Reviving My Father’s 1953 Bulova Mechanical Wristwatch: Full Service & Restoration

This is the watch that started my interest in watchmaking... My dad's 1953 Bulova Commodore, which he wore every day! When I inherited this watch, it was completely stopped, and jammed in the case. By the end of the first video in this series I had the movement out and running!
You can watch video 1 here:
Lots of Problems! Reviving a Non-running Mechanical Wristwatch
• Lots of Problems! Revi...
In this video, "Reviving My Father’s 1953 Bulova Mechanical Wristwatch: Full Service & Restoration" you'll see a complete teardown and service of this vintage mechanical wristwatch. We'll get the movement cleaned, assembled and running strong, refinish the case and get the watch back together so it can be enjoyed for generations to come!
Bonus video in this Bulova Commodore series:
How to Restore a Damaged Acrylic Watch Crystal
• How to Restore a Damag...
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Watchmaking tools and supplies used in this video (Amazon Associate product links):
TOMLOV DM201 HDMI Digital Microscope amzn.to/3OmZbPb
Weishi No. 1900 Timegrapher amzn.to/3NqCNDG
Silicone Soldering/Work Mat amzn.to/3k0OnrS
Camera Cleaning Blower Kit amzn.to/3EtO4PU
Watch Hand Remover Lever Tools amzn.to/36uECz9
Bergeon Rodico Cleaner Putty amzn.to/3xGOwsQ
Watch Oiler Pen/Cup Set amzn.to/3k0S54M
Watch Movement Holder Set amzn.to/3M9HMHU
PolyWatch Scratch Remover Polish amzn.to/3Mo951n
20 Piece Honoson Sanding Sticks (High Grits Rating, Classic Style) amzn.to/43QCGZP
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#watchrepair #fathersday #watchwithmike

[@Antiqueexcavator]

Nothing more valuable than a loved ones everyday watch. I have my grandfathers and fathers.

[@WatchWithMike]

I couldn't agree more! Wear your grandfather's and father's watch with pride!

[@MiguelBricaBrac]

When you started to assemble and mounted the barrel and immediately the barrel bridge, I knew you had forgotten the setting lever screw. I also have skipped that little bug when assembling my movements. Great stuff.

[@WatchWithMike]

Yes, and I have to watch my mistakes over and over when I edit the video...you think I'd learn quicker, but NOPE, I've done it several times since! 😁

[@robertjordan7323]

After finding that spring, I hope you went out a bought a lottery ticket? That was lucky! Thanks for posting Mike.

[@WatchWithMike]

I didn't buy a lottery ticket because I think I used up my luck for that day! Retrieving a launched spring, screw or pinion (actually did that tonight) is all I can ask for.

[@1955mercury]

@@WatchWithMike I can't count the hours I've spent crawling around on the floor looking for a spring that launched on me. Sometimes never find them and have to get another one. Also the original mainspring looked good to me. I'm guessing that you just wanted to show how to install a new one.

[@staha]

Great video. my favorite part is showing the mistakes, because we can all relate! I'm still learning and now I don't feel so bad when a spring goes flying or if I have to "backup the truck" a few times...

[@WatchWithMike]

Excellent! I am happy to make the mistakes so my viewers don't have to. But if you do, know that you are not alone! 😂

[@Ford2018]

This was just incredible, Mike! My great uncle fixed clocks in his retirement, and I was always intrigued with his talent, knowledge and skills of disassembling the gears and putting everything back together in perfect running order. This reminded me of him, but you were able to do this on a microscopic level…literally! Bravo, Mike! Few people can do what you were able to do. Wow! It must feel satisfying to wear your father’s watch as it appeared in 1953. Kudos and thank you for another well produced video, Mike!

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you for all the kind words, Todd! This project was immensely gratifying. I'm still amazed at all of the detail and workmanship that goes into wrist watches, especially given how long the engineering technology has been around. 😁

[@michaelbell9811]

Geat job - your father's watch came out beautifully. It's great to see old watches given a new lease of life and you'll be proud to wear it. I'm on a similar journey to you, but at a much earlier point and my end goal is my grandfather's watch. It's fantastic to see somebody else's trials and tribulations, and successes, and get the sense that I can do this, too.

[@WatchWithMike]

Michael, this is the best comment I could've asked for! I have learned so much in the last year, and I hope to encourage as many people like us to learn this great hobby. Cheers! 😁

[@home-dp6oh]

A couple of suggestions: Do NOT put oil on the main plate under the mainspring barrel. It serves no purpose. One usually puts a couple of small "dots" of HP1300 on the bottom of the barrel, the friction surfaces of the barrel arbor, and into the pivot holes for the arbor on the main plate. When lubricating a movement, less is more. Too much lubrication will eventually run all over the movement. You just want to suspend the lubrication between the pivot and the jewel. In fact, if you can see lubrication when done you've applied too much. As far as the seconds driving wheel, you can press it back into place in many different ways. You can use a hand pusher as long as you keep it straight, a hand setting tool, or even a staking set. Just need to make sure the driving wheel and the seconds pinion line up correctly. Some basic watch terminology: If a "plate" is held by only 1 screw it's called a "cock". If it is held by 2 screws (one screw at each end) then it's called a "bridge". The "gears" in a watch are called either "wheels" or "pinions". The "yolk retaining plate" is actually the setting lever spring. It helps using the correct terminology 🙂 Nice job, beautiful watch, and great videography! Well Done!

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you, all of your suggestions are on point! In fact I just published a new video last night, and I think I have checked off many of your recommendations. Always learning! Here's a link to the video if you would like to watch. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGS1i5yvaseipKssi=vNeugQSCzoIpBFS_

[@danieldayton3064]

What a wonderful, success, Mike! I can appreciate your sentiment, as just last year I had my Dad's Seiko Pogue restored. I wish that I had your courage in attempting it myself, but as an enthusiast rather than a professional, I didn't trust my skills, so I sent it to a professional watchmaker. Kudos to you on your accomplishment! 😃

[@WatchWithMike]

Hi Daniel, thank you for all of the kind words! I totally get what you're saying about hesitation in self servicing your Dad's Seiko Pogue watch! That's a complicated movement. My uncle gave me an Omega Speedmaster, which I sent to Switzerland to be serviced. Way above my skill level at this point… And I'm not too proud to admit it. Plus, when you send it to a watchmaker, they have access to authentic replacement parts as needed. I wholeheartedly accept your kudos on this project, I am very proud of the outcome. Thanks so much for watching and sharing your story! 😁

[@KORIGAN1]

I got a 62 Bulova men’s watch at a church sale for two dollars. It’s worth about 3 to 400. I always wear it. Dollars it’s a transportation

[@WatchWithMike]

I love hearing stories like this! Congratulations! 😁

[@salsolo2403]

what an absolute beauty 😀

[@WatchWithMike]

Thanks so much! It came out so much better than I expected! 😁

[@NaNByZero]

Super cool, Mike! I have my father’s watch here and I will never be able to service it. Because it’s a quartz watch. German brand called Regent. I think it will run forever anyway. This is the watch that will never leave my collection. I wore it after his death until the battery died five years after. Having no clue about watches, I put it on the shelf, and bought a cheap new one. And so on. That was twenty years ago. Two years ago I opened it and replaced the battery and it is running like a new one. So I hope you will have good times with your father’s watch, like I do! 🎉🕐🍸🍸

[@WatchWithMike]

@NaNByZero - what a great story! I'm glad for you that you revisited getting your dad's watch going again, and that you are wearing it. I'll have to check out the brand Regent. Quartz watches can sometimes be worked on, as I learned when I restored my Heuer I had in high school. It's amazing how many memories attach themselves to watches from our past, and how other people, like your dad and my dad, leave their own presence embedded in a watch for us to remember them by! ❤️

[@NaNByZero]

@@WatchWithMike So true and thank you, Mike! :) Yes, check the brand. They are still in existence. They make titanium watches. I noticed that they decided to have the date at the three a clock position. My father’s watch has it at the six a clock position, wich makes it much more symmetric. I prefer that style a lot. Have a good day and night.

[@sonnymoorehouse1941]

Nice work !!!!!!

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you Sonny! This project really meant a lot to me, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

[@sonnymoorehouse1941]

@@WatchWithMike And that watch will tick into the future !!!!!

[@WatchWithMike]

@@sonnymoorehouse1941 you bet! I'm counting on it. Definitely going to make sure my son gets this watch in the future. But for now it's MINE!!! 😁

[@richardspacetimeuhrensamml4236]

Es ist eine Freude für mich diese Bulova Commodore Baujahr 1953 (mein Baujahr 😊) in den Händen eines spitze Uhrmacher s zu sehen. Ha...die ging mir in meiner Uhren Sammlung noch ab. LG Richard aus Österreich 🇦🇹

[@WatchWithMike]

Hello Richard in Austria! It is fun seeing your birth year watch! I'm so glad you found the channel, and thank you for watching. 😁

[@jakereape4095]

Iam working on the same movement at the moment

[@WatchWithMike]

@@jakereape4095 Cool, I hope the video helps!

[@SkyBlue-le7cd]

Your Dad’s watch cleaned up really well. Nice job.

[@SkyBlue-le7cd]

Is this Bulova a radium watch? It’s from the 50’s.

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you! I'm really happy with how everything turned out!

[@WatchWithMike]

@@SkyBlue-le7cd I don't know if the dial and hands have radium… I really need to get a geiger counter. I treated them pretty gingerly, and since I did not know, I decided not to mess with the lume. Did I mention I really need to get a geiger counter? 😁

[@Vikkar1]

Wow what an amazing job servicing this watch Mike! It turned out fantastic. Love the gleaming shine. It almost looks brand new which is amazing for a watch of its age. Wear it in good health Mike it's a beautiful piece! Your watchmaking skills are getting better with each video you put out. I am excited to follow you on your watchmaking journey in future videos. Keep it up!

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you so much for all the nice words, and the encouragement to keep making videos. So happy to have you along for the journey! 😁

[@ygrbooks]

Thank you for sharing this excellent video with the watch-loving community: 👏👌👍!

[@WatchWithMike]

You're welcome! I appreciate you watching! 😁

[@Mars-zgblbl]

Thanks for sharing this, Mike. It’s good to see a nice restoration of a piece that has meaning. A bonus is that your movement appears to be in great condition. Some funny coincidences: my dad’s 1954 Bulova was made in his graduation year, and that watch got me interested in watch repair. I also have about the same ultrasonic cleaner as yours. If you look at the underside of the dial on your dad’s watch in the right light, you can see see the repeating words “Bienne Huguenin” stamped on the back surface - a company and location in Switzerland. Bulova outsourced parts to various suppliers. A. Schild made ebauches for Bulova and several other watch companies. If you don’t mind an unsolicited suggestion, when removing the pallets to let the movement run down through the train of wheels, consider the potential for high speeds and friction to overheat the pivots. Some books recommend this to check for rebound at the escape wheel as an indicator of power getting through, but another watch repair KZbinr has advised me against this. Nice video, narration and repair skills!

[@WatchWithMike]

Hey Bubba, there were times when this watch seemed to have a mind of its own! I love the coincidence that your dad also had a Bulova. Thank you for the supplemental information on the watch, and for your tips. So glad to have you as a viewer. Cheers!

[@Mars-zgblbl]

@@WatchWithMike Mike, my dad’s watch has a water damaged dial and the plates scratched up inside. I suspect several cleanings caused scratches over the years. Sometimes when we pick up a used watch to fix up, a never-serviced one can be preferable to something someone may have damaged.

[@dominickcolasanto6582]

Beautiful family treasure! Excellent restoration well described your Dad would be proud!!!

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you very much! I love how it came out. 😁

[@johanvandersandt8904]

You did a fantastic job! It looks great Mike! You came a long way from just tinkering with watches the other day to restoring a sentimental piece!🙂

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you Johan! I'm really proud of this one. 😄 I am even happier because I have viewers like you to share it with!

[@johanvandersandt8904]

@@WatchWithMike Thank you for the compliment Mike! 😁

[@user-cd3ry7sy1s]

أحسنت أستاد نطلب من حضرتكم دروس مكثفه عن تصليح الساعات لوسمحت وشكرا

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you for the nice words! I just posted another video of a 1958 Benrus that you may enjoy. I appreciate you watching! 😁

[@user-cd3ry7sy1s]

@@WatchWithMike أستاد لك كل التقدير والإحترام تقبل إحترامي لحضرتكم

[@WatchWithMike]

@@user-cd3ry7sy1s ❤

[@carlosalbertorodriguez5481]

Beautiful!

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you Carlos! This was such a rewarding project. 😁

[@jskuwait05]

very nice job i think this movement like west and watch FHF 70 1940s

[@WatchWithMike]

Thank you! Indeed similar to FHF 70. 🙂

[@csachevauxsansabri2612]

Next time for jual befor oiling, use epilam, fixodrop. That will allow for the oil to be kept perfecley

[@WatchWithMike]

I just learned about Epilam - I need to get some, and one of those fancy applicator bottled! :)

[@originalboondi]

Buy a 10ml moebius fixodrop and it should come with a built in mesh in the neck of the bottle. Just put parts on the mesh put on the lid tightly and invert the bottle for 30s. Be carefull unscrewing the lid as je wel covers can stick to the inside of the lid. Problem solved at least expense...

[@WatchWithMike]

@@originalboondi Good to know, thanks! 😀

[@RichardSweeten]

Hi Mike. I'm a retired military guy who's always had a passion for watches and now taking on watch repair/restoration as a hobby. My grandfather was a watchmaker, so the family says it's in my DNA. Anyway, I am working on a Bulova Watertite with 10BUC movement, and your video has been SO helpful! The mainspring in this watch is dead. My questions is where did you get the replacement GR4503 mainspring used in the video? I got a #53 10BCC Bulova replacement, and it did not come in a press in holder, nor did it fit to press it in with the way it was packaged. I ended up trying to do it by hand and the end broke off! Grrrr. Very frustrating. Any help you could provide on where you got that mainspring with push on holder (as in the video) would be so appreciated. Keep up the great work. Love the videos and I'm learning a lot.

[@WatchWithMike]

Hi Richard, thanks for dropping by! I also had troubles getting the correct main spring. I bought one from Cousins UK and it came pre-wound in a washer that was too big for me to transfer into the mainspring barrel. I tried to hand wind it but ended up bending it. I originally bought an inexpensive Chinese main spring winding set, but had very little luck. I don't remember the timeline, but I ended up splurging on a set of Bergeon winders. What a difference! (I have a video that introduces that tool when I opened it.) If I remember correctly, I ended up ordering the main spring by measuring the width, length and thickness of the old one, and finding the nearest match that had the correct tab at the end that anchors it to the inside of the barrel. I believe I bought that at Cousins as well. I hope that helps!

[@RichardSweeten]

@@WatchWithMike Mike--Thanks for taking the time to reply! Sounds like our experiences are almost exactly the same. I bought one that I thought would fit (10BCC) and it was too big to press in. Then I broke it trying to do it by hand. I also bought a cheap set of mainspring winders, and they just aren't working. I can't get the tab to grab on any mainsprings. Maybe I need to invest in Bergeron. Anyway, I have a 10BUC mainspring coming and fingers crossed it will press in like in your video. Keep up the great work. Really fun to watch your stuff and keeps me motivated when I get frustrated and think I made a bad decision taking up this hobby!

[@WatchWithMike]

@@RichardSweeten Yup, very similar experiences! 😄

[@csachevauxsansabri2612]

I also think you should möbius the stem

[@WatchWithMike]

That was done!

[@ramey36]

This is fascinating. Is there a consistency from watch to watch or, how do you remember where stuff goes?

[@WatchWithMike]

Great question! I take lots of photos (video actually) of the disassembly, and I will make notes and drawings of the little details to help me remember. After almost 2 years doing watch repair, I am now able to recognize the difference between screws and wheels, so even if things get jumbled I can get it sorted out. So my answer is yes, there is a consistency from watch to watch. It just takes some time to recognize it! 😁

[@csachevauxsansabri2612]

Did you lubricat the baril inside?

[@WatchWithMike]

I lubricated the spring and the arbor contact points, but since it is not an automatic I did not put any grease on the barrel.

[@knudge6334]

I was servicing my bulova and was left with a flat washer in my jar. Did you come across a flat washer? May have been from another watch....thanks.

[@WatchWithMike]

The only part that I think looks like a washer is the crown wheel ring, which sits inside of the crown wheel. In the video you can see me removing it at 5:43. Hope that helps!

[@knudge6334]

@@WatchWithMike thanks. Got the bulova running last night. Did not push the hour hand down far enough and was touching the minute hand.

[@WatchWithMike]

@@knudge6334 I hear you! I had difficulties adjusting the hands, too.

[@hectorcortez3888]

Do you offer watch repair services

[@WatchWithMike]

No, but I am flattered that you asked! For now I just work on my own projects as I build my skills. Maybe someday… 😁