Tips: Kertas Penggulung Tembakau

"Tak isap lokok pun ini keltas misti mau guna maa... Kata sifu Lee kepada aku lama dulu. Percaya atau tidak. Kertas pembalut rokok atau penggulung tembakau adalah sesuatu yang biasa kita jumpa atas meja sifu-sifu tukang repair jam. Apa kelebihannya kepada tukang baiki jam?Ada gunanya beb!" - thetick-thetick

Pembersih Murah Lagi Berkesan

Haaa... tentu ada antara mereka yang merokok jarang menggunakan kertas penggulung tembakau. Pasal bila bukak kotak rokok, ngap satu kat mulut, terus bakar. Lainlah kalau anda hisap rokok gulung! Merokok membahayakan kesihatan - apa laaa aku nih. Namun, kertas penggulung tembakau adalah salah satu alatan bagus lagi berkesan untuk membersih dan mengeringkan bahagian-bahagian jam tangan anda. Kerana kelebihannya, maka ia telah digunakan oleh pembaiki-pembaiki jam - turun-temurun, zaman berzaman. Apa kegunaannya?

Tanya kat memana kedai runcit apek dan mamak. Sure ada kertas pembalut nih.

Penyerap Minyak
Setelah merendam bahagian-bahagian tertentu di dalam minyak pembersih jet one yang biasa digunakan untuk "overhaul" movement anda, letakkan di atas sekeping kertas pembalut tembakau. Minyak akan diserap dan bahagian yang diletakkan akan mudah kering.

Pembersih Bahagian Bawah Crystal
Kita sering dapati ada kesan cap jari pada bahagian bawah crystal. Mungkin juga wap-wap yang memudarkan crystal pada jam tangan. Ini disebabkan kerja pembaikan atau servis yang tidak kemas. Untuk menghilangkan kesan wap atau cap jari tanpa mencalarkan crystal kaca mahupun acrylic, gunakan kertas penggulung tembakau. Kesannya pasti kelihatan. Jika guna kain bergentian halus (soft micro-fabre), ada kalanya kelembapan pada kain masih meninggalkan kesan wap. Bahkan, adakalanya meninggalkan bulu-bulu fabrik halus yang tertanggal di bahagian bawah cermin. Ini akan mencacatkan pandangan dial jam tangan anda. Kertas penggulung tembakau lebih berkesan - lebih bersih.

Membersihkan "Steel Mold" dan Menggilap Jarum Jam Tangan
Jangan sekali-kali menggunakan bahan pengilat seperti "Brasso", "Autosol", atau bahan-bahan abrasive untuk mengilatkan jarum jam tangan anda. Ini akan menyebabkan nickle-plating pada jarum luntur. Jarum jam yang berkilat, samada Stainless Steel Nickle-plated mahupun Gold-plated adakalanya kelihatan pudar. Ini adalah disebabkan oleh steel mold atau kulat besi yang terbentuk disebabkan kelembapan didalam jam tangan anda. Untuk membuang steel mold dan menggilap jarum-jarum jam tangan anda, guna kertas pembalut tembakau. Letak kertas di atas sehelai kain pembersih yang dilipat. Dua atau tiga lipatan cukup untuk dijadikan padding dan letakkan di atas permukaan meja yang rata. Kemudian letak kertas pembalut tembakau di atas kain pembersih yang dilipat. Ambil jarum dan letakkan di atas kertas pembalut tembakau dalam keadaan terbalik. Gerakkan menggunakan jari telunjuk anda seperti anda menggosok (stroking) dengan tekanan yang agak sederhana. Setelah beberapa stroke, jarum akan menjadi bersih dan berkilau tanpa sebarang kesan calar. Pastikan anda menggunakan finger glove ketika menyentuh jarum-jarum jam.

Pelapik Movement
Apabila mengeluarkan movement jam tangan daripada casing, lapik kertas pembalut tembakau pada movement supaya bahagian rotor atau balance wheel tidak bersentuhan dengan tangan anda. Begitu juga apabila memasukkannya kembali. Jari tangan kita sentiasa lembab dan apabila terkena kepada bahan-bahan logam, lama kelamaan akan mewujudkan steel mold. Juga, jangan lupa menggunakannya untuk mengelap bahagian dalam penutup jam supaya benar-benar kering bagi mengelakkan perkara yang sama. Selain menggunakan finger glove, kertas pembalut tembakau adalah satu alternatif yang murah.

Selamat mencuba

“Kalau mau repair jam ha, jangan isap rokok. Nanti itu abuk masuk dalam lu punya jam. Nanti meja kotor penuh abuk. Isap jauh-jauh. Tegur sifu Ah Loi. Dia sekarang dah bersara dari membaiki jam walaupun usia tak berapa tua. Dia sekarang meniaga mee kat Cheras. Seorang sifu yang teliti lagi berpengalaman. Hasil kerja dia superbbbb. Namun apa kan daya, dah dia nak bersara. Apa boleh buat. Sifu Lee ada, takpa.” - thetick-thetick

[Semak dan susun semula 19 Februari 2020]

Exploring Horology Part VIb

"Books are lasting pictures of knowledge freezes between spaces and time. Many people read but not many people learned what they read. Anonymously, I can’t remember who quoted this but I pick-up from one of many books I have read. Read and learn is utmost important. My very minute knowledge about horology desires handy lesson, as interest and passion grows more reading is necessary." – thetick-thetick

The World Wide Web
The world of horology is niche but unique and interesting to explore. Like most of focused subjects, the world of horology developed and published vastly by many industrial experts, the manufacturers, independent authors, sales experts, and watches enthusiasts in the borderless world of Internet. You may ponder topics from many forum gestures and opinions too (don't forget the many many blogs dude!). The advent of World Wide Web (www) has face lifted the traditional way of knowledge sharing. Every second, every day, there are many horology articles published. Humongous! You may numb you fingers if you want to browse and click interesting subjects over the Internet. Some nuts might browse for hours. Me among the many nuts! Honestly, since the pass eight to nine years, ever since I own a laptop and having personal Internet connection this addiction has never subside.

I love to read watches reviews, comments from viewers, forums, e-catalogue, and any articles about watches until I become myopic! Honestly, sometimes I do not have any specific subject to search for and end-up googling. Google Image is my favourite tool! Hah-ha, I guess we do it all the time. Download some nice, sexy, and curvy watch images! This habit has been my daily routine (almost!) and at one time I have stored almost 210 gigabytes of various horological references in my external storage drive. Hence, I have saved a long list of http links populating my browser bookmark. But, the external drive crashed with no chance of revival and retrieval few month after i started blogging. A huge lost of blogging reference which I intend to use. Back-up the back-up, lesson learned.

My new external storage drive. Need to mirror meh?

Lucky me. By browser bookmark is safely stored somewhere. Click image to enlarge. Find something interesting?

The Books and Magazines
I bought many monthly, quarterly, bi-annual, and annual wrist watches magazines. I found some of those magazines are informative – rich of horological knowledge but some are merely advertorial. The cheapest yet rich with colourful photos of new and trendy big boys’ watches is the World of Watches magazine. I miss the first issue but I have the second until the latest. The magazine cost only RM10 per issue. It’s a bi-annual publication. For me, this is an advertising medium. Not a pure horological reference. RM10 for thick colourful pages! The publisher don’t sell magazine. They sell advertising space. Anyway, this magazine is a good compilation of sales catalogue. I also bought plenty of the monthly International Watch magazines, some new and some back issue. I bought many back issues from bookstores at Amcorp Mall and Sungei Wang Plaza. The magazine cost only RM18 per new issue five to six years ago but now catches RM28-RM34 per issue. The back issue only cost me RM10, some RM8 per piece. But seriously, this is a must have reference if you love technical expect of the modern watches. I love this magazine.

Quarterly published Watch Time is amazing. I do not buy new issue, back issues can do. It is very-very interesting horological publication. There are plenty of reviews, pictorial-demonstration, focussed articles, critics, industrial trend and analysis, and many presentation of horological icons. I bet you will love this magazine. If I am not mistaken the price is now uphill to RM48 per issue. The Watch Critics, a bi-lingual publication from Hong Kong is another good reference. I love vintage watches. In this magazine you can check hammer price for Swiss vintage auctions. What is rare and most sought after? There is a specific section for this in the magazine. Read the English if you don't know how to read Chinese characters.

Annual publication! I only buy the Malaysian annual from elite group publications like Tick-Talk and The Peak Selection/The Peak. I can’t afford the international publication because most annual magazines centre-staged the annual watches line-up and trend. Interviews with familar industrial icons and the Swiss Houte Horlogerie always be the anchor articles. Usual suspect! Expensive, but nothing less like an annual watch catalogue. Other than these, I also bought the Revolution and Timewerke magazines for my reference. Not to forget, a stack of Chronos and Luxe back issue. All these reference are to keep me updated with the latest trend and horological advances.

On the bookshelf – need a stronger cabinet because the magazines are thick and heavy.

"I also keep watches catalogue books, pamphalets, and manuals. Reading catalogues? Hmmhh… Why not productive reading? Hey, learn from sifu la brader. Takpun sembang-sembang la dengan collectors. A good advice came from the dark side. Be inquisitive, I will be! May the force be with me. Muahaha..." – thetick-thetick

Exploring Horology Part VIa

"Knowledge is not always free. Experience is priceless. Be inquisitive, you will be a knowledgeable person. That is what I learn from one of my lecturer when I was in the college." – thetick-thetick

Watch Tools and Work Bench
I always dream of my own watch 'atelier' where I could freely service, restore, modified, and to extremely design, fabricate, and assemble my own watch. Yeah… it sounds like a crazy dream. But, starting a small work bench would at least put my hobby in a better spot without much disturbance. Like others, I started cleaning my vintage on my dining table. Some, on the kitchen bar! That’s where it started. Lay a big size white cloth on the table. Put all the tools. Dismantling and assembling watches.

It took me many months and years to equip my hobby. I bought a few China Made tools from Lelong.com and from a wholesaler shop in Lorong Haji Taib in Chow Kit. Sorry, I buy watches tools from that area – not to shop for chicken or raw meat huh! Some tools are not available there. I mean the good one. So I frequented Tai Sang at Wisma Selangor in Jalan Sultan to get some additional tools. It’s a must. You should have the watchmaker’s loupe, tweezers, case opener, hand-lifter, spring bar remover, watch holder, watchmaker screw driver, etc. Long list! Some, I got it free from my sifus – old and used Swiss Made like movement holder, peg wood, and many useful tools. Free give, so give them free lunch. KFC can do maa!

When I moved to my current house in Kota Damansara, I use my daughter’s study table as my work bench. Our old house was a small apartment, so cramp. Now, in the living room upstairs I place the table in one corner. My family call it my heaven’s desk. Fortunately, they understand me well. Hah ha, I sometime spend whole day working at my bench. Break for food, toilet, prayer and some housekeeping routine! Malay said sometime "punggung naik kematu". My hobby make my bump numbed! But seriously, my wife is happy to see me at home! Not going out for long hectic golfing or "merayau" with don’t know-who good or bad influences friends. Biasa lah! I remember what my wife once said. "You can have many watches, but have only one wife". I just smile. What say you dude? Take care of many wives can be troublesome. Many watches!!!??? The workbench is where I learn through practical experience, to destroy and to repair watches. Hah ha. Costly lesson huh? My lecturer is damned right. Knowledge is not always free.

My small "atelier" at home

Re-strapping the oldies to look young and masculine. Bunch of spares in my treasure box!

Spare parts! Spare parts! Are you a Watch Junkies?

Spanner and wrench... which car engine to repair brader?

Work @bench: Hassan Detikduabelas's antique Titoni going for cleaning services. Jam dia ni pernah harung ayaq bah... karat sana sini.

Work @bench: Cleaning Titoni's case with "peg wood". Banyak karat tuuu...

Work @bench: Cleaning "steel mold" on the watch hands using peg wood

Work @bench: Cleaned and shiny hands. Wiped with cigarette paper to avoid finger print and make them dry.

Work @bench: cleaned, waiting for final assembly. Dial Titoni tu banyak jerawat! Jerawat seri... he he he

"When I was in school, I like to read and collect comics and magazines. When I started collecting watches, I collect reading materials. Wait for Part VIb… my bedtime and toilet reading materials!" – thetick-thetick