Dear all,

I have an astrographic and would need to source some hands to cut down. I can not measure the minute and hour hand hole sizes and could not find it anywhere on the internet. Does anybody know them?


Thank you,

Gabriel

That model did not have hands. It had transparent discs that are no longer available.

Hi Butch,

Thank you for your reply. I'm aware of the discs, I'm re-doing them. I would need hands to cut them down (the original brass rings on the discs got damaged). All I would need is the diameter if anybody has got the means to measure the posts so I can source some hands to sacrifice on the Astrographic altar..

UltraVintage may be able to help with that. Also, any SST model with hands will swap over to the Astro too, if you can pick on up cheap.

I just measured an Astrographic 88D that I have apart for service and I got:

Seconds:    .23mm

Minute:       .90mm

Hour:        1.50mm

Dear Ultra-Vintage/Butch

Thank you for your help. I thought the hole sizes being somewhere around that mark, as the holes in the plastic rings are 1.5mm and 2mm (based on my very un-exact measuring method with a ruler and a magnifier).

Whilst at this, it may be of help to somebody, I struggled for quite a while to source the proper plastic for the rings. The thickness of the original discs is 0.4 mm. The best and closest you get to that is a 0.5mm PET sheet which is protected from both sides with a foil and is beautifully crystal clear. Acetate sheets are grayish and not fully clear with flow marks and all sorts. The paint I'm using is ordinary model paint, I bought enamel but acrylic should be just as good.

We look forward to seeing your project once done!

I would like to see them as well.  The original plastics used in making these often gets warped (which can cause drag on the other hands, dial or crystal), crack or scratch easily as they become brittle, or just get torn up because even for experienced watchmakers they can sometimes be extremely difficult to remove as that ring will almost fuse with the hour/minute wheel if they have been on there without having been removed for a really long time.

Hi Butch, UltraVintage,

I sort of finished with the project. I was risking a major stroke if I'd continued :) I created approximately 50 hand-discs, first painted later used sticky foil. All went perfectly well but during the process of painting-glueing, drilling holes etc some dirt creeped on them. And cleaning transparent sheets is a major pain. I mean a major one. I cocked up all 50 discs at various stages, usually at the last 'I just give it another wipe'.

So the whole process is doable, not a major thing IF you do not have my sausage fingers. Plus you manage to avoid touching the discs, as they become very quickly scratched or hazy or both.

So I went the franken route for what I'm sure I'm going to burn in the Zodiac hell for ever. Fortunately the hands I bought were not cut up as yet, but they were ugly (and cheap). So I simply cut them to the right length and stuck the yellow-white hands on them. So they from a distance look like the original Astro and I'm happy. Happier than yesterday when I thought the whole project will have to be given the hammer treatment :) The only disc retained is the red dot one, as the preparation of that one is simpler (only a red dot of paint on the clear disc) I did not have to touch it much. Hence it is still clear and to the motto of the original advert the red dot has been put back into orbit. This time by a semi-frustrated Hungarian though :D     

P.s.: I'll attach a picture to show I've been up to.

P.s.2: I mentioned before but the person who gave me the idea to restore an Astro is Piotr from crazywatches.pl. The guy is knowledgeable and very happy to help...

Gabriel

Look like a labor of love!