# Loose Minute Hand



## Dave098 (Oct 24, 2013)

I got a good deal on a watch on eBay because the minute and hour hands were out of alignment. I'm no watchmaker, but I've removed and replaced hands a few times. So I figured I'd get myself a bargain, fix the hands, and happily wear my watch.

As you've probably guessed by now, that's not what happened. The minute hand keeps slipping each time I replace and re-align the hands. Everything works fine for a time, but the minute hand inevitably slips eventually. 

The watch is an HMT, so getting a donor watch for parts is fairly inexpensive. But I'm not sure what I need to replace.

I presume the problem is with the minute hand or the pinion. How would I tell? Are there other issues that would cause this?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Dave


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## Shikyo (Sep 10, 2013)

My vote would go for the minute hand. They can loosen and start slipping or even come off. You can tighten them up again and I know how, but I've never done it so I shouldn't go ahead and teach others how to do it.


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## constellation90 (Dec 6, 2008)

Without seeing the watch it's kinda hard to say...

For myself I can often feel a loose cannon pinion when I set the time on a watch. I also look at how smooth the hands turn, and if there's any hesitation/wobble.

You can tell if the hands are too loose by taking them off and on like you already have, if they are too easy to pull on or off you have a problem. 

Both problems either need a staking set, or replacement parts to solve them unfortunately.


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## Joe Horner (Nov 11, 2011)

If the hand itself is loose enough to lose sync then it'll almost certainly end up completely off and pointing downwards under gravity. A loose cannon pinion won't cause loss of synch because the synch is achieved by the minute wheel which is "after" the CP friction.

By far the most likely causes are:

Damaged minute or hour wheel. These will usually (but not always) cause the synch to change regularly and by roughly the same amount every 12 hours.

Missing dial washer, allowing the hour wheel to lift towards the dial and come out of mesh with the minute wheel. This will cause apparently random changes.

Either way, pop the dial off and the problem should be obvious.


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## Dave098 (Oct 24, 2013)

Thanks for the advice, all. I'm thinking I may just buy a donor watch with matching movement and hands and replace both so I'm covered either way.

Now if I could only figure out how to remove the dial from the movement...


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## teatimecrumpet (Mar 14, 2013)

Dave098 said:


> Thanks for the advice, all. I'm thinking I may just buy a donor watch with matching movement and hands and replace both so I'm covered either way.
> 
> Now if I could only figure out how to remove the dial from the movement...


There should be screws on the side of the movement. You don't have to remove them just loosen them enough to get the dial out


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## Michael Maddan (Aug 17, 2010)

Hello! Getting hands to fit can be a bit touchy...even with the 'correct' replacement hand(s), it does happen that one or more of them will need to be adjusted...there really is no way around a staking set ( they are usually available used at a 'realistic' price...). If you're keen on working on watches, a comprehensive tool set is a must...tightening hands is really very simple, IF you have the right equipment!


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## vincent2008 (Nov 13, 2014)

Dave098 said:


> I got a good deal on a watch on eBay because the minute and hour hands were out of alignment. I'm no watchmaker, but I've removed and replaced hands a few times. So I figured I'd get myself a bargain, fix the hands, and happily wear my watch.
> 
> As you've probably guessed by now, that's not what happened. The minute hand keeps slipping each time I replace and re-align the hands. Everything works fine for a time, but the minute hand inevitably slips eventually.
> 
> ...


Hi, Dave
When you say "The minute hand keeps slipping each time I replace and re-align the hands." 
1) Does it mean that hand sort of drop down or loose and is no longer in sysn with Hour hand ?
2) Or the minute hand is in tact but time is slow down by hours per day?

Scenario 1 would be a loose hand which you need to tighten by punching 3 to 4 tinny holes on the surrounding circles of the reverse side of the hand or apply a very tinny drop
of Loctite 609 or 689 to hold the hand on the minute pinion.

Scenario 2 could be a loose Cannon Pinion which require tightening.

Hope above help.

Vincent


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## Dave098 (Oct 24, 2013)

Hi Vincent 

It's #1


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## vincent2008 (Nov 13, 2014)

Dave098 said:


> Hi Vincent
> 
> It's #1


Hi, Dave

Use a small sharp pin punch, push a few tiny holes surrounded the hand hole, do not use any hammer to hit as it may puncture the hand and leave marks on the others side of the hand.

Or, use a smaller oiler to apply a tiny drop of Loctite 609 on the hand and it settle and dry up.

Vincent


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## Joe Horner (Nov 11, 2011)

My money's still on an under dial problem and, if I was a betting man, I'd say missing dial washer because that's far more common than damage to the motion work.

People get tools from Ebay, get in there, don't notice or don't care about the little ring of brass that falls on their bench / floor, and reassemble it with it missing (not like it can be important or anything, right? Probably just there for the fun of it.....). Or they do put it back but put it in upside-down (the centre should push on the wheel, the edge presses on the dial) in which case it may not hold down properly because it's often bigger outside diameter than the wheel, so it presses on nothing.

A hand that's loose enough to lose synch (assuming it's not hitting a dial baton or similar) _will_ fall off completely sooner or later - usually sooner.


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