I have very similar equipment. These tweezers with the plastic tips are really very useful. Have fun with your new tools! 🕐⚙️🍸

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

I was using ceramic-tipped tweezers because they LOOKED like the plastic tipped ones...until I learned they are much harder and can scratch things. (You can put them in a blowtorch flame, though, which I would not do with the Delrin.) Definitely looking forward to giving all these new squeezers a test drive!

@NaNByZero

3 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike ceramic is harder than steel. Sure. At least they are antimagnetic. You could also try tweezers with wooden tips. I never tried them but there are people who prefer them. I think this is because wood is not as slippery as plastic.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

@@NaNByZero wood tweezers are also not as affordable! 🥸

@NaNByZero

3 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike yes, I noticed that too and went for plastic.

Hey Mike, thanks for the video. When I first started watchmaking, I bought good tweezers- Dumont and Bergeon. The thing that surprised me is that I really love them. I use my brass pair quite a bit and am also using a 7024-1 Bergeon a lot recently. Pith wood is also pretty effective. Loved the bloopers.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

I look at my early videos when I had cheap tweezers, and I wish I had upgraded sooner! Brass seems to be a crowd favorite. Pithwood will get its first try today as I pre-clean the pivots on my 70s Raketa. Thanks for the feedback on the out-takes! 😁

Hi, Mike! Congratulations on your new tools! A watchmaker can really never get enough of them😊 As for the tweezers, I have found out some points I would like to share. I differentiate between tweezers which don't require much pressure - I find them perfect for the finest operations with the balance spring (alignment, putting it on the staff etc) and for miniscule screws. The drawback of such tweezers is the fact that you cam easily let the part fly away with an unpredictable trajectory. I have a pair of NOS Soviet tweezers which feel different, they require more finger pressure and their tips are not perfectly polished (such tweezers were used in assembly lines by factory workers for many operations). When the metal surface is rough, it gives you more confidence when working with balance cocks, they don't slide out of the tweezers which reduces the chance of damaging the balance spring. The brass tweezers, which I don't have yet, are essential. I'm glad that you finally have them! Thanks for another great video!

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Those are all excellent comments! Great point about the texture of the metal where the tweezers come together. I suppose all tweezers have their own personality, that you can further customize by dressing them. I've never seen someone add texture to the tips, but that would be an interesting experiment! (Draw it across some course sandpaper a few times?) It would be a good subject to examine under the microscope. Who knows, maybe a future video! 😁

@kirillslov

3 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike I really need to start leaving comments from my second account😉 I also regularly shoot and upload videos. You are absolutely right, all tweezers have their own character, just like humans. As for the texture, I don't know what yours are like. If none of them have slightly rough surfaces, then I would give it a try by sanding with 800-1000 grit sandpaper (of course, testing it on a pair of cheap tweezers). What I like most about watchmaking is its inexhaustibleness and an immense range of techniques and tricks etc.

Really enjoyed this video and your friendly presentation style Mike! As an amateur in anything I start out with a bunch of crap tools because I'm cheap. Then I try other cheap tools that "might" be better and then end up with a drawer full of mostly useless items. I'm thinking that it is better to save up and buy a quality tool, one here, one there, that will last, and provide a better work experience. I've started to buy a few quality things, and immediately kick myself for not doing it sooner!! What a joy to use quality and solid items. I suppose it also has to do with the level of one's commitment to a hobby or craft. Now I'm looking at tweezers! Great review! 🤣🤣

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Thank you! I'm having fun playing with the different tweezers, and I completely agree with everything you said about starter tools. I bought everything bargain-basement at first because I didn't know if I'd stick with the hobby, and frankly I didn't understand the quality difference. Good tweezers were a HUGE enhancement for me! 😁

Nice video Mike! I use the #7's for hairspring work. Like you noted, it keeps your hands out of the way when working. A curved brass tweezer is my main assembly/disassembly tool. The better quality tweezers gives you the nice light touch/grip to prevent things flying away. Learning to dress tweezers will also help. I see many videos of people using tweezers to pry bridges and it makes me cringe.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Hi Jon, I will definitely try those #7s on some surplus hairsprings. I hear you on seeing cringy behavior, and I probably have been guilty in the past. It's very easy to try using whatever tool is already in your hand. If I was going to add one more pair of tweezers it will be a curved or bent tip brass set. Thanks for joining the conversation! 😁

I have never heard of this type of wood. Seems interesting! What an amazing set of tweezers! You know people who work a lot with tools can tell when something is a quality item. These seem to be a solid set that will probably last you a lifetime so this is a good investment! Pretty accurate mousepad haha!

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Hi Johan, I'm going to try the pithwood today for the first time on some wheel pivots. I'm psyched about getting to know the new tweezers. Mouse pad, too! 😄

Nice video Mike. I'm going to get a pair of those plastic-tipped ones too! Thanks for the reminder - and yes, can never have enough tools! 😂 When I work on wristwatches, I use non-watchmaking tweezers. I believe they are titanium tweezers used by jewelers for handling diamonds and gems. Actually I give credit to Kalle Shlapp (?). The tweezers are thinner and have a super light touch and feel.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Mmmmmmmmm, titanium! I have to start a new wish list! 😁

@WatchRestorationCottage

3 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike 😂😂😂

Looking good as always, Mike.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Thanks Tom! Are you back from your cruise? 😎

@mokumholland5640

3 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike yes, planning a ones of a lifetime cruise to Alaska now for next year. After that we’re done cruising. 😊

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

@@mokumholland5640 Sounds awesome! I'd love to get back on a ship one of these days.

@mokumholland5640

3 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike join us! 😁

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

@@mokumholland5640 Thanks Tom! Very nice offer...I think my wife has her sights set on going to Greece and the Mediterranean when she finishes her book, which takes place in that region. But Alaska is amazing!

I use tweezers for electronic use, and I stay away from plastic tipped ones due to static, but there are plastics that are antistatic, however, they are not needed too often in my field. Another tool I like using is hemostats, they are used for larger part manipulation.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Cool info about plastic tweezers and electronics. Do you think the aluminum handles would be self-grounding? I've used hemostats for soldering - very helpful!

@jeffreyyoung4104

3 ай бұрын

@@WatchWithMike The handles will be grounded through you, depending on your grounding setup. I have a 4 foot by 8 foot work bench, or 1.2 by 2.4 meter, work bench that has antistatic mat covering all of the surface to reduce static effects. I don't use a wrist strap, as I keep myself in contact with the mat when soldering and such work. Speaking of soldering, be sure your iron is ESD safe, otherwise you can spend alot on static sensitive parts!

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

@@jeffreyyoung4104 Good advice! I will keep that in mind as I dive deeper into some of these electronic watches that are landing on my workbench. Thanks!

Great tweezers,great info,Mike.Thank you.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

You're welcome, Angel! Looking forward to getting comfortable with these new tools. 😁

In watchmaking tweezers are like screwdrivers, Doesn't matter if its a $6 pair or a $60 pair in that they are all able to be tweaked and adjusted in terms of profiling the tips and adjusting the gap and tension of them by tweaking certain areas of the spine. There's some good videos out there explaining this, it helped me immensely when I first started and had parts flying everywhere from undressed and unadjusted tweezers.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

I agree about the importance of dressing tweezers. The tweezers I have spent more on did not require much dressing out of the gate, and they held their shape longer. Perhaps, like screwdrivers, it is the quality of the metal that they are made with. 😁

G'day Mike, im sure ill see you using your new tools, esp the curved ones😂❤🎉 Thanks. Mike

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Viewers say shop. I listen! 😁👏🏼

Ive never been able to get used to curved tweezers, maybe I need to buy a good pair and try them again! I also got the Esslinger work pad on my last order lol.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Esslinger work pad for the win! I've spent most of my week using the brass tweezers, so I still need to give the curved pair a good workout. 😎

Howdy Mike! Nice review. I have one or two tweezers too 🤣 Find myself using my straight brass tweezers for almost everything. They seem more grippy, less pingy and no magnetism. Perhaps it's just the one we use the most becomes the one we're get calibrated to? Then carbon steel Dumonts for when a bit of muscle is needed, canon pinion refit, holding mainspring open for the arbour. The ones that rarely get invited to the party are stainless steel, seem really springy and pingy, but ok for balance spring manipulation.

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

Agreed, I think I am most enthusiastic about working the brass tweezers into my routine. I just commented on your mainspring tweezer technique on your new video and then I read this. Tweezers on the brain, I guess! 😂

i use a curved brass those are more rare than daimonds took me months to find one very nice set for live !!! mike put a plasit protect tip on your brass tweezers always wen you put them away.. i got your tweezers mike didnt say it wen i took them sry!!!

@WatchWithMike

2 ай бұрын

More rare than diamonds, indeed! Curved brass are the style that is always out of stock. Good tip on protecting the, um, tip…when putting them away! 😁

I’ve been trying to pluck a pithy comment for this video (specifically one that doesn’t involve puns) out of my tiny brain but I failed! Do you you have any tips?

@WatchWithMike

3 ай бұрын

😆 I am going to have to hone my memory for usable tips. When I get dressed, I'll see if I can make a better point.