Xyntha
Not much documentation or information can be found about the Xyntha brand online. In fact, I could not find anything at all! The word "ancre" in the dial refers to the fact that the watch movement was equipped with a lever escapement, and the word "Incabloc" refers to the type of shock system used by the watch movement. This timepiece uses the PUW 1461 movement, which is relatively well known. Rudolf Wehner founded Pforzheimer Uhren-Rohwerke (PUW) in 1932 to reduce reliance on Swiss watch companies. Despite being nearly destroyed in WWII, PUW became Germany’s largest wristwatch movement producer, making up to two million movements annually and investing in quartz technology. Production ended in 1990 after PUW was acquired by the Swatch Group.
PUW 1461 Autorotor (1969-1971)
The PUW 1461 watch movement, produced from 1969 to 1971, is a manual wind movement capable of operating independently of its automatic mechanism. It includes features such as automatic winding, sweep seconds, and a calendar adjustable by advancing the time between 20 and 24 hours. During its production, the PUW 1461 was used in various watch brands, adding to the variety of timepieces from the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Technical Information
Ligne/Size
11 1/2'''
Jewels
25
Frequency
18000
Movement Type
Automatic
Power Reserve
39 hours
Lift Angle
49° (manually measured)
Shock
Incabloc
Mainspring
1.2x0.105x10x340mm
Parts List
Made in
Germany
Restoration Notes
This watch was the first project where I worked on both an automatic mechanism and a calendar function. It provided an excellent learning experience but was quite challenging due to some broken parts and the difficulty of sourcing replacements.
Cleaning and Polishing
Troubleshooting
Replacing Gaskets and O Rings
The case back gasket and crown O ring were dried up and needed replacement.
Replacing an Automatic Assembly Part
I am not sure what this part is called but it holds the automatic rotor in place. This was broken and so I had to source a replacement.
Replacing the Watch Glass
The dial glass was broken and loose. I replaced it with the Sternkreuz high HH. 326 "überhoch gewölbt Punaise". This was a perfect fit!
Replacing the Mainspring
The mainspring was broken and had to be replaced. However this was challenging because the arbour is attached to the barrel lid making it difficult to attach. Also, the new mainspring must be inserted in the opposite direction to typical barrels.
Reassembly and Lubrication
Moebius D5 on barrel, 2nd and 3rd wheel pivots; Moebius 9010 on 4th and 5th wheel pivots and automatic assembly wheel pivots and autorotor. Moebius 9010 on balance jewel; Fix-o-Drop Epilame on escape wheel and pallet jewels; Moebius 9415 on pallet exit stone; Moebius 9501 for cannon pinion and keyless works.
Regulation
Timegrapher readings at full wind, across five positions - DU, DD, CU, CD, and CL:
Delta Rate: 28 sec/day
Mean Rate: -9.2 sec/day
Amplitude Range: 200° to 261°
Mean Amplitude: 222°
Beat Error Range: 0.0 to 0.5 ms
After one full wind, and wearing the watch for 12 hr/day, it worked for a total of 108 hours.
