70s Watches: Servicing an Original 60s Butex Manual Alarm

Here we have a very nice vintage Butex manual alarm watch powered by the lengendary AS 1568 movement in excellent condition. Highly collectible and desirable as this is almost the best of mechanical watchmaking in the 60s and 70s.

Below is the result of the service.

Servicing an Original 60s Butex Manual Alarm - AS 1568 Manual Alarm Movement

Good example of this lengendary manual alarm movement

Movement is the A Schild 1568 manual alarm movement.

Manual wind.
Mechanical alarm function with Date
18000 bph movement.
25.6 D x 6.9 mm H - 17 Jewels.
Power reserve approx 46h.
Movement marked Swiss. 17 Jewels Swiss Made. - Incabloc shock protection.
Date quickset by back and forth between 24h and 20:30h

A short video of the operation of this manual alarm watch

The watch arrives to me not in a bad state but just needs a proper service and a good clean to set it up and running again.

The watch before the service, in its original state

When I first inspecting the watch, I am a bit worried as there are signs of neglect and mis-service as the date changes at 12/24, but the alarm setting is all wrong - the alarm hand has been misfitted. I am surprised to see how clean the movement inside.

After opening the back we can see there are some rust and dirt have got onto the seal but not the movement

Here we have: acrylic crystal, bezel, steel back with a stud, the case back screw ring, the seal, the case, the movement holder, the movement (together with the dials and hands.)

All the case parts with the dial removed from the movement

First is to start the disassembly from the dial side - after letting off all the power from both of the springs and with the balance and also the pallet fork removed.

Dial removed and see everything tug neatly under the date guard plate

Can see no major issue here apart from the day change is not very smooth

With the date ring and jumper and spring removed

It is quite complicated just to removed all the components from the dial side: there are actually in 3 layers - first layer is the date changing mechanism, second layer is the alarm mechanism, and the third layer is the alarm rocker mechanism/keyless mechanism

All the compnent from the dial side removed, including date wheel, intermediate date wheel, the rocker for the alarm etc

With the watch completely apart, its time to inspect and also give everything a good clean.

The complete watch disassembled of all parts

After cleaning, the reassembly starts by putting the stems and also winding pinions back in, and oiling where appropriate.

Both stems are in with the clutch wheel and also alarm winding pinion

After cleaning, the mainspring and alarm spring are checked and oiled, both are wound back into their barrels.

Both barrels are in, left is the main barrel, alarm barrel on the right

There is a sub bridge just for the centre wheel and there is a little cover for oil retention and also for the centre second wheel to sit on.

Centre wheel in with the barrel bridge and also the centre wheel bridge

Here shows the alarm hammer and the alarm wheel already put back into the bridge. Without the alarm spring on the other side to stop the alarm hammer, it will vibrate whenever the alarm spring is wound.

Alarm barrel bridge, alarm wheel, the alarm hammer, the rachet wheel and alarm click are all in

The wheel train in position and ready for the top bridge to be put back into place.

Second, third wheel as well as the escapement wheel are in position

After everything put back on the other side, its time to refit the components on the dial side. The alarm rocker is particulary important, we can see its position is control by two click springs to make sure it only sets the alarm one way and also disengages the alarm when the crown is push in. Also note the L shape alarm lever near the top of the movement in this view, it is part of the engage/disengage mechanism with the crown.

On the dial side, the alarm winding rocker and its spring are in, also the centre pinion

Both click spring are back in... note the long spring across the movement: this spring controls the engagement/disengagement of the alarm hands with the hour wheel

Both setting lever springs are in, note the main alarm spring that controls the alarm

That pretty much sums it all up when the day ring and the jumper are put back together with the dial and all the hands together, and then everything back into the case.