amateur hack workshop
 
[please allow me some self-indulgent preaching] 
There are serious limitations in shopping for watches.  At an early stage (> 2 watches) the "collecting" mentality becomes a purely materialistic pursuit.  Whilst I enjoy indulging in the finer things of life, I believe that materialism is totally baseless, and essentially self-detrimental.  In the end, you cannot take your watches with you. 
  
I enjoy mechanical watches as an art.  They are examples of a continuing tradition of a vintage craft which has been superceded by quartz technology, and should be extinct.  As a micro-mechanical artform, there is only one way that that it can be truly enjoyed... you need to learn about the mechanics. 
  
That means... opening the watches up, and taking them apart.  Tools are required for these tasks.  I am now obtaining case openers, screwdrivers, magnifying glasses, loupes, tweezers. 
  
It's time to learn.....
 
This is the first movement that I disassembled.  It is from a $30 watch titled "Planet".  The movement has 15 Jewels, and is handwound.  The horizontal Geneva Bars are totally fake, they are actually lightly engraved pinstripes.  The balance wheel has "fake" screws (I think).  Perhaps it was beginners luck, but I managed to re-assemble this movement... and it worked (for 12 hours).  I had troubles with sweaty hands, but I have now fixed that with surgical gloves.  The bridge across the middle is a death trap.  I spent hours jiggling and wiggling the parts... trying to get the three pinions into the three jewel holes simultaneously.
 
This is my latest achievement.  I have dis-assembled, and re-assembled this ETA2892-2.  It is a much more complex movement than the handwind above.  There are many more parts, and quite a few of them are very small.
Here are some images of the baseplate.  Top  Bottom
The design and quality of the ETA movement is quite impressive.  Generally I had no problems with working on this movement.  I attribute this success to my improving skills, confidence, obtaining more tools, and not working on a poor movement.  The ETA design is great, and makes it difficult for you to make mistakes.
 
After losing a small winding wheel on the carpet for 4 hours, I'm also learning how to pick pieces up without squeezing the tweezers.
 

 
Many thanks to Walt Odets, who has guided and encouraged me in the servicing of watches.