Angelus 240 SF - 2014 version with updates
Posted: April 19th, 2018, 8:07 pm
I have been getting a few questions and doing some offline discussions about the Angelus 240 lately and here are some things I would like to share with our members new and seasoned. First I would like to clarify….
I’m not a watchmaker
I’ve handled / converted well over 30 Angelus 240s from 1930 non alarm to 1960 alarm units
This does not make me an expert but I would like to clarify some general perceptions and misconceptions about these movements.
Keep in mind that these movements are mostly from unsealed clocks exposed to decades of moisture and dust.
Unlike Rolex’s and more expensive watches, most of these might have had a decade or 2 of TLC then were probably tossed aside and neglected….not serviced.
A good specimen that is clean and healthy and running and converted is worth $500-700 in your pocket - so that $900 deal on ebay can cost you (ask me how I know). $190 for a service, $30 for a new balance pivot, $50 to have it installed, $30 for a new spring, $150 to have the alarm bits removed, $100+ in additional shipping and throw in a bad hour wheel or gear….you see where I am going.
If you do buy a movement that has been ‘serviced’…please ask who serviced it. There are lots of watchmakers out there, but very few that know the quirks of the angelus. There are 2 watchmakers I personally trust to service a 240 and get it right. 1) Yoda 2) Unreformed . I have seen freshly serviced movements that come back from a watchmaker that have running issues. Yes they are cleaned…yes they are oiled….but refer to #2 above and you will realize that pivots, hairsprings, main springs will have lost their youth and tend to need some additional attention.
Weaknesses of the 240
The hour wheel is fragile, especially those that have been driving calendars. Do not attempt to change the time/date on a clock when the it is near midnight or you will crush the teeth on a $50-$100 hour wheel (if you can find one)
The movement is pressure sensitive……a too tight movement spacer and your movement might run erratically.
Not all parts are interchangeable…..there are 3+ types of balances…..the pivots between shock and non-shock units are different
Consider that hack repairs might have taken place over the years. I’ve seen train bridges with jewels in different positions to accommodate a broken (shorter pivot). I have seen a movement that probably had a custom made pivot that would not work on any other movement….not sure it this was a height issue or a pivot diameter difference
Yes, it’s an 8 day movement….My personal expectations are 7 days of keeping within 1 minute a day is reasonable…most units I have seen run for 7 and start gaining time. I have seen one unit run for 10 + days but most are good for 8-9 with accuracy diminishing after 7-8 days. I have seen units keep time within 1 minute a week. My advice is regulate the movement on your wrist….not while it is out of a case nor sitting in a static environment.
Hands……gen hands are generally between $50 and up for dauphine hands to $150+ for curved and who knows how much for a long set of hands.
Plates….There are cosmetic plates like NW…there are non-alarm conversion plates from Chile…I will still say that the Chilean plates are not perfect as there seem to be either manufacturing tolerance differences and/or a slight difference in the movement itself over the different decades. The end result is pressure points on the movement (center wheel/Main barrel) that cause the movement to run erratically. As such, some conversions are smooth as silk while others give me so much grief than I don’t want to do them anymore.
As a side note…this is in support of the likes of Neckyzips, Nightwatch and individuals doing builds for others. Do not send your builder a sick movement that ‘runs’, have them put it in a build and ask why the watch is running erratically and not keeping perfect time. Unless you pay them money specifically to have it professionally serviced and brought to spec, I would not expect them to perform to a reasonable timekeeping standard.
Would love for you guys to share more of your experiences and findings.
I’m not a watchmaker
I’ve handled / converted well over 30 Angelus 240s from 1930 non alarm to 1960 alarm units
This does not make me an expert but I would like to clarify some general perceptions and misconceptions about these movements.
Keep in mind that these movements are mostly from unsealed clocks exposed to decades of moisture and dust.
Unlike Rolex’s and more expensive watches, most of these might have had a decade or 2 of TLC then were probably tossed aside and neglected….not serviced.
A good specimen that is clean and healthy and running and converted is worth $500-700 in your pocket - so that $900 deal on ebay can cost you (ask me how I know). $190 for a service, $30 for a new balance pivot, $50 to have it installed, $30 for a new spring, $150 to have the alarm bits removed, $100+ in additional shipping and throw in a bad hour wheel or gear….you see where I am going.
If you do buy a movement that has been ‘serviced’…please ask who serviced it. There are lots of watchmakers out there, but very few that know the quirks of the angelus. There are 2 watchmakers I personally trust to service a 240 and get it right. 1) Yoda 2) Unreformed . I have seen freshly serviced movements that come back from a watchmaker that have running issues. Yes they are cleaned…yes they are oiled….but refer to #2 above and you will realize that pivots, hairsprings, main springs will have lost their youth and tend to need some additional attention.
Weaknesses of the 240
The hour wheel is fragile, especially those that have been driving calendars. Do not attempt to change the time/date on a clock when the it is near midnight or you will crush the teeth on a $50-$100 hour wheel (if you can find one)
The movement is pressure sensitive……a too tight movement spacer and your movement might run erratically.
Not all parts are interchangeable…..there are 3+ types of balances…..the pivots between shock and non-shock units are different
Consider that hack repairs might have taken place over the years. I’ve seen train bridges with jewels in different positions to accommodate a broken (shorter pivot). I have seen a movement that probably had a custom made pivot that would not work on any other movement….not sure it this was a height issue or a pivot diameter difference
Yes, it’s an 8 day movement….My personal expectations are 7 days of keeping within 1 minute a day is reasonable…most units I have seen run for 7 and start gaining time. I have seen one unit run for 10 + days but most are good for 8-9 with accuracy diminishing after 7-8 days. I have seen units keep time within 1 minute a week. My advice is regulate the movement on your wrist….not while it is out of a case nor sitting in a static environment.
Hands……gen hands are generally between $50 and up for dauphine hands to $150+ for curved and who knows how much for a long set of hands.
Plates….There are cosmetic plates like NW…there are non-alarm conversion plates from Chile…I will still say that the Chilean plates are not perfect as there seem to be either manufacturing tolerance differences and/or a slight difference in the movement itself over the different decades. The end result is pressure points on the movement (center wheel/Main barrel) that cause the movement to run erratically. As such, some conversions are smooth as silk while others give me so much grief than I don’t want to do them anymore.
As a side note…this is in support of the likes of Neckyzips, Nightwatch and individuals doing builds for others. Do not send your builder a sick movement that ‘runs’, have them put it in a build and ask why the watch is running erratically and not keeping perfect time. Unless you pay them money specifically to have it professionally serviced and brought to spec, I would not expect them to perform to a reasonable timekeeping standard.
Would love for you guys to share more of your experiences and findings.
ummmm yes 
