc.6135]

I know far less than you do, but it looked to me like, from the start, there was a wobble in the balance wheel, which seems to me to an indication of a bent pivot. You also manhandled the balance where during the disassembly and then dropped the bridge off the side of the watch with the balance partially engaged, so, yes, it's not surprising that it did not run, but for your first attempt, it was outstanding. Mistakes are an essential part of learning. This is how you learn, try, try again. And thanks for being brave enough and honest enough to keep it real.

[@watchout9213]

Yep - that's why a sacrificial movement was chosen. I was really surprised when it started running at the beginning because it had never run before. Thanks so much for watching.

[@Opposeddrummer]

Hi, I started with the hobby around 6 months ago. Had my fair share of broken screws and lost parts as well. I still have a movement from time to time that I just cannot fix, but there is a steady improvement. The movement may be a variant of the Election 62 btw. Seems to be of pretty good quality.

[@watchout9213]

Thanks!!! It's really encouraging to hear other people talk about starting out. By definition there is no watchmaker who at one point was not a watchmaker.

[@Opposeddrummer]

@@watchout9213 You are welcome, just a tip to where go next from my experience so far. Do some of the high volume movements first , where parts are easier to find and more affordable. AS,FHF,ETA,KF/Certina or FE , stuff like that.

[@johnleonard3951]

Good an you for giving this a go. It takes nerves of steal and a lot of patience. That said it was pain full watching you knock the balance wheel around. Have you tried to do a pocket watch movement ? Good place to start

[@watchout9213]

Get you about the pain. That's why I didn't edit it out. Yes, I did a pocket watch. Thanks!

[@timl636]

I feel your pain ! I bought an Ingersoll pocket watch recently to start with, I managed to strip and re-assemble it, without any bits left over ! It wasn't working when I got it, but it wanted to work (a little) after I put it back together. I realised that this was probably not a good place to start as it was just two pieces of plate to form the chassis and ALL the pivots had to align on one 'bridge' - it took hours ! Anyway, well done, I'm not far behind you in the learning process, I'll be keeping an eye on your progress. Thanks and keep going !

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for the encouragement, I really appreciate it.

[@badarox]

Thank you for your entertaining, honest video. Excited to follow you along on your journey on this hobby!

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for joining me - I'll try not to disappoint!

[@painting-with-J]

No matter how good your skills are, if you can't see what you are doing you are going to have trouble. Would you sit down with a PCB and surface mount parts and try to solder them without magnification? One tip is use a light touch with the tweezers and hold them more horizontally will help you with control. I have subscribed and I am looking forward to see what you are doing in about 6-months.

[@watchout9213]

Yep - it's certainly a pretty big hurdle in being able to go too much further. But hopefully I will be able to get a microscope soon. Oh, and thanks so much for the sub!

[@bradleyjane5556]

I’m looking at starting but I have no clue what I need to start, could you do a video on what you bought and the price in total to get started?

[@watchout9213]

Yeah, I've been thinking about doing that. May take me a while to get to it. I think the answer to whether a tool is needed or not is whether it has actually been used. I think I have used pretty much everything I have bought, which must mean I've been buying the right tools. Still plenty I don't have, like a staking set, crystal press etc...

[@derekwatt7728]

When you were struggling with removing the barrel arbour I noticed you were using your metal tweezers. Would it be better to use a wooden tipped or plastic / carbon tipped set to get a better grip as metal on metal is usually quite slippy especially on rounded objects like that? I'd also recommend Wristwatch Revival with Marshall (assuming this is who kingofcastlecaos was meaning in his comment) for his extensive video collection on stripping down various watches. I think he lists some of the gear he uses as well in his desciptions so you might find something better suited for the job at hand? As Tim L has mentioned below I've also got an Ingersoll Pocket watch to practice on but I'm yet to take the plunge and fully strip it down. Marshall has a lot to answer for! All the best on your watch repair journey!

[@watchout9213]

Thanks so much for your comment. Might be worth a go. Yes, this is all Marshall's fault! But I get the impression that he was fairly competent before he started his channel. I couldn't see any point trying to be another Marshall which is why I started my channel at this point of my journey.

[@nunosantos5376]

Great video. I've subscribed since i am also starting this journey of watch "making" or restoring, whatever we call it. keep it up.

[@watchout9213]

Right now I think its just called painful, but no pain no gain, right? And thanks for the sub!

[@nunosantos5376]

@@watchout9213 yeah "Pain" seems correct for me as well at this point. Pit of frustration could also be another name for it.

[@watchout9213]

pit of frustration - love it!

[@edday6966]

For an electronics guy just starting you have advanced past most. i'm an aircraft mecanic

[@watchout9213]

Aircraft - now there's an idea!

[@ryanorr4626]

Good luck to you on becoming proficient. I figure you already checked, but you didn't break off either of the tiny metal tips on the ends of the balance spring's axle? I tried to tell in the video, but couldn't really see.

[@watchout9213]

Thanks! I don't believe so, but I need to do a follow up on this movement, so I'll check then.

[@ccooper8785]

I had bits left over.... is this normal? I suppose if it happens often then eventually I will have enough bits left over to build another watch = profit !!!!

[@watchout9213]

Ha Ha Ha - the watch that keeps on giving!

[@gunnarguggs2725]

You are living my dream, keep on going! On the watch, some of your movements are much too energetic and they cover too much distance. If you dial this back a bit, the process might be more smooth.

[@watchout9213]

Yep - a very good point!

[@archloy]

There is "lens" for phone cameras, not expansive, that could help to not have the iphone on the watch while you're working on (maybe...)

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for the tip!

[@floridagarye9288]

Did you lubricate any of the parts during assembly?

[@watchout9213]

Sure did!

[@floridagarye9288]

@@watchout9213 Great video and looking forward to more. Subscribed!

[@watchout9213]

Thanks for the sub!

[@Egon1982]

Superb that you record it. I bet that bad start is a great lesson for future. Sorry to say that but ive been laughing my ass off most of the video 🤣🤣 ofc wouldnt do it better i bet would throw it through the window after few minutes :) anyway i watched few watchmakers in last two years and all of them say .. when you starting watchmaking hobby start it from the pocket watch as they are huge :) good luck and waiting for a next video :)

[@watchout9213]

Thanks so much for your comment!

[@TyroneDamShewlaces]

It's hard to be sure, but it kinda looked to me that maybe there was a broken balance wheel pivot before you started disassembly. First, it has no shock protection to begin with so odds are higher of being damaged already, and it didn't look like it was moving very true, .i.e. wobbling a bit. Plus if it wasn't engaging the pallet fork at all, that is a clue that maybe the balance staff was not in the correct axis too. Those pivots may have broken in the process I suppose, but I strongly suspect it was broken out of the gate.

[@watchout9213]

So I'm now using this movement as a practice movement - just to remove, refit, etc... until I get better. I looked at the balance yesterday and the pivots are definitely still there, however one of them might be slightly bent. I need better magnification to be able to tell for sure.

[@melody3741]

Is this based on the 6497? The layout is wxactly the same

[@watchout9213]

Bridge side is very similar in layout. A few differences in the keyless works. I have no idea wether they are actually related or it is just a fluke.

[@ASWCo09]

your balance may have fallen out because of the way you tried to hold it in the first attempt to remove it.

[@watchout9213]

Could be - thanks for the suggestion...

[@ASWCo09]

@@watchout9213 Some of them come out because of that from my experience

[@ashedinthewoods]

Very nicely done! I’m surprised the iPhone does such a good Macro job. I’m in a similar position like you, on the beginning of a journey. I haven’t recorded a full video to my satisfaction yet - it’s a process 😊 - anyway, next to a Microscope - which is nice to a) inspect small parts and b) film them, I suggest looking into video-capable „photo“ cameras. In the higher price area, that might be a Sony Alpha 7, just to give a rough direction. In addition to that, get a mid-length 1:1 macro lens (I’d suggest 100m focal length or so). It doesn’t have to be super expensive, as you online need video resolution. But that will give you a combination of proper distance to the subject (so you can still work), plus some versatility regarding positioning and framing. Might be helpful to check something out it a store that allows hands-on testing, to figure out if you get what you need. I think in Marshall’s videos one can sometimes see the blue ring typical for a phaseOne lens; those are expensive … I use Nikon, but only because I already have that stuff, and Sony is much better for video use cases. Or canon, for that matter.

[@watchout9213]

Thanks - this is really helpful. Yeh, I really like the way Marshall shoots his shots, and you can cover a lot of transitions (and hide a lot of mucking about) by switching to different cameras which obviously you can't do with only 1 camera. I am thinking a Sony ZV-EV10. That way it will take the Sony E-Mount lenses. Its an APS-C sensor, which I think is fine. The bit that is doing my head in is working out what will be the best lenses. Marshall seems to use a 60mm and and a 100mm, but he has one camera that is APS-C, and the other is full frame. He doesn't say what lens he has on what camera. I need to have the lens physically far enough away from my work space so as to not be banging into it with my hand, but then it need to have the right length to get the shot I want for wherever the "sweet spot" for the end of the lens to be is. I am truly thankful for any tips on how I can work this out.

[@ashedinthewoods]

@@watchout9213 Maybe I should try to do a camera tutorial video instead of a watch video ;) - great this helps. Intercutting between two angles is great, especially if you use a software that can automatically synchronise those two cameras, so you can intercut with a single click. And it really helps for the "finger in the way", "head in the way", and so forth situations. You did an impressive job with just the iPhone, though! Regarding lens: I am in no way a professional regarding how to do these types of videos, but I think a wider lens and a macro lens would make total sense; the wider one to capture the workspace, and the macro to get those closeups. Regarding the Macro, it's important to check the focal distance for the ratio you are looking for. Let's say you really want to go 1:1 (which is the max of most macro lenses, and means that the object appears on the sensor in 1:1 size), it's important to understand how close you will have to be. Lets randomly pick the Sony E 30mm F3.5 Macro; with this one, the 1:1 focal distance is 9.5cm. And that is between SENSOR and object, so you have to calculate in the body and lens length! That seems a bit impractical, so I'd go *minimum* 60mm, that should bring you up to about 19cm (those math is more complicated for macro shots though). I already own a 150mm macro that has a whooping 38cm 1:1 focal distance, but that's potentially over the top and those are more expensive. So realistically, I believe an approx. 90 or 100mm macro lens might be just in the sweet spot. APS-C makes sense, because we want to get small things really big, and a full frame sensor would only mean that we need even more magnification in glass. For the second camera, I'd actually suggest a zoom lens; it would give you a ton of flexibility to move the camera around and adjust framing accordingly. But I'd actually believe that you could just use your iPhone for that, at least for starters; they have blasting good cameras, and buying a second semipro camera body frankly seems a bit over the top for those overview shots. I'm currently experimenting with an old GoPro 4, which isn't great, but I don't plan to... well it's a hobby, and I try to work with what I have got :) Currently I'm shopping for a second Nikon body to remedy some issues with the one I have (I initially got a cheap D5100, but that has some drastic limitations regarding it's HDMI out, so I'm shopping for a D5300); that might mean that I can get rid of the GoPro and just use the two Nikon bodies, unless I sell the D5100. It's... a journey... Edit: a note regarding Marshalls setup, I would *assume* that he uses a 100mm APS-C for the macro shots, and 60mm on fullframe (which is like 40mm on APS-C) for the overview shots. The latter would be a view angle that would be considered "normal", as in neither wide or telephoto, and as said, APS-C makes sense for macro shots. But really just guessing here.

[@watchout9213]

This all makes sense, thank you. Good point about focal distance from sensor to object. Usually when we think macro we think about having the lens as close as possible to the object, which of course is NOT what we want in watchmaking - cheers!

[@goutamchowdhury5774]

Where is the balance regulator ?

[@markburrows4158]

rather than go for another "junk movement" - get hold of a Aliexpress £30 Seagull hand Wind Movement - Seagull ST3621 or similar - they're basically ETA clones. You'll be getting a known working movement (albeit probably not lubed in any way - it's a £30 aliexpress movement after all) that's a shade bigger than most modern movements - practice taking it apart cleaning reassembling, lubing and getting working, then repeat until you break something on it. All this, do it with your magnifiers or loupe NOT on camera - take reference video by all means, but don't try and make video when you can't see and are still trying to hone the motor skills. Once you're happy with doing this, THEN get hold of a half decent make of older runnign but badly watch, and do that - you'll find it much easier once some of the basic stuff (picking up screws, orienting plates etc) is more "muscle memory" after the repetition on the Seagull. Chapeau for having a go at this, it's not easy, it's challenging, and it's a complete pain in the arse sometimes. Always remember - the best tool in your kit is the "walk away and come back and look at it tomorrow" when somethings getting frustrating - you're not on the clock, nobodys paying you by the hour to fix stuff.

[@watchout9213]

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, and there's some really great suggestions there. I've got a bunch of ST96 movements sitting around, and that's what I want to move onto next.

[@awdturbopowah773]

Nice video Stephen! You're doing great from what I saw, and it's just a matter of practice IMO, repetition is the name of the game. It's also really motivating for me to see videos like this, since I'm another newbie, planning to start my own channel soon too. As someone who may also use their iPhone for filming, can I ask you which model you're shooting with? I have an older model (XS Max), so it lacks the dedicated macro lens found on the recent iPhones. I'm curious if that's what you have too, or if this is shot with newer one that has the macro lens. It looks really good either way, so well done! Regarding the problem you're having seeing your work: I saw @IShootWatches comment (he's got a great channel as well!), and the Eakins microscopes are really a nice way to go. People generally recommend AmScope, which are terrific too, but the Eakins come out of the exact same Chinese factories, so they're identical microscopes with a different name slapped on, and cost a lot less since they're sold directly out of China via AliExpress. Just search "Eakins microscope" here on KZbin, and check out the two videos from SDG Electronics, as well as Dayton's video over at I Shoot Watches. Have a wonderful day, & kudos sir! 👏

[@watchout9213]

Thanks! Let's encourage one another. I've just taken the plunge and ordered the Eakins 'scope, using the link on Dayton's video. I think it's handy that that one comes with the 0.5 barlow lens which will be a must, as well as 10x and 20x eyepieces. The tricky part will be working out the best way to get the footage into my Mac. Phone is an iPhone 8. I'm using full digital zoom, and I'm impressed at how well it does. Not too long ago the idea of filming anything like that with a phone would be crazy talk.

[@awdturbopowah773]

@@watchout9213 You got a deal, love the mutual encouragement 😄. Congrats on ordering the microscope! I spoke with Dayton about it a while back, but there's a bit of a crop/zoom with the .5x C-mount adapter that the microscope camera uses. Yet another SDG Electronics video clued me into this, but they sell a .35x adapter on AliExpress, and it fixes that issue. They're pretty cheap, so you may want to grab one too. That's quite impressive it's an iPhone 8! I thought for sure you'd say this is one of the newer macro enabled models. Makes me feel fine about starting out using my own iPhone. You're right as well -- it's nearly crazy talk nowadays! Unbelievable how good these phone cameras have become. Anyway, I made sure I am subscribed, and hit the bell too! 😂 Looking forward to more content in the future! 👍

[@watchout9213]

Cheers - good light is more important that the camera. With bad lighting you might as well stick your finger over the lens!