Review: Budget Watchmaker’s Screwdrivers + Rotating Base

This set of “precision” watchmaking screwdrivers is available on Amazon as an affordable alternative to the pricier Bergeon screwdriver sets (No. 6899-S10). But before proceeding, let’s call it what it is… a Bergeon knockoff, because they don’t just knockoff watches anymore, they knockoff watchmaker’s tools too!

If you are looking to upgrade an existing cheap set of screwdrivers or really want a swivel holder, then this set is worth the price. Also, if you don’t plan on working on many watches, or if you are starting out on a small budget, this set could work for you.

When it comes to watch repair or tinkering, the most important aspect of the screwdriver is that the tips are the correct size and sharpness. The quality of the screwdrivers in this set seems ok so far, but don’t expect much. Even the best screwdriver tips break eventually, so it’s important to have spares or a method to sharpen them. Although you can find better, this set appears to be adequate.

Keep in mind that in terms of overall value, the price of the set is mostly due to the rotating screwdriver holder, and not necessarily for the screwdrivers themselves.

If you’re on a shoestring budget, you’d probably be better off to buy a set of screwdrivers like the “Vakogal” set here (a decent set of entry level/cheap screwdrivers for under $15 USD), without the novelty of the rotating base.

Rotating Screwdriver Holder:

The rotating base, or as it is labeled “Watch turntable screwdriver” (or is “Watch screwdriver turntable”), has a heavy feel with an impressively smooth rotating motion. It is very smooth when quickly flipping through to the correct size driver. Although, purely a cosmetic criticism, it would be better without the meaningless laser-engraved text on the center knob – the capital Watch and lowercase screwdriver turntable will be especially annoying for grammar fanatics.

The anodized-like blue color of the metal base is nice, but it would be even better with different color options, specifically black or dark grey. This would make it even more of a rip-off of the Bergeon version, but at least it would be a cleaner look for most watch benches.

There are no rubber gaskets or cushioning for the screwdriver slots – it’s metal to metal, so it may be possible to scratch the blue paint on the base or damage the screwdriver tips when putting them back in the base.

Another gripe is that unless you know from experience and memory which color screwdriver is what size, the base, extra tip containers, and screwdrivers all work together to stay organized. The set depends on the colored rings on the extra tip containers and top of the screwdrivers to be put in the correct spot on the holder.

The blue rotating base has the screwdriver size and type laser engraved, but not the color. If you were to remove all of the screwdrivers and containers, say for cleaning or moving, then you would need to refer to memory or at least a photograph to recall which color goes above which size label. It would be better if each slot was marked with the color.

The side of the holder has a textured rubber grip to it for ease of spinning. This part is effective and looks nice, but you may find that it’s easier to just spin the holder with the plastic containers or screwdriver handles.

The bottom of the base is black metal with a gasket-like rubber ring around the perimeter keeping it from slipping around your bench.

This works well and the holder does not slip no matter how fast you spin the “turntable”, and it does spin quite fast if you want it to.

Holder Size:

One thing to note about this set is that while many of the screwdriver kits (and other tools for that matter) arrive smaller than their appearance in the pictures, the Haoda/Singcci 10 pcs Precision Screwdriver Set is larger than it looks in the stock pics. It is similar in size to the Bergeon it’s attempting to copy.

Measurements are listed in the description, but they refer to the box the set comes in. The diameter of the rotating holder is about 3.5″ or ~90mm, and about 2.2″ or ~56mm tall (just the base, not the screwdrivers or extra tips containers).

What’s Included?

Aside from the base, the set comes with 10 different screwdrivers, including 10 micro flat heads and 2 micro Phillips style screwdrivers:

Flat Heads:

• 0.6mm
• 0.8mm
• 1.0mm
• 1.2mm
• 1.4mm
• 1.6mm
• 1.8mm
• 2mm

Phillips Head:

• 1.4mm
• 1.6mm

Each screwdriver also includes 2 extra tips and a matching plastic container that stows away on the holder below the corresponding screwdriver.

Unscrewing the knurled (and grammatically incorrect) knob in the center of the base reveals an attachment for more grip and torque on your choice of screwdriver. The knob was difficult to unscrew the first time, and if you didn’t know ahead of time, it would easily be overlooked as being fixed in place.

Once unscrewed and the grip barrel is installed on a screwdriver, the middle space can be used to store extra tips or screws.

Conclusion:

It’s a decent set with a smooth turning holder/base. Aside from tweezers, screwdrivers are one of the most important tools when working on watches. This set is good enough for those with limited capital or even as a spare set for a second bench. If you already have a top-notch set of Swiss made screwdrivers but no holder, this set is worth it for that part alone (if you don’t mind the royal blue color).

Again, if you don’t need the holder and just want some affordable screwdrivers to get you by, this set does the job here.

Read through some of the reviews on Amazon, you will find that many of them echo the points discussed in this review:

“These are much nicer than they have any right to be at their price. I bought them so I wouldn’t beat up my bergeon drivers on stuck screws/parts. But other than a very small amount of lapping needed on the tips to remove some grinding burs, these seem to be of equal quality so far. I even like the carousel better than the bergeon, as it is much heavier and stays planted (even on my laminate topped side bench).” –Source

“These screwdrivers have been great for a hobbyist watchmaker. Definitely a solid option if you don’t want to drop a lot on a set of Bergeon screwdrivers” –Source

“The heavy weighted precision carousel is best feature. The screwdrivers are nice and come with extra bits. I had to touch up a couple of blades, but I am very impressed with the overall quality of this set. Seems like a bargain for what you get.” –Source

There is a similar screwdriver set with 10 screwdrivers and a blue steel rotating holder, with the main different being that the screwdrivers appears to be higher quality (but who knows). It is also almost a 1:1 knockoff of the Bergeon, and it comes at about double the price of the set being discussed. If you are debating between the two, go for the one being reviewed on this page and save your money for higher quality screwdrivers in the future that you can use with this base.

Note: the color of the blue base being reviewed here is actually a little lighter than the stock pictures show. The one received was closer in color to the more expensive model shown for comparison.

Update:

There is another Singcci set with the same base, but different screwdrivers for only $2 more ($60.99 vs $58.99 at the time of this post). The swivel top of the screwdrivers are different. If you look closely, you’ll see that the set reviewed on this page have steel colored metal swivel top with a plastic colored ring – whereas, the updated set has a painted or anodized colored swivel top. The handles and tips are likely the same, but the colors tops should make it much easier to find the correct screwdriver in the middle of a job. If you have a choice between the two, go for the colored top version…

It turns out the box actually shows both versions.

Update #2:

Within a couple hours of posting this review, the two screwdriver sets are sold-out on Amazon (I know this because I had the colored tops set in the cart and was ready to checkout). The same sets are available from other sellers but at higher prices: $72.99 for for the colored tops (the silver tops are now unavailable). The lower priced listings linked above might be available again, but you just have to keep checking.

Prices are only mentioned for review context. They are the prices that were listed at the time of writing the review and can change at any time obviously.

Additional Resources:

• Browse other watchmaking tools
• Check the forum marketplace for tools