Timegrapher（校表儀）

 

要判斷機械錶的健康狀況，看懂 Timegrapher（校表儀） 的數據是關鍵。校表儀主要測量四個核心數值和一個圖表軌跡，透過這些數據，你可以快速得知手錶是否需要洗油、調整或維修。 

 

1. 核心數據解讀

• 日差 (Rate / Accuracy):
• 單位： 秒/日 (s/d)。
• 含義： 手錶每天快或慢多少秒。
• 標準： 理想是 0s/d。一般新錶或剛洗完油的錶通常在 ±5s/d 內；老錶或較平價機芯在 ±15s/d 內通常也算合格。
• 擺幅 (Amplitude):
• 單位： 度 (°)。
• 含義： 擺輪旋轉的角度，代表機芯的「能量」與「健康度」。
• 標準： 滿鍊狀態下，理想範圍在 270° - 315° 之間。如果低於 230°，可能表示潤滑油乾涸或零件磨損，需要保養。
• 偏振 (Beat Error):
• 單位： 毫秒 (ms)。
• 含義： 擺輪往左擺與往右擺的時間差（即「滴」與「答」的對稱性）。
• 標準： 理想是 0.0ms。通常 0.5ms 以下 算非常優良，超過 1.0ms 則建議進行調整。
• 參數 (Parameters):
• 升角 (Lift Angle): 預設通常為 52°。這是計算擺幅的必要參數，需根據特定機芯型號設定正確數值，否則讀出的擺幅會不準確。
• 振頻 (Beat Rate / VPH): 機械錶每小時跳動的次數（如 21,600 或 28,800），機器通常會自動偵測。 

 

 

2. 觀察點狀圖軌跡 (Graph Trace)

螢幕上的點狀軌跡反映了機芯運行的穩定性：

• 直線且平行： 表示運行極為穩定，手錶健康狀況良好。
• 斜率： 向上斜代表手錶走快，向下斜代表走慢。
• 軌跡散亂（雪花狀）： 這是警訊，通常代表機芯內有雜物、受磁，或是零件受損。 

 

 

3. 多方位測試

讀取數據時，不應只看單一位置。通常需要測試以下方位來獲得全面結果：

1. 錶面向上 (Dial Up)
2. 錶面向下 (Dial Down)
3. 龍頭向下 (Crown Down) — 模擬手自然垂下的姿勢。 

您是想針對特定的手錶進行數值校正，還是純粹想了解二手錶的健康狀況？

If you want to check your watch 's condition, Bring to a   renowned watch repair shop.

 Paul Ip

Water proof test for your watches

Water test for your watch, normally we have wet test and dry pressure test, in most of the cases we use dry pressure test because of its simple operation. It takes a couple of minutes to get the job done.

 

How Wet Pressure Testers Work

1. Preparation: The watch is placed on a hook inside the cylinder, and the cylinder is filled with distilled water.
2. Pressurization: The lid is tightened and air pressure is pumped into the chamber to simulate a certain depth (e.g., 3-5 bar).
3. Soak Time: The watch stays in the pressurized environment for about 1 minute. If a leak exists, air forces its way into the watch.
4. Release & Observation: The operator releases the pressure and immediately submerges the watch into the water.
5. Leak Detection: If the watch is not watertight, the air that entered earlier will escape, creating a visible stream of bubbles. 

 

How Dry Pressure Testers Work (Vacuum Testing)

• Air Testing: Known as a dry tester, this method uses a sealed chamber with air instead of water.
• Deformation Sensor: A sensitive sensor rests on the watch crystal. The machine creates a vacuum to pull air out or pressure to push it in.
• Measurement: The sensor measures the microscopic expansion or contraction of the watch case. If the case does not change shape, the machine knows the air has leaked inside, signaling a broken seal. 

 

Advantages

• Safety: Dry tests ensure the watch does not get wet during testing.
• Accuracy: Wet tests are superior for verifying that the watch holds up to specific pressures.
• Safety Check: This is crucial after any battery change or service to ensure the gaskets are properly seated. 

 

If we want to ensure where the leakage is. Most professional watchmakers use a combination of both tests to ensure the integrity of the watch, often looking for leaks through bubbles (wet) or by monitoring for pressure drops within the testing chamber (dry). 

 

Water test for your watch, normally we have wet test and dry pressure test, in most of the cases we use dry pressure test because of its simple operation. It takes a couple of minutes to get the job done.

 

How Wet Pressure Testers Work

1. Preparation: The watch is placed on a hook inside the cylinder, and the cylinder is filled with distilled water.
2. Pressurization: The lid is tightened and air pressure is pumped into the chamber to simulate a certain depth (e.g., 3-5 bar).
3. Soak Time: The watch stays in the pressurized environment for about 1 minute. If a leak exists, air forces its way into the watch.
4. Release & Observation: The operator releases the pressure and immediately submerges the watch into the water.
5. Leak Detection: If the watch is not watertight, the air that entered earlier will escape, creating a visible stream of bubbles. 

 

How Dry Pressure Testers Work (Vacuum Testing)

• Air Testing: Known as a dry tester, this method uses a sealed chamber with air instead of water.
• Deformation Sensor: A sensitive sensor rests on the watch crystal. The machine creates a vacuum to pull air out or pressure to push it in.
• Measurement: The sensor measures the microscopic expansion or contraction of the watch case. If the case does not change shape, the machine knows the air has leaked inside, signaling a broken seal. 

 

Advantages

• Safety: Dry tests ensure the watch does not get wet during testing.
• Accuracy: Wet tests are superior for verifying that the watch holds up to specific pressures.
• Safety Check: This is crucial after any battery change or service to ensure the gaskets are properly seated. 

 

If we want to ensure where the leakage is. Most professional watchmakers use a combination of both tests to ensure the integrity of the watch, often looking for leaks through bubbles (wet) or by monitoring for pressure drops within the testing chamber (dry). 

Paul Ip

Watch Repair in Hong Kong

How do you feel the quality of the watch repair in your country?

There had been numerous unhappy events happened during the watch repair! 

Too expensive, too long to wait for quotation and actual unreasonable long Repair time. 

Which brand do you still

Is the best in terms of after sales service?

I have a few experience:-

In a R service Center one guy sent his pink gold Watch to Repair! And the lady checked the serial Number and model Number suing that there was no such watch in this serial number in Pink gold. The guy was not happy and ask To see the manager and the manager repeated the same story 

 He sent a mail to HQs and they replied yes there is such a watch in pink gold under than serial Number

so What has gone wrong with the clerk And manager in the office?

I was sending a perpetual calendar to

Repair at R because the watch did not able to jump from 30 ro 1 of the May or July automatically and they asked for Hk$40,000.

I negotiated for a final half price and waited for three months to Return from Switzerland that watch worked for Three months and the problem

Came back. 

I had a friend who had a perpetual

Calendar watch from The brand P and it was not running after a few years and needed for Repair. After the quotation and that repair amount is RMB$4,000,000! That is not s joke!

Another Chinese friend who sent his defective watch to repair in HK at P 

It took him two years and not yet get his watch back! I did not ask him but knowing that he was very unhappy and every the other day went to the AD GIVING them some

Lesson with with a lot of “F words!”

Friend of mine was not happy to see the repair slip of his R watch saying that the watch case is scratches and the bucket is scratched seriously as he understood that there is no standard of “Scratches” !

Ok he bought a brand new watch from an AD and immediately sent to repair by saying the watch runs and stops. To his surprise the repair slip also Written “ light scratches”

He argued with the clerk where is the scratches and the last really could find out some hair line light scratches on the NEW Watch that eyes barely could see!

Now he knows the clerk must try to write on it scratches even it is brand new 

They really got eagle eye To See find scratches.

One friend he sent his V watch to repair and the quotation took one month to him and saying that amount is more than HK$30,000. He said

he thought about it. But he forget his watch at all because he has many watches . After two year he found the repair slip and he found out he put wrong phone number on it so

No one  could call him And called the watch repair centre he did not Want to repair because too

Expensive and want to get back the watch. And V said OK. Then he wants to get his watch back

and found out that the watch was actually repaired. And this

Time. He was happy because he did. It Pay Amy money to Repair.

One close friend Who is also Watch blogger bought a Quartz gold watch at watch fair at HK$50000 and he sent to R service centre to ask for battery cell

Replacement and buy two extra link on the gold watch because he has a large wrist. 

The quotation given is Hk$56,000 Which is shocking high

Even more than the cost he spent for the watch. Because they says the movement had to be overhauled, battery cell replacement and each link of the bracket is hk$7,750, they need to change the O ring and sapphire plate so total charges is $56,000

Friend of Mine did not accept the charges. He took the watch back, 

replaced the battery cells by outsider HK$40.00

He bought two extra links from

His dealer friend with HK$5,000 and he has been using the watch without overhaul for more than five years till last week I saw his wearing it!

Conclusion

You spend a lot of money to buy a complicated watch you have to prepare a lot of money to maintain 

As they are like a Ferrari or Lamborghini comes high maintenance!

Sometimes you any feel better get it repaired outside by some watch expect if there is no parts concern.

Always buy certain simple movement watch say manual Winding or automatic 

Those Perpetual calendar and repeater is nice to play but will be charged very unfriendly when they are having problem.

HK Snob

Meeting Alex at "Your Time", Green Belt 1, Makati.

Meeting at Your Time Green Belt 1.

It was again my pleasure to meet Alex at his shop and opened my eye seeing his impeccable skill in servicing Rolex.

Of course he worked in Rolex before and had years of experience working on Luxury watches at his shop.

If you had uncertainty about your Rolex, bring it to Alex, if you have issue on the Rolex, send it to him.

You can see AP Royal Oak Jumbo 39 mm drop logo, my Rolex 1680 Patina dial, another 168 I just sold to good friend of mine, a GMT Pepsi Ref 1675 that is belonging to another watch Lovers of Rolex!

See you all again at Makati.

HK Snob



Watch Authentication Services

Watch Authentication service

 

As many of us may need an knowledge certification body to authentic your watch  no matter is a new Rolex, Vintage Rolex or a Special Edition one
There are a few channels you can do that, Pawn Shop, Expertise , Rolex Service Centre,

Pawn Shop used to keep a file of the watch stolen, depending the individual Pawn Shop, they sometime cannot tell if your watch is really authentic or not

Rolex Service Centre,

It takes time, usually days to weeks for your watch authentication, Local AD is faster, overseas gray dealer imported watch take 2 weeks. Charges is Free in HK, but chargeable in some other countries like Singapore.

How about we can offer a certification body that could is professional enough to tell your watch authentication?

Procedure

Send your watch to Classic Watch Repair Centre

They will take picture of your watch usually 8 shots of different position and they will inform you by means of a report that the watch us authentic or not. We can open the watch and inspect the movement too.

Report will be issued within 2 -3 days

Charges is HK$800

Contact Classic Watch report for such service…

http://www.classicwatchrepair.com/

 

HK Snob

Watch Restoration

Before Polishing

Before Polishing

......

............

After Polishing

 

After Polishing

After Polishing

When your watch has been used for ten, twenty years, it would carry some of your historical MARKS or Activities Records in form of hair line scratches....or even dents.

Well, it could be OK as this is a watch that cannot be perfectly no scratches, but to certain extent, that day comes that you cannot tolerate it ... or you want to put a new clothes on it...

you can consider Polishing it...

No matter Rolex, Tudor, Cartier, IWC, AP, VC, they can be sent to their Dealer Service centre to make a polishing, but we can also offer a fast and special hand polishing service for it.

If there is serious dents or damages that some of the corner sharpness is worn off, gone... we can use Laser wedding to weld then re-polishing it as NEW...

For PWC members, I can take care of it to bring to one of the BEST service centres in Hong Kong, or I should say in Asia to make a special handling for it.

HK Snob




Watch Repair, Cleaning and Polishing Services for Philippine Watch Fever readers

If you have any watches that you want to make a full service in HK, HKWF can help you and We can bring you watch to HK for Service at a very famous Watch Repair Centre...
They will make a full inspection and in case part required with give you a quote first.
Price is very reasonable and we will hand carry back to you by hand.. no hassle, no trouble.

Watches like:-
PP, AP VC, Rolex, Tudor, Piaget, Cartier, RM, Panerai...etc

Even Rolex does not take it for repair. Rolex service centre does not have a full record of you watch and they do not service, we do.


Service including, inspection, time adjustment, Water proof test, overhaul, case polishing, restoration of gold bracelet.

Time for such services
Within two to three weeks, the watch will be delivered to you by hand in Manila.

Our Charges is reasonable.

HK Snob

Where to Repair my Watches

 

 

I had my first car 1990 BMW 318iSA, I had encountered a couple of incidents, while  it was running on highway it stopped everything, no engine, no brake, no power steering… it shocked me!

I went to BMW repair they told me, Oh it is the Computer problem, changed it as a whole new module with HKD$30,000 will do… Man, in 1996 HK$30,000 can buy a Daytona Watch!  Finally I went to a garage shop friend told me to… the chap told me…” buy me a coffee and give me two minutes!”… he took out a hand held tool with BMW logo on it and pushed into somewhere on the microprocessor “reset” he told me… DONE!

That problem happened no more that Crazy problem before the car was stolen at Wilson Car park….!

Have you ever been sending watches for servicing in Hong Kong?

These are some of the episode about watch repair in HK:-

Long queue on the line at the Service Centre of XXX, no one comes to talk to you, just wait for your turn… and they close early.

Battery Changes of a XXX Watch HK$850. 

(I changed it myself HK$20)

Inspection of a XXX Watch HK$1,000,  movement Cleaning $8,000  for 3-4 months. If Complicated watch must be done in Switzerland!

XXX Manual Wind Watch overall HK$8,000, take 2 months.

XXX Perpetual Watch Overall HK$40,000, 5 months in Switzerland as they are having Summer holidays.

XXX perpetual Calendar Watch repair HK$50,000  and it takes more than 1 year. The Chinese Customer went into the shop and yelled!  You know the Richer customer is usually the more aggressive one!

Quartz Battery Change, supposed to be Free but they will ask you for changing the O-ring, or the crown as it seems there is water resistance issues, and end up you have to pay HK$4,000 and three weeks.

A Friend of mine send his Quartz yellow gold to service centre for Inspection, check, and part replacement and requesting to add two more links as his wrist is large, Quotation came out asking changes on the Crystal, Crown, Overhaul, and two sections of the bracelet, total Charges is HK$55,000… Amazingly!

I just sent a 1970’s first generation yellow gold watch to XXX Boutique for a cleaning of the movement as it is not running smoothly after 6 years…last week.

They told me that is a watch over 25 years, has to be shipped to Switzerland for the repair and cleaning, basic cleaning cost is HK$8,000 …Oh, since I am the good friend of the shop manager I got less 20% discount! Good Mercy.

Excluding parts, they would like to say the final price could be something that would make me stretch my tongue long to touch my nose!

This is just a few examples of Watch repair experience over the past 5 years!l

For most of the Cases I will send to some HK renowned repair Centres, expert …. As I know them Well, I understand where they are from, and they have the part, patience and Skill. and Most of all, I get my Watch Return with Satisfaction.

The story is totally different…

For Rolex Oyster Quartz Battery Changes, God… HKD$20, workmanship Free!

For the Perpetual Calendar Cleaning HK$7,000 may be in two weeks only.

For the 1970 watch cleaning … man…. HK$2,400 only.

Of course if you had money and patience to wait for 6 to 14 months for waiting your watch repaired… please do so sending to the original factory…

HK Snob

PS
XXX stands for DIFFERENT HI End Watch Brands in HK.