A client has entrusted me with his lovely Navitimer. It looks to be in great shape, but the movement is dry and needs a service.
The luminous compound at the 5 o’clock marker is falling off.
Great amplitude, but jewels are all dry and there is random specs of dirt lying around in the movement.
Great looking movement.
Hard to see in the photo, but the compound has had some oil on it and it’s disintegrating. The compound on the hands is also falling apart.
I remove the oil soaked compound. The rest of the dial is very nice!
Here you can see the hour recorder and setting/winding mechanism.
The hour recorder mechanism coming apart. You can see there are specs of dirt lying around.
I start taking the chronograph layer apart.
Nice and easy;)
The upper chronograph layer has it’s own little bridge that goes over the ratchet wheel.
Here you can see the gear train layout after removing the barrel bridge.
Movement in the cleaning baskets ready to be cleaned.
Movement has been cleaned and ready to be put back together.
I see that the balance moves freely after fitting the cap jewels.
Gear train back together.
I have put the winging/setting mechanism back together.
Movement back together.
Preforming very well.
Ready for dial and hands.
I mix a cocktail of 4 TOP SECRET ingredients into the luminous compound. I reenforce the compound on the hands and add the 5 o’clock marker.
Movement goes back into the case.
Great looking Navitimer!
2 Responses to Service Bretiling Navitimer (calibre Venus 178)
Another great post showing the range of skills you possess. Out of interest, with chronographs where there is some additional dial side furniture on the movement, how do you ensure that the hour wheel doesn’t pop up and move round? Ordinarily the hour wheel and dial are pretty flush but here there is a large gap. Larger than I’d imagine a dial washer could cope with?
Thanks for the nice compliment Andrew:) The hour wheel has a step that dial washer rests on.