How to Find Lost Watch Jewels

IN this video, I will show you the easiest way to find a lost jewel from a watch movement.

*****************************************************************************

✨✨Watchmaking Courses and Training ✨✨

**************************************************************************************************

🚀 Don't Miss Out: Sign up for the "It's About Time" Monthly Newsletter

DISCLOSURE: I often review or link to products & services I regularly use and think you might find helpful. Wherever possible I use referral links, which means if you click one of the links in this video or description and make a purchase we may receive a small commission or other compensation.

USED IN THIS VIDEO

MY MICROSCOPE SET-UP

** FULL LIST OF TOOLS & SUPPLIES I USE **

[laserbeans]

I had a cap jewel get away from me last night. Using this info, I was able to find my lost jewel really quickly. Not like it was on my bench either, it was on the floor a couple feet away. Never would have found it without using a UV lamp. Thank you!!

[chaddirks]

I love the content here. I just subscribed today. My 9 year old son wants to be a watch maker. Its something that interests me too. So we'll be watching a lot of videos while slowly approaching this adventure.

[cereus]

Thanks for this video, very useful. Greetings from Serbia!

[ForestWoodworks]

I recently pinged a jewel twice in rapid succession. First time, I found it using my usual top - down sweeping method. Second time, spent two days and no luck. I completely tore apart my office and finally just bought a donor movement. I'm definitely getting a UV light. Thanks!

[davidobrien]

Just found this channel today, have watched loads of the watchmakers, all they seem to do, no matter what is, strip, clean and put the movement back, nearly all the time, This fellah is great, completely different skills .

[stevew]

Link clicked and flashlight ordered. Thanks again for your great advice!

[haroldskelton]

As a mineral collector, I've used my UV light to look at watches just to enjoy how brilliantly the jewels fluoresce. Until now I never considered using the light to find lost jewels. You extremely clever my friend! (Might mention jewels will shine much more brightly in the dark, so if you have to search the floor (aka do some "praying") you might do well to darken the room first.)

[mercuriall]

Excellent tip!

It is worth noting that it is the synthetic rubies found in watches almost exclusively since the early 1900s will glow brightly under UV light.

This means the vast majority of watches will have synthetic jewels that will glow brightly under UV.

Natural rubies, as found in older watches that predate the use of synthetics glow much more weakly, with few exceptions.

Most natural sapphires (also found in some antique watches) won’t glow, nor will many of the other stones that were sometimes used, such as garnet.

One further tip when selecting a UV torch or light source - make sure you buy one that emits the right frequency of UV light.

You want a UV light that produces the right frequency of light to provide bright fluorescence, so jewels glow brightly, and you must avoid sources that emit very dangerous UVC light(for example germicidal UV lamps create a lot of UVC), or you will damage your eyes and skin, even with brief exposure.

Ideally you want a UV flashlight that produces UV light at or near 365nm.

Any light of 400nm wavelength or less is technically UV light, and it is cheaper and easier to manufacture LEDs that operate at or close to this wavelength.

The cheaper ones that produce light at around 390-400nm will produce a dull glow, if any, depending upon their output power.

The UV flashlight shown in this video claims to produce 395nm UV light. Whilst it clearly has enough output power to be useful for finding jewels, a 365nm flashlight of half the output power would produce a much brighter glow.

UV lights that produce light in the range of 280-315nm (UV-B) are potentially harmful and should be avoided.

UV lights that produce light below 280nm (UV-C) are extremely dangerous and shouldn’t be used without eye and skin protection.

Unfortunately some consumer UV sources do produce UV-C light, and carry no warnings, due to poor regulation of these products.

[robertcalkjr.]

Great tip, thanks! I would also freeze when I lost a jewel or screw. One time I lost a jewel and froze. When I couldn't find it on my hands and the surrounding area, I put my head over the bench and ruffled my hair and the jewel dropped onto the bench.

[scottprice]

Thank you so much for this tip. My first attempt at installing a roller jewel ended when the jewel disappeared from my tweezers. It’s so easy to beat yourself up when this happens. So, even just hearing that this happens to everyone sooner or later is helpful.

[stanimirHTC]

Great, thank you and greetings from Bulgaria !

[haping]

Thanks Alex. Another great tip. I directl ordered a UV flashlight. Never when needed.;)

[thickquinkly]

Mate, what a ripper idea. Trying to get to grips with this hobby, and I've evaporated 2 jewels on 2 practice cleaning attempts (luckily on junk movements). I'll certainly revisit tweezer dressing and who knows, the 2 evaporated jewels may condense back into existense under a UV torch (stupidly optimistic, they've been gone weeks, but some ' fly be free' springs have turned up in unlikely places after the same amount of time). Great tips.

[mikebruegger]

That's an awesome idea. I will say that I never grab a jewel with tweezers. Always Ridico and only Rodico. It makes every bit of the disassembly, oiling, and re-uniting with the chaton very easy and free of any escape.

[MichaelHeinrich]

Hey Alex got myself an Alonefire 10 watt flashlight with a pretty decent quality. Worth to mention that there are different wavelength uv lamps. 395nm and 365nm. 365nm is the one with the versatile usage. Didn't tested it but i'm quite sure that this let the jewels glow. 😊

[MexicoBeachFloridaLiving]

Excellent advice! Ordering a UV lite today. Save my tired eyes and knees.

[zendoc]

Wish I’d discovered this tip a long time ago. Awesome. Thanks!

[antsfur]

Thank you so much for this excellent tip, i have a uv flash lite and will do this from now on 😅

[mikeschneider]

Brilliant! Must try this out! Now if someone would come up with a way to mark all watch parts so that they light up in UV light ...

[ksteffe]

Another great tip Alex thank you just one thing when you go to the link it offers a 365nm or a 395nm version does it matter which one you use?