Ranfft Watches, Nightmare

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Informations: Ebay Nightmare

Again and again it is argued that watches on these pages are more expensive than on ebay. It's right - since the trash representing a big fraction on ebay, is missing here. And better watches are more expensive -. that simple.
I have also ebay experience: If I see a watch, with a movement missing in my movement archive I take it now and then. Although my experience prevents most disasters, I'm still cheated sometimes like anybody else.

The case described below is not typical for ebay, but now an then it runs precisely like this. No need to fear something similar with watches I offer on these pages; if I ever get such a watch for auctioning, I recommend the owner to let it repair (if reasonable) or sell it on ebay.
Anyway, these info pages should demonstrate, what can be wrong with a good looking watch, and this particular item is well suited for this purpose.

Index

Hopeful Purchase
Poor Reality

Go Ahead
And Ready

Figures
Outlook

To Overview

Hopeful Purchase

ebay seller: jens023, item: 380081926233: Militär-TASCHENUHR (Marine)
Closed: 11-22-2008, for EUR 89.00
Original text: "läuft gut" (= runs fine)

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Magnify images by clicking them

The offer included fairly good photos, and the appearance held, what the photos promised. So a military watch in decent condition could be expected for EUR 96.00 including shipping charge. This would have been bargain, and moreover I could fill this gap in the movement archive:
Moeris 19''' Lepine

Moreover the movement looked not bad (Fig. 1 and 2):
A bit tarnished, but this is common to silvered movements, and it can be easily chemically cleaned (see below). More important: There are neither remarkable scratches, nor any corrosion.

"runs fine" meant: The watch ticked, after winding it hardly, shaking it, and laying it down carefully with dial up. With good luck it continued running some hours, but immediately stopped when sloping it a bit.

Poor Reality

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Sure: Balance pivot broken. Shit happens, and usually it is possible to find a sufficient agreement with the seller. But not all people are as kind as ebay claims. There are still some fraudsters who even don't respond to any compliant email.
Unfortunately it can become worse: After checking the balance, it appeared that the pivot was not broken because the balance didn't wobble when moving the watch. But after disassembling, the (nearly) whole disaster was visible:
The old balance staff (left im Fig. 3) compared with a new one (right) looked strange at the first glance. And under magnification the botch was visible (Fig.4): The pivot was gone, and the end of the staff was filed to a tip. Moreover, the jewel was axially shifted to make the tip running in the sink of the jewel.

Fig. 5

Fig. 6

The next question: How can a watch run with such a demolished balance? It actually ran some hours when layed down with dial up. After removing the hour wheel a first indication was visible: Fig. 5 shows that the barrel cover was missing, and the question is, how is it possible to loose such a big part?
Quite simple: Fig. 6 shows a spring width exceeding even the total heigth of the barrel, and no effort would close the barrel with its cover.

Actually creative: The demolished balance would never oscillate with the normal mainspring. The original spring had a cross section of 2x0.21mm. The replacement with 2.5x0.25mm brings approximately 2.5 times the torque of the original, and this will move almost every balance.

Go Ahead

Fig. 7

This is the kit to make a nearly perfekt movement, after adding a new balance staff, a barrel cover, and of course a matching mainspring.

The balance is already assembled with the new staff, but the barrel cover is a problem: Barrels or covers are scarcely needed as spare parts. And if ever someone was crazy enough to put such parts on stock, they will be sold out since long for such an old movement. So there are just two possibilities:

Making a Cover
This would be pretty expensive, and therefore only reasonable for a very valuable watch or as a hobby activity.

Looking for a Donor Movement
The calibre is not actually exotical, but a lot of patience is necessary to find one.

And Ready (Two Years Later)

Fig. 8

Fig. 9

About two years were needed to find a donor movement. It provided not only a complete barrel, but also an original replacement for the ugly crown.wheel screw (cf. Fig. 1, Fig. 8).

Novalin-D made the silver plating bright again, and a protection coating makes it stay bright for long time. Poising the balance gave a maximum position error of 12s/day, thus nearly chronometer specs. But this was kind of luck, since the used procedure usually guarantees only maximum position errors lower than 60s/day.

Fig. 10

Fig. 11

With such a movement the reassembled watch makes a good figure as military observation watch again. The accuracy probably exceedes the capability of this watch when leaving the factoty, and the signature "Adjusted" got a meaning again.

Figures (cf. Service Prices)

Outlook

EUR   96.00 purchase from a fraudster
EUR   23.00 purchase donor movement
EUR 43.00 standard service
EUR   10.00 chemical brightening
EUR 8.00 balance staff
EUR 25.00 replacing the staff
EUR 40.00 adjustment, position deviations less than 60s/day
EUR    7.00   applying luminous matter of hands

EUR 252.00 gross costs for the complete watch (in 2011)

The EUR 96.00 for the purchase are burned anyway, and the effort to find the donor movement can't be calculated. This is an investment into this page, which I can refer to, when I'm asked again, why a serviced watch is more expensive than one with dubious condition on ebay. Less typing work in the future though.

So the choice was just whether to pay EUR 156.00 for the restoration or not. But for this price it appeared possible to sell a serviced military observation watch in good condition. As to be seen here, the assumption was right, although hardly.

Not respected own advice:
Never buy a watch without return privilege.

...the alternative - free of charge!

Dr. Roland Ranfft
Im Eichfeld 8
41844 Wegberg-Wildenrath
Germany

phone +49 (0)2432 491604
fax +49 (0)2432 491605
email: info@ranfft.de

Last update: 01-25-12