Bench Inventory
Tools owned, their condition, and gaps to fill before each build.
Sourcing rule: premium individual tools — no starter/bundle kits. Supplier is whatever serves the specific tool best (Amazon, Esslinger, Cousins UK, eBay, AliExpress are all on the table; quality of the specific item is what matters). Previous categorical-ban rule ("No Amazon, Esslinger/Cousins UK only") removed 2026-05-13 — Rob's actual sourcing position confirmed by the 2026-05-11 Amazon tools order across 6 separate orders ($2,655.50 total).
Schema
| Tool | Brand / model | Purpose | Source | Status | Notes |
|---|
Owned
| Tool | Brand / model | Purpose | Source | Acquired / status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stereo microscope, trinocular zoom w/ boom stand | AmScope SM-4TZ-144A | All bench work, primary visual aid (Rob hates loupes/Optivisor; corrective lenses) | Amazon (Order #113-9129194-2365823) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-14 | WH10x eyepieces, 3.5X–90X magnification, 0.7X–4.5X zoom objective, four-zone LED ring light, double-arm boom stand, 110V–240V, includes 0.5X and 2.0X Barlow lenses. Closes wishlist #1 (PRIORITY). |
| Screwdriver set | Bergeon 6899-S09 | Movement & case screws | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | 9-piece set, Delrin shank on swivel base, stainless steel blades, sizes 0.50–2.00mm. Closes wishlist #2. |
| Anti-magnetic tweezers, #3 Hi-tech | Dumont TWZ-302.16 (Hi-tech antimagnetic, #3) | Hands, screws, small parts — primary precision tweezer | Amazon (Order #113-5715564-6307432, $47.64 total) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-19 | Closes wishlist #3 (one of two). |
| Anti-magnetic tweezers, #5 Dumoxel | Dumont Dumoxel #5 anti-magnetic, 110mm | Hands, screws, small parts — finest-point tweezer | Amazon (Order #113-9129194-2365823) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-21 | Closes wishlist #3 (two of two). |
| Crystal press w/ tapered die set | Bergeon 5500-C, 10 tapered dies | Crystal pressing — new skill (was scheduled for Watch 001, now applies to future builds since Lucius 1908 ships with crystal pre-installed) | Amazon (Order #113-9948263-9797049, $693.38 total) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-18 to 2026-05-22 | 10 tapered dies cover the typical 26–34mm crystal OD range. Closes wishlist #4. |
| Hand press, 3-position | Horotec 64.035 | Hand setting — primary tool for installing the BGW9-lumed GS Dauphine hands on Watch 001 | Esslinger | acquired 2026-05-12 — $229.00 | Verify die/tip set inventory on arrival; confirm plastic-tipped dies for hand setting. Closes wishlist #5. |
| Hand-installing tweezer | Bergeon 7026-CP-2A, polished tips | Picking up & placing watch hands during installation | Esslinger | acquired 2026-05-12 — $99.95 | Polished tips; reserve exclusively for hand work to keep tips pristine. Important for Watch 001's polished blue hands — won't mar the blue finish. |
| Movement holder, large extensible | Bergeon 4040-P | Holds NH3x securely during dial/hand/rotor work | Amazon (Order #113-9129194-2365823) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-17 | Closes wishlist #6. Large extensible — accommodates NH3x family. |
| Rodico | Bergeon 7033 Premium Dry Cleaning Compound | Cleaning, picking up small parts, fingerprint removal | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | Premium variant. Closes wishlist #7. Replace annually. |
| Timegrapher | SWANSOFT No.1000 Multifunctional Watch Tester | Movement regulation, beat error, amplitude — full timing diagnostics | Amazon (Order #113-4221343-0514604) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-14 | Wishlist #8 was "Weishi 1000" — SWANSOFT No.1000 is the same hardware tier (Chinese 1000-class timing machine, functionally equivalent). Acquired earlier than planned (wishlist said "before Watch 002"); useful immediately for confirming the NH38 Open Heart out-of-box rate before regulating. |
| Hand remover, Presto #1 | Bergeon Presto #1 | Removing hands from movement (general bench work; rotor + bridge swap on Watch 001 NH38 also benefits from having this on hand) | Amazon (Order #113-2725898-8848202, $127.93 total) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-19 | Not on original wishlist but standard bench equipment. |
| Caseback opening ball | Bergeon 8008 Rubber Ball, Ø65mm (black/white) | Opening/closing screw-down case backs by friction (Lucius 1908's screw-down back) | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | Not on original wishlist. Primary tool for the Watch 001 sapphire caseback (since the back will be opened repeatedly during the bridge + rotor swap). |
| Case opener, single blade | Bergeon Case opener with single blade | Snap-back case opening (alternative to ball for tight screw backs) | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | Not on original wishlist. Belt-and-suspenders with the 8008 ball. |
| Hand setting tool assortment | Bergeon 7404 (3-piece assortment) | Manual hand pushing — complement to the Horotec 64.035 press for individual hand seating | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | Brass-tipped pushers. Lets you press one hand at a time with feel, vs the press which does the full stack. Useful for the second hand specifically (where length clearance is tight on Lucius 1908). |
| Precision brass tweezer | Horotec MSA12.303-B5 | Non-marring precision tweezing — brass tips for handling polished surfaces (blue Dauphine hands, decorative rotor) | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | Brass-tipped — won't mar polished surfaces the way steel tweezers can. Swiss-made. |
| Spring bar tool | Bergeon 6767-F | Strap install/remove (Watch 001 chocolate cordovan, future straps) | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | Long stainless handle, replaceable screw, fork + pin tips. |
| Demagnetizer | QEES Professional Watch Demagnetizer, 110V | Demagnetize movement, screwdrivers, tweezers | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-14 | Not on original wishlist. Standard bench equipment — Dumoxel anti-magnetic tweezers don't need it, but Hi-tech ones and the screwdriver set will benefit from periodic demagnetization. |
| Bench mat | Bergeon 7808-V soft anti-skid, green, modern | Bench work surface — anti-skid, soft (catches dropped parts), green for visual contrast on steel | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-14 | Not on original wishlist. Replaces ad-hoc work surface. |
| Pegwood | TAURISH Pegwood Set 24 pieces, 3mm × 150mm | Cleaning pivots, fitting tweezers, picking debris (consumable) | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-14 | Not on original wishlist. Standard consumable. |
| Air blower | Soft Tip Silicone Super Air Blower | Dust removal from dial, movement, crystal — soft tip avoids scratching | Amazon (Order #113-4221343-0514604) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-14 | Not on original wishlist. Used between every step of bench work. |
| Tool storage case | Durabox 18×14×6" all-weather hard case, TSA-approved with customizable foam | Storage + transport for the bench kit | Amazon (Order #113-2420130-7850617) | ordered 2026-05-11, arriving 2026-05-15 | Not on original wishlist. For organizing/protecting the bench kit. Customizable foam — Rob to cut for tweezer/screwdriver/press/etc. layouts on arrival. |
Wishlist — to acquire (priority order)
All 8 priority wishlist items closed by 2026-05-11–2026-05-12 orders. See Owned table above.
| # | Tool | Closed by | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stereo microscope w/ boom stand | AmScope SM-4TZ-144A | ✓ ordered 2026-05-11 |
| 2 | Screwdriver set | Bergeon 6899-S09 | ✓ ordered 2026-05-11 |
| 3 | Tweezers Dumont #3 and #5 | Dumont TWZ-302.16 (#3) + Dumont Dumoxel #5 | ✓ ordered 2026-05-11 |
| 4 | Crystal press w/ die set | Bergeon 5500-C, 10 dies | ✓ ordered 2026-05-11 |
| 5 | Hand press set | Horotec 64.035 | ✓ acquired 2026-05-12 |
| 6 | Movement holder | Bergeon 4040-P | ✓ ordered 2026-05-11 |
| 7 | Rodico | Bergeon 7033 Premium | ✓ ordered 2026-05-11 |
| 8 | Timegrapher | SWANSOFT No.1000 | ✓ ordered 2026-05-11 |
Spending summary 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-12
| Order | Total | Items |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon #113-9948263-9797049 | $693.38 | Crystal press 5500-C |
| Amazon #113-9129194-2365823 | $955.60 | AmScope microscope + 4040-P holder + Dumont #5 |
| Amazon #113-5715564-6307432 | $47.64 | Dumont #3 |
| Amazon #113-4221343-0514604 | $177.09 | SWANSOFT timegrapher + air blower |
| Amazon #113-2725898-8848202 | $127.93 | Bergeon Presto #1 hand remover |
| Amazon #113-2420130-7850617 | $653.86 | 12-item Bergeon/Horotec bundle (screwdrivers, 7033 Rodico, 8008 ball, case opener, 7404 hand setting, 6767-F, 6899-S09, MSA12.303, 7808-V mat, pegwood, demagnetizer, Durabox) |
| Esslinger Horotec 64.035 + Bergeon 7026 | $328.95 | Hand press + hand tweezer |
| Total bench tools spend 2026-05-11 to 2026-05-12 | $2,984.45 | All wishlist items closed + bench rounded out |
Calibration / maintenance log
(date-stamped entries when tools are calibrated, replaced, or need service)
- 2026-05-13 — to-do on receipt: Run a baseline demagnetization pass on all anti-magnetic tweezers and screwdrivers when the QEES demagnetizer arrives 2026-05-14. Verify Dumont #3 + #5 tips under the AmScope on the same day (microscope arrives 2026-05-14 also) — establishes a known-good baseline before any tip damage from use.