Q&A: Wind Indicators and Mainsprings

Q: A grade 454 Elgin with a wind indicate that reads a range of 0 to 40 hours only runs for about 36 hours on a full wind. Is this a mainspring issue?

A: With few exceptions, regardless of whether a watch has a wind indicator, the run times are designed-in the same, with the same requirements.

A watch stops when the power of the mainspring can no longer push through the friction of the mechanism, which is never zero. Exactly when this happens depends on many factors of the condition of the watch and the mainspring. The designers of the watch intended it to support fully winding and setting once a day, generally at the same time each day. And they intended that it still be running at that time. So "normal" is 24 hours plus some slack.

In my experience, the vast majority of usual and typical condition vintage watches run in the ballpark of 28-36 hours on a full wind.

As far as improving that...

The strength of the mainspring isn't the first thing to go after. If you think about it, all that's happening is the spring got turned X turns, it will "un-turn" X turns to move the hands. Power is slowly released by the escapement, but really it's just geometry; X turns in, X turns out. There
are no wasted turns. Even if a watch runs for 3 hours, no turns just disappear. It will just take that much fewer turns to wind it fully again.

In a perfect world. wasted power through friction would be close to zero. In this case the mainspring would need almost no strength to turn the mechanism. It's just about the number of turns. In practice, it really comes close to this. A fair condition watch, properly serviced, can be powered for well over 24 hours even by a nearly dead mainspring.

You can't gain more turns (and longer run time) unless you use a longer, thinner, and weaker spring, so that more turns can fit in the barrel.

A stronger mainspring, that turns the same about, may actually be problematic for an antique, that already has some wear on the mechanism. It will force the bearings to power through friction, more rubbing and grinding, on slightly damaged surfaces, causing more damage, where the watch would have otherwise stopped earlier.

A really unfortunate hack sometimes used in the old days by "botchmakers" was to get a watch to run by replacing a mainspring with a stronger one than intended - thus forcing it to tick. The replacement spring would be thicker, so fewer winds would fit in the barrel, so this was at the expense of run-time. Worse though, it was forcing the mechanism to run under more force than intended, potentially causing damage. Also, some original, actual, problem was left uncorrected. I've actually seen this in watches a few times.

But the short answer is that just because a watch has a wind indicator doesn't mean it's supposed to run that long. In fact, the wind indicator is one more little set of gears the thing has to power - more friction.

I usually set wind indicators so their hand is at zero when the watch is fully run down. In that way it likely does not fully wind up to its maximum reading. That way, the indicator truly shows run-time remaining as it was intended.

Elgins from Walmart

Here's a question I get, more or less just like this, every couple of weeks...

Hello,
I purchased an Elgin mechanical watch from Walmart for $125 almost four months ago and it stopped working. Walmart offers a 90 day warranty with the watch purchase but I'm just passed that time and I lost the warranty booklet that came with the watch and can't find the information online anywhere. Knowing this watch has a 10 year warranty makes me feel good knowing that I can get it repaired. Please contact me anyway you choose all my contact information is below.
Thank you in advance

As readers here likely know, There is no Elgin company, not any longer. It doesn't exist. The mighty Elgin National Watch Company, as we knew, it ceased to exist in 1968. The factory was demolished not long after. Elgin has not made watches for over 50 years.  Since then though, the name has been owned and used by other companies for clocks and watches, but those products have no connection to with, and nothing what so ever in common with, the products of the original Elgin company.  Today as far as I know, the Elgin name is owed by a conglomerate called MZ Berger Inc. They have a website, but I have been told that they do not offer spare parts or repair services, but I don't personally know.

I think it's actually a high compliment to Elgin that the name is still of value for its association with timekeeping even after all these years. But I am also a little surprised that anyone looking at my website would think I could help them.

Although in all honesty, I truly have nothing against low cost watches. If you like the looks of a watch, and it keeps time, fine. I have, personally, no reason to bang around everyday wearing a work of art or a rare antique just to know when it's lunchtime. But I am a little surprised at the surprise of others when they learn that Walmart doesn't offer much after-sale service for a $100-$150 Chinese wristwatch.

Here's another one:

Dear Jeff,

I have tried to contact (in VAIN) where a complaint and/or having a Elgin watch PROPERLY fixed or replaced.

My partner bought a watch for my birthday, last year. To keep time, this model is a "self winding," which (as you know) does so when worn. I LOVE the idea and design. I had worn the watch for 2 months. It seemed to progressively loose 5 minutes about the third month. I would set it ahead, figuring a "hiccup" may have occurred. I have another standard watch I wear so I switch them out. The Elgin NOW goes from 8-10 minutes off. The issue has become WORSE.

I do NOT believe in blogging and "bashing" a corporation, without giving a chance to "make it right!" I would appreciate your intervention, on this issue and convey how to proceed. 

Or this one:

I bought an Elgin Watches at Walmart NJ 2 years ago the warranty of that watches is 10 years and the watches got rusty, stain on it and i dont get why. I worn it only 1 year and i stop worn it because the metal of the watch change significantly. I went to Walmart with it and they asked me to contact Elgin company.
I hope to hear from u asap

I save these emails. I have 100s or them.

A Practical Course of Instruction in The Science of Horology Or The Construction and Repair of Time-Measuring Instruments

From The American Horologist magazine, January, 1946

A Practical Course of Instruction in The Science of Horology Or The Construction and Repair of Time-Measuring Instruments
by Orville R. Hagans and D. L. Thompson

(Continued From Dec. '45)
To test the slip for satisfactory condition, run the little fingernail along the faces and there should be a noticeable catching of the nail on the lines. A soft iron grinding slip will require frequent reconditioning as the oilstone paste used on it will cut the slip also.

A triangular grinding slip, such as that shown in Fig. 5, is superior to the square one for cylindrical pivot work for the reason that the angle of the edge is acute and will grind a clean square shoulder. In making this slip a rod of iron of 1/4" in diameter and about 4" in length is placed in a bench-vise in such a manner that about half of its length can be filed to triangular section, as it would be difficult to hold it in a vise to file it for its full length. The finishing of this slip is done in the same manner as that of the square one.

A flat grinding slip, such as shown in Fig. 6, is one on which the corners have been filed to. an acute angle, or relieved, which produces the same results as that of the triangular one. This slip is made of iron rod of 1/4" in diameter, or a flat strip of iron of 1/4"x l/8" in section, filed to the section shown in the drawing and finished in the same manner as the others.

A flat slip with rounded corners, which is used to grind coned pivots, is shown in Fig. 7. It is made in the same manner as the sharp cornered one and then the acute corners are rounded on a carborundum stone, after which it is finished the same as described above. One corner should be rounded with a small radius for small pivots and the other corn-er with a larger radius for the larger ones.

A tang could be filed on any of these slips and a handle, of about 1/2" in diameter and 4" in length, fitted with which it could be more easily held and used.

5. MAKING A BELL-METAL POLISHING SLIP

A bell-metal slip, such as shown in Fig. 8, is used to hold a finer abrasive paste, such as diamantine, saphirine, or rouge with oil mixed to a waxy paste, with which to polish pivots smoothly and brightly after grinding to 'size with oilstone paste on an iron grinding slip. It is made in the same manner as the flat grinding slip using either a rod of bellmetal of about 1/4" in diameter or a flat strip of about 1/4"x1/8" in section. This slip is to be finished, after filing to shape, on a strip of medium emery-paper and lined on coarse emery-paper. Two of these should be made, one with sharp acute edges and one with rounded edges of different radii, or one combining these features would suffice. 

6. FILING TAPERED PINS 

Taper filing, or the filing of iron and brass pins, is an operation for which the horologist has frequent use. It is done in a similar manner to that of filing cylinders. The wire to be filed is held in a pin-vise, such as shown in Fig. 9, the wire rotated in a tapered groove in a filing block, Fig. 2, and filed to a slight taper like that shown in Fig. 10. Pins filed to a needle point, Fig. 11, must be avoided as they cannot be depended upon to hold securely in their holes. A pin of any ordinary size can be readily produced in this manner and after filing to fit the hole properly it should be burnished lengthwise with a burnisher to remove the file marks and make it smooth. It is now placed in the hole again, twisted friction tight, marked for length with a sharp knife, after which it is removed, cut to length with nippers, the ends filed Or stoned flat and the edges slightly rounded. A pin made and fitted in this manner will hold securely in its hole and show good workmanship.

7. METAL SAWING 

In using the jeweler's saw, the outlines of the part that is to be made are first marked, from a sample or from a drawing, on the metal to be used. The sawing of straight lines should first be practiced and to do this mark a straight line on a piece of sheet brass, of about 1/16" in thickness, and fasten it in a bench vise, allowing only a moderate length of it to extend so as to prevent it from springing or bending while sawing. Hold the thumbnail or the edge of the metal to assist in starting the saw on the line, after which handle the saw in much the same manner as you would file for flat filing. Hold the saw in the right hand and the end of the saw frame, close to the blade, with the thumb and forefinger of the left. Saw slowly with even and measured strokes, watching the saw and the line continually and releasing the pressure on the return stroke. 

A saw blade should be tightened in the adjustable saw-frame until it is quite taut and the pressure used on it should be judged by the size of the blade and the hardness of the metal being sawed. A dull saw has lost most, if not all, of its off-set which causes it to bind in its cut.

This friction causes heating which expands the blade and causes it to stick in its cut and break. A slightly dull blade will not follow a line as readily as a sharp one and if one is to do much metal sawing it is well to have a good supply of blades on hand. Jeweler's saw blades are made in various sizes, running from quite fines ones to those of scroll saw size, and for practice work a medium sized blade should be selected.

When straight lines can be sawed in brass, then mark one on a piece of sheet iron, of about 1/32" in thickness, and continue the practice of this work until it can be done without difficulty.

Having learned to saw straight I lines easily, mark a circle on a piece of 'sheet brass, using a scriber-compass or a coin and a sharp pointed instrument, and saw it out in the same manner. Then repeat the operation on sheet iron. The only secret of sawing to a line, either straight or curved, by hand, is to use slow, measured strokes of the saw and to continually watch the saw and the line.

8. MAKING A PAIR OF PIERCED CLOCK HANDS

Making a pair of pierced clock hands, such as shown in Figs. 12 to 15, will give further practice in the use of files and saw and will prepare one for the work of making flat watch parts. Secure from a hardware store or machinist's supply house, two pieces of flat sheet iron of 1"x 6"x 1/32" in dimensions. This stock can be bought with finished or with unfinished surfaces. The former which is more expensive, has a flat ground finish while the latter is flat rolled stock which usually has a surface scale which is too hard to file or saw. This scale can be removed by grinding with emery-paper. When either is used the iron should be given a blue color so as to plainly show the lines of the design which is to be marked on it. This is done by holding the metal with a pair of pliers over the flame of an alcohol lamp, one with a half-inch wick will provide sufficient heat-and moving it back and forth, to evenly distribute the heat, until an even dark-blue color appears.

After bluing the iron the design of of the hand is to be marked on the metal, from a sample hand or from the drawings shown in Figs. 12 and 14. To copy the designs shown in the drawings, first making a tracing on tissue paper, then glue the tracing on the metal and mark the lines with a sharp pointed instrument, such as a point ground on a round file. The metal is then placed in a benchvise and sawed to outline, which is best done by starting at the end. The edges are then filed to line and then smoothed with a stone. Several small files of different shapes, such as a round and an oval file for inside curves, and a barette file, which has saw-edges, for acute corners, will be required for this work, after which holes are drilled to start the saw and the inside markings sawed and filed to line.

In practical work, the sockets from the old hands, if available and in good condition, can be removed and the new hands fitted to them. The new hands should be ground smooth with emery-paper and colored before being fastened to their sockets.

If a minute hand is to fit on a squared center-arbor or a squared cannon-pinion, of a striking clock then care must be taken in filing the square in the hand, or in fitting the squared socket to the hand, so that it will fit properly in relation to the striking pi~s in the center-arbor or cannon pinion. To file a square hole, first measure the diameter of the square it is to fit on and drill a hole of this diameter.

The hole is then squared by filing a little form one corner, then the next, and so on around the hole, as shown in Fig 10, trying it frequently on the square, until it fits nicely. 

9. COLORING HANDS 

After the hands have been completed and smoothed with emery paper, they can be colored red, purple, or dark-blue by heating. 'To do this, secure a flat piece of sheet iron of about 1"x 6" x l/16" in dimensions, and then straighten the hands until they will lay flat on the strip and in contact with it for their full length. Clean the hands with benzine to remove all grease and finger-prints so they will take a nice even color. Place a hand on the strip and hold it over the flame of an alcohol lamp, moving it lengthwise over the flame to evenly distribute the heat, until an even dark-blue color appears, then drop it in a dish of water. The iron will first take on pale yellow or straw color which deepens to a dark straw, then red, purple, dark-blue, pale-blue, and finally to greyish white again. If the hand does not color evenly on the first attempt, then brighten it with emery-paper, clean with benzine, and try again. Rusted or scratched iron or steel hands can be restored to their original color in this manner.

(to be continued)

Information Please!

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, January, 1946

WMck - Will dipping watch parts in cyanide leave any bad effects?

Answer - If the parts are guilded and left in cyanide solution too long, the solution will dissolve the gilding, leaving the plates dull and dark. When dipping watch parts in cyanide solution, the parts should first be cleaned in naphtha, the naphtha washed off in soapy water and then rinsed in clear water. Give a quick dip in cyanide. You must bear in mind that cyanide only removes tarnish and if the tarnished surfaces are not perfectly clean, void of oil Or grease, the cyanide will not attack the tarnish. After the cyanide dip, parts should once more be thoroly rinsed in warm soapy water or warm water to remove the cyanide. Cyanide solution itself is slimy and cold water will not give a thoro rinse. After the parts are thoroly rinsed, they may then be dipped in alcohol and dried in warm sawdust. This may sound like a long procedure, however. to get good results, the above care should be taken when using cyanide. Cyanide is poisonous and the user should be cautious not to allow cyanide to come in contact with any cuts or sores. He should also be cautious not to inhale cyanide fumes.

AEW: When was the minute and second hand first used?

Answer: The minute hand (concentric with the hour hand (was first applied by Knibb and Quare and other English clock makers about 1670. No definite information is at hand when the first second hand was applied, however a clock built by Tompion of England employed a second hand constructed by him in 1676 A.D.

BW: How do you test a watch for isochronism?

Answer: The isochronal test for the watch is made by winding a watch fully, setting it on the second and then checking the time each hour throughout the 24 hours. This will show how the rate varies as the watch runs down. If the watch shows a constant gain or loss, each hour throughout the 24 hours, we can then say that the watch is adjusted for isochronism. Checking the watch or making alterations to cause isochronal rates can some times be accomplished through the regulator pins, by opening or closing, then again by reforming the overcoil, changing the elasticity at the bends of the overcoil. It may be necessary to fit a new hairspring. which may be a trifle longer or shorter. The object is to create the resistance of the hairspring to equal the force of the balance, so the balance will be returned to the zero point the same duration of time whether the arc be short or long.

MElNc'D: How can I improve the tone or sound of the gong in a mantle clock? When the clock was new it had a clear tone, but now the tone is very dull.

Answer: May I suggest you examine the leather buttons in the hammer. The leather ages with time, sometimes becoming quite hard and occasionally seem to deteriorate, becoming soft and falling apart. When the leather hardens, you will have a harsh tone or metallic sound. If the leather has softened or becomes spongy, you are likely to have a very soft tone. If the leather lining in the hammers are all right check the support that holds the gong. See that the gong is well secured to the support and that the support is rigidly secured to the base board. See that the base board is held firmly. Sometimes the base boards dry out so they become loose or possibly the base board or soundingboard may be cracked.

ABP: I am about to purchase a watchmakers lathe, motor and staking tool. Will you kindly advise which is the best lathe. 

Answer: The writer is not in a position to mention makers names or comment on their quality. I would advise you to rely on the judgment of an experienced watchmaker who might accompany you on your shopping tour and from his experience of handling tools will recommend what is best to purchase.

TNB: I am thinking seriously of going to school to learn the art of watch repairing. When my course is completed, does the watchmaker have to supply his own tools and material, or does the employer supply them.

Answer: A journeyman watchmaker is expected to have his own kit of tools such as small hand tools, a well equipped lathe with an electric motor, staking tool, etc. However, he is not expected to supply repair parts or any materials necessary to carryon the work. The employer usually is equipped with a cleaning machine, and furnishes the cleaning fluids. He also has a demagnetizer, friction jeweling outfit and crystal grinding machine. A machine for fitting non-breakable crystals, a timing machine and a buffing machine should be supplied by the employer. This applies where a watchmaker is working on a straight salary or commission.

RGO: I have a mantle clock whose case is made of cast iron and finished black. What can I do to restore the black polish that has become dull from years of handling?

Answer: If you have one of the early American made clocks, these cases were usually coated with aspheltum varnish and baked at about 300 degrees F. A very satisfactory job can be had by rubbing the surface with rotton stone and olive oil, using a felt pad, when all scratches have been removed a lusterous polish can be had by vigorous rubbing using a flannel cloth.

JFH: I have noticed, after fitting a balance staff that a watch takes on a new rate, either fast or slow. I am very careful about trueing the balance and also for poise.

Answer: Replacing a balance staff is a major repair that has to do with the heart of the watch. Even when you say the balance is in good poise and true, other conditions may not be the same as before the staff was fitted. For instance, the balance may be a trifle larger or smaller, the larger pivot would show a fast rate, the smaller pivot slow rates. The pivot ends may be of a different shape than the original staff. Flat end pivots will cause fast rates, round end pivots will cause slow rates. When replacing the hairspring, it may take on a slightly different position such as the reg sweep in the regulator pins. Your hairspring may not be perfectly centered nor develop properly. This all has to do with timekeeping. Your tweezers or screwdrivers may be more or less magnetized. transferring the magnetism to the hairspring or balance. The end shake of the balance pivots might be more or less than the original. There are many reasons why the new balance staff you are placing in the watch may not perform exactly as the one removed. However, the change in rates will not be so great but what slight regulation will bring the watch to time.

AFH: I have trouble with the gummed paper clock dials holding fast. They seem to hold for a few days but peel off. What can I do?

Answer: The ready made gummed clock dials have been prepared with a special glue and will hold if proper precautions are made. This may be done by scrubbing the surface of the dial plate with emery or sand paper until the surface' is bright and clean. Moisten the gummed dial, place it in position and place the dial under pressure with some convenient weight for a period of 15 or 20 minutes until the gum is set. This will prevent the dial from warping away from the metal.

AFH: I have noticed that paper clock dials I get from jobbers seem to have a soft surface and are subject to finger prints and dirt. It there any thing I can do to them to aid keeping them clean and washable.

Answer: Make a thin solution of grain alcohol and white shellac, apply two or three coats until the paper surface is glossy. Allow each shellac coating to thoroughly dry before applying the next coat.

HFG: Can I reform a flat hairspring to an overcoil pattern and will it keep the same time as when it was flat?

Answer: To over coil a flat hairspring is permissible if space permits. To do a good job, the hairspring stud should be moved towards the center as well as regulator pins. The radius for stud and reg pin should be 2/3rds radius of hairspring from center. Then you can shape the flat spring to conform to the position of reg pins and stud. Usually, a flat hairspring that has been reformed will show a gaining rate but not so much but what it can easily be taken care of by the addition of a very light timing washer or by moving the regulator. 


Front and back views of unusual and fine repeater watch owned by Ira Leonard of California. Photos by J. E. Coleman, Nashville, Tennessee. 

Information Please!

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, February, 1942

Information Please!
By W. H. SAMELIUS

P.W.A.: - I have been instructed to carefully true compensated balance in the round and poise them. When this is done, I find on returning to work the next morning, after the shop has been cold all night, that the balance is out of round. Should I true such a balance again after assembling the watch?

Ans: - A compensating balance can only be trued and remain so at one temperature. If you true the balance at 70° F and leave it on the bench overnight to get cold where the temperature probably dropped 20 or 30 degrees you will find the balance rims have moved outward and the balance out of round. In other words, the brass rim will have contracted more than the steel rim and the cut ends of the rim will extend beyond the length of the arms. You will note that as soon as the room temperature has increased to the same temperature as when the balance was trued, it will become true again, or back to its normal form.

B.S.: - How can I make a simple cement for patching broken porcelain watch dials?

Ans: - In a clean vessel, dissolve pure white wax and mix with an equal amount of zinc white. When cold, the cement can easily be pressed into the broken places in the dial. Heat the dial slightly to make the cement flow and adhere to the surface. Cleanliness in mixing and a little heat will contribute to the production of a very white wax.

JR.L.: - I see in the late Elgin Catalog and bulletins, an announcement of a patented grooved balance staff which has been introduced. Without a doubt, this proves to be a valuable timesaver for the man at the bench.

The fact that the new staff can be driven out and not injure the balance wheel and that a new staff can be staked to the wheel, leaving the wheel perfectly flat, so no or very little truing is required and that the balance will remain in poise, is a great step forward, but how can I distinguish the new staff from an old staff when a watch comes to the shop for repairs.

Ans: - The difference between the regular model staff and the new model grooved staff is that the waist, or hub on the regular staff is tapered, where the new model staff has a straight hub.

P.D.: - I am having trouble in attaching gummed paper printed clock dials, so the dial will stick and stay flat and smooth and not peel off after a few days.

Ans: - The surface of the metal dial must first be prepared by removing the old paint with paint remover. Thoroughly clean the surface by using coarse sand paper. Wet the gummed side of the dial with a cloth and when ,Nell moistened, attach paper to metal disc laid on flat surface, then with pads and weights, hold the dial down tight until dry. You will then have no further trouble.

E.L.O'B.: - Would like to know what causes the cannon pinion to raise up off center post, no matter how tight the cannon pinion is put on?

Ans : - This question is often asked and the illustrations show the causes for cannon pinion raising. 

Figure No. I - shows center post tapered at the lower end so when cannon pinion is applied, it will have a tendency to raise upward and become loose.

Figure No.2 - shows center post of equal diameter from top to bottom but with the groove slanted upward instead of downward toward the base of the arbor. A cannon pinion fitted to this center post will also cause the cannon pinion to climb up and become loose. 

Figure No.3 - shows center post of equal diameter from top to bottom with the groove so shaped that when the cannon pinion is attached, it will have a tendency to work downward and remain on the post. When fitting a new cannon pinion, make sure the pinion fits freely down to the shoulder of the post. Then by inserting a brass wire in the hole of the cannon pinion, placing the cannon pinion in a V stump and with a center punch, make a small indentation or bulge that will come just below the groove of center post, as indicated by arrows.

Occasionally, we find a cannon pinion, after being placed on center post, that has a tendency to turn rather hard. This may be due to a rough hole in the pinion or rough surface on center post. In such a case, it is permissible to lubricate the center post. 

Do You Know

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, February, 1942

Do You Know

A synchronous clock is one that is equipped with an electric motor, the speed of the motor being controlled from the power station. The speed of the generators at the power station is in turn controlled by a master clock.

Fungus that is found growing on the stumps of dead trees, when dried is tougher and will hold articles better than cork for many grinding or polishing operations. Fungus is a semi-circular form of growth often growing to a 10 or 12 inch projection. The white underside of the formation is used.

Ferguson of England in 1765 built a curious clock showing the time of high and low tide, also the state of the water at any time of the day. The clock also showed the phases of the moon.

The earliest lathe for cutting threads was made in France about 1740. Another early lathe was built  by Henry Mandslay of England, 1797. The lathe had a lead screw and changed gears to drive the lead screw. Fundamental principles of the first lathe are used today in our modern lathes. Early American lathes, 1800 to 1830, had wooden beds and iron ways. The first iron bed lathe made in America came from New Haven I Connecticut, 1850.'"

When reading text books on horology written by English authors, "Red Stuff" is often referred to as a grinding or polishing agent. It is used with oil for polishing brass or steel. It comes in four grades: clinker for surfacing steel after hardening, coarse is used for polishing Steel and brass, followed by a medium grade for steel that is to be blued, and the fine grade for the steel that is to have a high polish. The polishing is done with iron and bell metal slips for train and balance pivots and for flat surface work, the polishing is accomplished on tin laps.

"Red Stuff" is the nickname for Sesquioxide of iron or crystals of sulfate of iron. Crystals of sulfate of iron are subjected to great heat and then ground and graded into polishing powders of various degrees of fineness. The more calcined part is of a bluish purple color, coarser and harder than the less calcined, the finest of which is! a scarlet hue. Clock makers use the bluish purple under the name of "Croecus" and the scarlet is known as rouge and is used for polishing silver plate, watch cases, etc.

Paul Viet of Bloise is credited with being the first enameler of watch dials in 1635.

It may surprise many jewelers that have the impression most of the diamonds mined are used for gem jewelry. Statistics tell us that 65% of all diamonds mined are used for mechanical purposes such as diamond drills, diamond turning tools, diamond dust for grinding and polishing, dies for drawing fine wire. Diamonds used for mechanical purpose are black and the average cost of a diamond turning tool is $50.00.

To quickly remove any kind of lacquer, use one-half pound potash lye to one gallon boiling water.

The Horological Institute of America at it's annual meeting in 1931 passed the following resolution:
That. whereas the question has arisen as to what constitutes adequate cleaning of watches. Be it understood that the watch must be taken apart entirely and each separate part cleaned thoroughly, all pivot holes cleaned out with pegwood to conform with the requirements of the Examining Board of Certification of Watchmakers and using any watch cleaning solutions, the rinsing should be done with whatever is recommended by the maker of the solution and in no other way! 

A Pocketwatch That Runs Poorly Only When Carried?

Q: I have an antique Elgin pocketwatch that runs wonderfully and keeps great time when it's in my watch case. However, when I carry it with me, the watch will run slow or even stops. I haven't carried it around because I don't want to mess it up any more than it already may be. Balance staff maybe?

A: It probably just needs routine service. It could be a staff or jewel problem, but there are other possibilities. It likely runs very poorly in a specific orientation other than hanging upright. If a balance staff is actually broken, a watch won't run at all.

On Broken Balance Staffs

Q: I was looking at the pictures you posted today on Google+ and made we wonder. About how many of your jobs are to replace broken or damaged balance staffs? Seems like a lot based on the number of repairs you post. This seems like a design flaw in watches? I can imagine back in the day those repairs kept food on the table for watchmakers?

A: Replacing a balance staff is the most common repair, outside of the normal maintenance process. The balance pivots are very, very small rods of hardened steel, running in jeweled bearings. This arrangement creates a bearing that, when properly cleaned and oiled, will last pretty much forever without wear. But the hard steel balance pivots are also very brittle, so any sharp shock will break them. I've never kept track, but probably 1 out of 4 or 5 watches I see needs a new staff.

My Grandfather told me that at one of his first jobs the shop owner insisted that the balance staff get replaced on all the watches that came in for service, regardless. And they charged for it! This is pretty extreme, not to mention unscrupulous. He didn't work at that place very long.

But anyway, I suppose one could call it a design flaw. Then again the top speed of a Model T is only about 40 mph too. These watches were designed and built using the best technology of their time.

The only other thing that eventually breaks or wears out on a watch that is otherwise perfectly cared for is the mainspring. The old steel ones in particular eventually go, no matter what.

Unfortunately almost all of these parts - balance staffs and mainsprings - have not been manufactured for many decades. Because those parts were the ones most often needed, the watch companies left us with mountains of them. But we're running out. It is going to be a lot more expensive to repair watches in the near future.

Information Please!

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, February, 1946

HGG - Can you tell if there is an easy method to determine the full diameter of the pinion to fit any given wheel without extensive calculating? I want to select a 6 leaf pinion to fit a wheel. Is there any easy formula that I can follow and get a smooth running gear?

Answer: The correct way to arrive at the proper diameter for a pinion is by mathematics, however, you asked for an easy method and one that is practical so the following formula will prove helpful and satisfactory for all practical purposes.

The full diameter for a 14 leaf pinion should equal the distance of 6 teeth from point to point on the driving wheel. For a 12 leaf pinion, the diameter for pinion should equal the distance from tip to tip of 5 teeth. For a 10 leaf pinion, the diameter should be 4 full teeth. For an 8 leaf pinion, the width of 4 teeth measured at their points deducting 1 space. For a 6 leaf pinion, the distance of three teeth measured from the point. If these measurements are carefully followed, the pinion will be usable.

RHY: What kind of grease is used to keep moisture away from crown and stems in waterproof cases?

Answer: Riggs Gun Grease is used to pack in the pendant and around the stem. It also acts as penetrating oil when the steel parts are badly rusted.

JC: Recently I purchased a package of diamond dust, expecting to use it for resurfacing and polishing pitted cap stones. I find the powder too coarse. Is there anything anything I can do to take out the coarse powder?

Answer: Procure five small glass vials of about 1 ounce 'capacity, mark vials from 1 to 5. Fill dial No.1 with clock oil and thoroughly stir diamond powder into clock oil. After ten minutes pour off the oil into bottle No.2, allowing that to stand 45 minutes, repeat and pour off into bottle No.3, allowing it to stand 24 hours. Repeat and pour oil into Bottle No. 4 allowing it to settle for 24 hours and finally pour remaining oil into bottle No.5 and allow to settle until clear. You will now have 5 grades of diamond powder. No. 3 and No.4 for fast cutting and No.5 for polishing.

ECB: Please explain the use of different watch brushes, at what stages are they used, purpose of each brush and cleaning, of bridges and cases?

Answer: As a rule the watchmaker is equipped with three grades of watch brushes, fine, medium and coarse. The fine brush may be used for brushing sawdust or other fine lint from train wheels or plates of the watch that has passed thru the sawdust method of drying. The fine brush may also be used for dusting the dial without danger of damaging the hands. The medium brush may be used for brightening the watch plates that may be spotted or slightly tarnished, especially after the cleaning solution has failed.

By charging the brush very lightly with rouge, a vigorous brushing will brighten the plates. The balance wheel can also be greatly improved by using the brush charged with rouge. A stiff brush can be used for brushing and brightening cases or bands. This brush should also be charged with rouge. A stiff brush is also used for brushing clock plates, wheels and pinions, using naphtha for solvent. 

It is suggested if you are using new brushes that the bristles be run across some rather coarse sand paper so as to take the sharp corners off the end of the bristle, or the brush may be run across the sharp edge of broken piece of glass, which will serve the same purpose.

PD: How can I true a solid balance wheel in the flat. I seem to have more trouble with solid balances than the cut balances.

Answer: When trueing a solid balance in the flat, the first move is to check the level of both arms. If they are not of the same level, bend the arm up or down until you get desired results. Check the rim between the arms. If they are not of equal height, carefully twist the arm until the rims are level. When twisting the arms, care must be taken that you do not bend the arms up or down throwing that section of the balance out of flat. With a little practice, you will soon accomplish and conquer what may seem like hard jobs, when in reality it is very easy compared to the split balance.

MEC: You ask if the only way to bring the dial position and pendant position to correspond in a wrist watch is by shaping the ends of the pivots.

Answer: There is a limit to how much time you can alter the rates by altering the balance pivots and in many of the small watches the balance pivots are quite large, consequently showing a fast rate in the pendant position over the dial position. By flattening the ends of the balance pivots, you will increase the dial position, however, there are times when the balance pivots are so large that you cannot control or bring the two rates close together, unless small pivots are used which would then give you a slower rate in the pendant position which would compare favorably to the dial positions. Many of the factories deliver their watches with a tolerance of a minute to 1 1/2 minutes plus or minus in 24 hours. 

Why Does a Timing Machine Sometimes Not Work on a Vintage Watch?

Q: Why Does a Timing Machine Sometimes Not Work on a Vintage Watch, even while the watch keeps good time?

A: The "tick" of a watch, of a lever escapement, is actually a repeating cycle of five separate impacts in the mechanism. The machine has to be able to pick up on this rhythm to tell anything at all. Sometimes there is too much other noise in there from something rubbing, the roller being too small and knocking, the pallet hitting the banking pins too hard, hairspring "singing", wheel missing a tooth, worn escape, excessive end-shake, whatever... and the machine can't lock on. In general extra noise, rubs, impacts, friction, etc, or all inefficiencies that extract a little power with each cycle. But a watch can run very inefficiently and still keep OK time, over the course of a day.

The machine also needs to detect the beat rate in order to get the timing. I have seen slow beat watches that have had a fast beat hairspring put in, then other parts changed to compensate (this is pretty common in older Elgins). The machine then reads wildly inaccurately, if it can work at all. Often it helps to turn the amplification down on the machine. Sometimes the machine can't detect the beat rate, and setting manually will help. But sometimes it just won't work.

When the rate is way off, the machine may not be able to detect anything, mostly because it can not get a handle on the beat rate. A watch that does not have a lever escapement, a cylinder or pin-lever escapement watch for example, is right out. The machine will not work because the sound of the watch is completely different.

I think timing machines are more limited in their use on the older movements. I use one as an initial reality check, but I test all the watches for several days in positions to do reasonable adjusting. The machine, even when it works fine, measures the rate moment to moment. But the rate actually varies a lot over the course of the day both because of positions, and because of the properties of the mainspring. Watchmakers of old did not much concern themselves with the rate at any given moment for this reason, but were more concerned with the drift over longer intervals of time.

Read more Q&A here!

Letting Down A Mainspring

Q:
Hi Jeff
I enjoy reading your blog posts and seeing the pictures you post of your excellent restorations of old Elgin pocket watches. I would like to ask you a question if I can as it is driving me crazy. Please can you tell me how you let down the mainspring on Elgin size 6 7 jewel grade 206 movement year 1907 as its not like other pocket watches that have the cogs exposed. Thanks for any help you can give me.

http://home.elgintime.com/elgintime/GnumLookup/206.html

-- E.K.

A:
Hello -
There is a tiny hole in the edge of the lower plate. When something is pressed in, it presses against the click pushing it away from, and releasing, the ratchet wheel.

FAQ - Will Part XYZ Work in My Watch?

Sometimes I get email from someone that has a watch with an obvious problem, and they ask if they can take a replacement part from another given watch, and will it be right? This is particularly common with a complete balance assembly since a broken balance staff is a very common issue, and it's not hard to tell that problem exists in a given broken watch. There's a few things to say about this...

First, you can look up what the old factory records say about part numbers for Elgin watches. But it is by the serial number of the exact movement, not the grade. The reason for this is that there are many instances where the part was changed during Elgin's production run of a grade, and some ranges of the serial numbers assigned to that grade use some different part.

You can look up a movement serial number here.

In the "Links" section there is an entry for parts. The resulting look up will give you much of the key part numbers for this watch.

If you do not know a serial number, you can look up an Elgin grade number here. On this page there are usually, but not always, links for specific serial numbers of known watches of that grade, and from there you can get to the parts section. Look in the "watches serviced by Jeff Sexton" or the "Notes" section for known private label watches. If there's no links available, you can still get to a representative movement. Click on any year in the "Production History" list. The next page has the specific serial number ranges, and these are clickable. It will take you to a page for the first number in that range.

This will get you to a representative movement, but again, keep in mind that the parts can vary by specific serial number.

But there are other issues. For example, if you find another grade that seems to take the same balance complete, it does not mean that you can be sure that a given balance complete will work in your watch. For one thing balance staffs from Elgin typically come in three pivot sizes. That has to match the holes sizes in the balance jewels you have. And there are often other "Q/A" issues. Elgin's replacement part system was extremely advanced, and they did a great job. But these are far from "drop in" parts just the same. Replacement parts often have to "fit" even if they are the "correct" original factory part - particularly balance staffs. I probably adjust a staff maybe one out of four times I replace one.

I have also seen many watches were other things have been altered to use a balance other than what the specs say it is supposed to have. They can even have come out of the factory that way. This can get really messy.

Thirdly, and especially regarding a broken balance staff, the broken part of the pivot is likely still inside there someplace. That tiny bit of hard steel is more than enough to cause other problems, stop the watch and even damage something else. The movement must be completely disassembled and cleaned to get it out.

Lastly, regardless of what trouble a movement has, a watch that has not been serviced in decades should be. Running a watch without cleaning is just like running a car without changing the oil. It may well "run fine", until it stops and damage is already done.

Information Please!

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, March, 1942

HES :- How is a watch adjusted to positions, what makes the time between the side positions differ if there is as perfect a poise as possible, on the balance. Is it possible to adjust a watch to six positions?

Answer :- To fully answer your question would just about fill a book, however, you say the balance is in perfect poise; and the rates vary when watch is on edge. These variations can be caused by many other influences besides a balance that is not in poise. For instance: The hairspring must be perfectly circled to the collet, the overcoil formed so the spring develops equally in all directions and contracts equally in all directions. The regulator pins must be close and the spring perfectly flat. Sharp bends where the spring is fastened to the collet must be avoided and the hairspring pinning point in it's proper position. It should be pinned so if we drew an imaginary line thru the center of the balance when the watch is held with the pendant perpendicular, the spring is pinned on this horizontal line and to develop up over the collet. This may be either to the right or to the left. The balance pivots must be truly cylindrical and both pivots finished flat on end, being careful there is no burr on the edge of pivots. The hole jewels must be equal size and thickness, olive shaped. The corner freedom for jewel pin as it enters and passes out of the fork slot, must be equal on both sides.

The guard pin close but in no case or position should it contact the safety roller. The end shakes in your balance, pallet arbor and escape pinion must also be very close and all three of equal amount. The escapement must be set so there is a safe drop lock and some slide. Ordinarily, if your total lock and slide is equal to 1/5th the width of the pallet stone, you will have a satisfactory escapement. See that the draw, or draft, is ample by slightly lifting the lever from the banking screw and if the lever does not return to the banking screws, it will indicate there is insufficient draft and if that is the case, the guard pin will drag on the safety roller, causing a variation of time in different positions. The roller jewel must be a close fit, well proportioned, by that we mean two fifths of the diameter being cut away, leaving a flat face. A jewel so proportioned will not present a sharp edge as it enters or passes out of the fork. Examining the balance pivots with the ordinary eye loupe does not show the small defects that go to make trouble when timing a watch to positions, we recommend using a microscope, as the least irregularity on the surface of the pivot or it's contour will be detrimental to timekeeping qualities.

Examining the cap jewels carefully for any pit marks from wear and also see they are set perfectly flat. Hone cap jewel is flat and the other cap jewel out of flat, the watch will invariably show a gaining rate when running on the out of flat cap jewel.

To get best results and a most constant rate, a 1 1/4 turn of the balance or, 450 degrees, is desirable. Changing the strength of the mainspring to obtain the proper balance arc is advisable.

Generally watches are adjusted to five positions, namely dial up, dial down, pendant up, pendant right and pendant left. The greatest error between any two positions lies between the pendant up and the pendant down, due to position of pinning point. The sixth position would be pendant down and as the watch is not carried that way, that position is disregarded.

A.P. :- 1 have heard our head watchmaker telling about cutting a contrate wheel for a Swiss watch.
Tell me what make of Swiss watch has contrate wheels, or are they to be found in complicated watches only?

Answer :- A contrate wheel is one that has two sets of teeth, that is, a gear wheel that have a ring of teeth, standing at right angle to the plane of the wheel, while the other set of teeth are on the periphery of the wheel. You will find contrate wheels on all new model American watches and many Swiss models, they are cataloged as Crown wheels or main wheels. 

Information, Please

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, July, 1946

GMH: Can you give a combination of wheels and pinions for a Grandfather Clock with a very slow pendulum? Pendulum is about 4 or 4 1/2 feet long.

Answer: To construct a clock with a pendulum such as you wish to employ, I suggest the following train:

Main wheel to have 144 teeth, center pinion 12 leaves, center wheel 96 teeth, third pinion 12 leaves, third wheel 90 teeth, escape pinion 12 leaves and the escape wheel 25 teeth. This combination will call for a pendulum 56 3/10 inches long and will beat 1 2/10 seconds per swing of pendulum.

The following is also a combination you may use: Main wheel 120 teeth, center pinion 10 leaves, center wheel 80 teeth, 3rd pinion 10 leaves, 3rd wheel 75 teeth, escape pinion 10 leaves.

You could also use a 25-tooth escape wheel. This will employ the same length pendulum 56 3/10 inches long.

Different pendulums can be used if you follow the following formula, using the same train as called for above:

Escape Wheel teeth     Vibrations per hour    Length of pendulum

25                                 3000                           56.3 inches

26                                 3120                           51.8 inches

27                                 3240                           48.1 inches

28                                 3360                           44.7 inches

29                                 3480                           41.4 inches

30                                 3600                           39.14 inches

The only pendulum that will show seconds is the 39.14-inch pendulum.

All others will beat slower than a seconds beat, and consequently will not indicate seconds on the dial. The 56.3 inch pendulum swinging at 1.2 seconds per beat will swing 50 times per minute and the seconds bit, or dial, will have to be calibrated into 50 marks instead of the regular 60 marks. It is understood that whatever escape wheel yon may select, a special pallet will have to be made for that particular wheel.

HGE: Can you give any standard for side shake and end shake applicable to railroad watches?

Answer: In general practice, the following shakes are used:

                            End Shake          Side Shake

Center pinion      .02 mm                .015 mm

Third pinion        .02 mm                .015 mm     

Fourth pinion      .02 mm                .015 mm

Escape wheel      .02 mm                .01 mm

Pallet arbor        .015 mm              .0075 mm

Balance staff      .02 mm                .0025 mm

Barrel                 .02 mm                .015 mm

Barrel arbor       .02 mm                .015 mm

     

SHW: How can I determine the proper size drills to be used before threading a hole?

Answer: To determine the proper size tap drill for any tap, divide 1 inch by the number of threads to the inch. If your tap is not marked, you will have to count the threads. The result will be pitch, or distance from tip of one thread to the tip of the next. Then multiply the pitch by .649. This will give depth of thread. Multiplying depth of thread X 2 will give depth of two threads or the amount to be subtracted from full diameter of your tap.

RHS: I am told it is not necessary to poise a balance wheel after fitting a new staff if the wheel is well trued in round and flat. Is this true?

Answer: Regardless of how well you true the balance wheel, it should be tested for poise as you have no assurance that the wheel was in poise before you fitted the new staff. When poising the balance, the roller table is attached. In all first class shops, poising the balance is a "must." Your reputation depends on how well the watch runs after you have repaired it and no watch can keep close time in different positions unless the balance is in poise. That is your first step for building your reputation. After that, the hairspring must be perfectly centered, leveled and its development in and out from center equal in all directions. It doesn't take a customer very long to discover his watch is keeping better time after the watch has been repaired by a workman who will poise the balance and correct the hairspring.

JOC: How can a person tell the time from the bells of a ship's clock?

Answer: The striking mechanism of a ship's clock is constructed so as to strike 8 bells at 12 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 8 0 'clock. . The clock strikes each hour and half hour and one bell is added each half hour until 8 bells are reached, when the clock once more strikes one bell again, thus:

At 12 :30 strikes Ding.

At 1 :00 strikes DingDing.

At 1 :30 strikes DingDing-Ding.

At 2 :00 strikes DingDing-DingDing.

At 2 :30 strikes DingDing-DingDingDing.

At 3 :00 strikes DingDing-DingDingDingDing.

At 3 :30 strikes DingDing-DingDing- DingDing-Ding.

At 4 :00 strikes DingDing-DingDingDingDing-DingDing.

4:30 to 8 and 8 :30 to 12 o'clock, same as above.

RCB: I want to build a decimal clock showing 100 minutes to the hour. The 4th pinion is to turn 100 revolutions to 1 revolution of center wheel instead of the 60 revolutions of 4th pinion and 1 revolution of center wheel. Will you give me the combination of teeth and leaves of pinion necessary?

Answer: You can use the following combination: Center wheel to have 80 teeth, 3rd pinion 8 leaves; 3rd wheel, 70 teeth and 4th pinion 7 leaves. Or any two reductions where the ratio is 10 to 1, suitable for the space allowed between centers.

YAM: Can you give formula for determining the correct driving weight for a Graham Dead Beat escapement, having seconds beat pendulum? 

Answer: There is a formula for making these calculations which would give you the approximate weight. However, there are many factors entering the problem to be met up with, such as the size and condition of pivots, the bearings in the plate and condition of the gearing which all have something to do with the free running of the train. So, instead of going into mathematics to get results, the quickest and best way would be to suspend a container at the end of your cord and gradually fill container with buckshot or sand until you have enough power to drive the escapement. Then, continue adding weight until your escapement shows some slide. It is an easy matter then to weigh container, using the same amount of lead or cast iron for making up finished weight. The brass tube filled with lead of equal weight will then fill your requirements.

APO: Can you tell me anything about the Mozart Watch Company?

Answer: The Mozart Watch Company was founded in 1864 at Providence R. 1., and capitalized at $100,000. It was to manufacture an unusual watch having three wheels, invented by Mr. Mozart. After two years, the model was discontinued and a regular model watch designed by L.

W. Cushing of Waltham. The name of the company was changed to New York Watch Company, and the plant was destroyed by fire in 1870.

JGD: Quite often, after cleaning a watch, I find the hairspring coils have a tendency to stick together. I test for magnetism but none is apparent. Can you suggest what might be the reason for the coils sticking?

Answer: You state there is no magnetism in hairspring. Can it be possible the cleaning solution is old and also the rinse? In time they become impregnated with oil, then as the parts go thru the drying operation some of this thin film of oil is left on the hairspring, becoming sticky and causing the trouble. If your cleaning solution is in good condition, the rinses fresh, you should have no further trouble.

RMC: I have trouble setting roller jewels. I have tried shellac and other cements but somehow the roller jewel becomes loose and falls out of the roller. Can you advise what the trouble may be?

Answer: After selecting roller jewel of proper size, it should be dipped in alcohol to thoroughly clean the surface. The roller table should also be thoroughly cleaned, removing any other shellac or cement. Then when setting a new roller jewel, use new cement or shellac, not applying any more heat than is necessary to cause the cement to flow freely, as the cement will then adhere to the dry surfaces. Overheating the cement will cause it to become hard and brittle and lose its adhesive qualities.

G.AG: Which is the better and quicker method for grinding pivots to size - oilstone powder, corrundum powder or diamond powder?

Answer: We prefer to use a very fine grade of oilstone powder and oil, using an iron grinding slip for grinding the pivot to size. The oilstone powder will not imbed itself into the balance pivots, which is liable to happen if you use carborundum or diamond powder. Pivots that become charged with either of these two abrasives will soon cut the balance hole jewel and cap jewel.

RWT: I find when working on some 7-jewel Swiss watches, that shortly after oiling them the pivots appear to be dry and when testing the watch on a timing machine, it shows very irregular and spotted lines. After reoiling the watch, letting it run for some time, and testing the watch on timing machine, I find the lines are cleared up. I am curious to know if the plates are porous, absorbing the first application of oil.

Answer: The· writer has heard of some research work along this line, experimenting with porous metals. You no doubt are aware that the auto industry uses self -oiling bearings for special parts of its power unit. The metal is made of very porous material being filled with special lubrication under great pressure. Bearings thus treated will remain lubricated for a long period of time and it is possible you have run across some watch plates that have porous material. Naturally, when you clean the watch, what lubrication was in the holes was absorbed. It will require an extra application of oil in order to fill the pores in the metal.

JOC: Will you enlighten me on meantime screws, and how much regulation one can expect when turning them in or out from the balance wheel?

Answer. The balance wheel contains three kinds of screws-the large screws are the balance screws, the smaller head screws such as half head or quarter head are the timing screws, and the screws with the long thread 'and square head are the meantime screws used for final regulation.

When fitting a new hairspring, it is sometimes necessary to add a small amount of weight, such as a quarter head, or even a pair of heavy washers to bring the watch close to time, say within two minutes. It is then the meantime screws may be used to bring the watch to correct time. This is done by turning the meantime screws in or out. Turning them in will cause the watch to run fast and the reverse when turning them out.

When using the meantime screws, be very careful to turn the opposite screw an equal amount, otherwise the balance will be put out of poise, destroying position rates. The use of these meantime screws should not be abused, turning them out too far' so they may be loose or strike other parts of the watch. The following table will give you the approximate results you can expect from the average watch.

Size     Turns of screw             Sec. per hr.

18-16  1 full turn, 2 screws    3 seconds

12       1 full turn, 2 screws    2 seconds

6/0      1 full turn, 2 screws    5 seconds

18/0    1 full turn, 2 screws    5 seconds

Watches employing four meantime screws should only be turned one-half the amount shown on the chart for the same results.

Information Please!

From The American Horologist and Jeweler magazine, October, 1946

AB - Is there some form of electricity in the human body that will throw a watch out of timing? I think there is, so I ask, "Am I right or wrong?"

Answer: There is no electricity in the body that effects the running or timing of a watch. However, it does occur that the same watch does not run exactly the same for different persons, due to the fact that the habits of these different persons are not the same.

Some persons are careless about regular winding, and carry a watch in a pocket where the watch receives considerable shaking up. This same watch in the hands of another person might receive little, if any, abuse. Thus, a watch is generally regulated to the habits of the wearer.

JM - I am familiar with the expansion balance, and how adjustments are made for temperature rates. However, I do not quite understand how temperature adjustments are made where a solid balance is employed. 

Answer: Our modern solid balance wheels have a very small temperature error. However, corrections are made by moving the timing screw away from the balance arm, or toward it. In the solid balance, the arm expands or contracts slightly. Due to this expansion or contraction, the wheel becomes what we might call "egg-shaped," This means that the rim itself will pull in toward center when the arm expands, causing a change of rate. Moving the screws toward the arm will correct the rates, depending an whether the watch runs fast or slow between the two extreme temperatures.

ART-Can you offer any suggestions as to haw to true and level a hairspring while in the watch?

Answer: The following diagrams illustrate the method of leveling and circling the spring. 

Why Have Your Watch Serviced?

Q: Why should a watch that runs fine be serviced?

A:  Here we see not an atypical example of watch watches look like inside before servicing. This is a view under the dial of a lever-set watch, where of course the bezel would have been frequently removed to set the watch, allowing all sorts of dirt inside.

Watches that look like this inside are often described as "running fine". But I'm sure the potential for problems is clear in these images.

Running a watch without service is very much like running an old car without ever changing the oil. It may well "run fine", until it doesn't. And when it doesn't, a serious problem will likely have been caused by grit and grime, mixed with gummy old oil grinding away at moving parts like sandpaper.

Watches offered on sites like eBay that are described as running are very likely to be in good general shape, and not need a lot of replacement parts. In fact something half of watches that don't tick, do not actually have anything broken but are just seized up with gummy old gunk. But they do need service.