So I dug out this old Nivada Grenchen watch my grandpa left me. Thing hadn’t ticked in years, just sitting in a drawer looking sad. Thought maybe I could bring it back to life, ya know? Figured I’d document the mess, uh, process.
Found It Covered In Gunk
First thing? Could barely see the dial under the dust and… something sticky? Looked like old soda spray or something grim. Gently pried open the case back – needed my littlest screwdriver. Nearly dropped the damn spring when the crown came off!
The Gross Cleanup Begins
Right. Took it all apart. I mean carefully! Laid out the parts on a clean towel. Didn’t wanna lose a single tiny screw.
- Case & Bracelet: Dunked them in warm, soapy water (just dish soap!) with an old toothbrush. Scrubbed all the grot off the links and case. Rinsed super well, dried super carefully.
- Dial & Hands: This part made me nervous. Used a dry microfiber cloth, breathed on it gently for a tiny bit of moisture, and just barely touched the top of the dial. No rubbing! Hands just got a tiny puff of air from a squeeze puffer thingy.
- Movement: The guts! Did not mess with gears myself. Used high-purity alcohol (like the stuff for cleaning electronics) and tiny swabs. Dabbed very, very lightly on any obvious grime spots. Blew out dust with the puffer. Kept it away from the hairspring!
Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together
Reassembly was… fun. Yeah, that’s the word. Took deep breaths.
- Screwed the movement back into the case. Fiddly!
- Slid the crown stem back in. Clicked? Good sign?
- Pressed the case back on. Felt a solid little pop – sealed!
The Moment of Truth
Gave the crown a little wind. Held my breath. Tapped the watch face gently…
… it started ticking! That little ‘tick-tock’ sound? Man, it felt awesome. It’s keeping decent time too! Needs winding once a day, but that’s part of the charm, right? Grandpa’s watch lives!
