July 24th, 2007 - Detailed Watch Repair Notes - Part One
This step-by-step guide to watch repair was lifted from a section of one of my favorite blogs, the Abbey Clock Clinic, which I already mentioned in my second post (Some of My Favorite Watch Sites). Since there are so many technical terms in these notes, my next entries will be a glossary of the horological terms used here. Due to the length of the notes I will be dividing the watch repair notes into two entries.
1 - Check for magnetism
2 - Observe freedom of second hand, hour hand, balance wheel, pallet and escape wheel. This will determine the cause of mechanical difficulty before assembly which can be corrected before cleaning.
3 - Clean and Assemble, checking the following in the order listed:
4 - Check endshake of each train wheel.
5 - Spin center wheel, observe smooth stop of escape wheel. Repeat in four positions.
6 - Mainspring should fill approximately one third of barrel and reach barrel cover ledge. Oil.
7 - Check arbor endshake between barrel and cover. Oil bearings.
8 - Check arbor endshake between plate and barrel bridge. Oil bearings.
9 - Twist square of arbor by 20º, observe freedom of snapback.
10 - Wind half a turn only, observe backlash of escape wheel. Repeat in four positions.
11 - Holding watch vertically, lift pallet to upper banking pin, pallet must drop to lower pin. Do not oil pallet pivot jewels.
12 - Wind five half turns only. Test lock and slide of receiving stone on every escape tooth. Repeat with leaving stone. If adjusting is necessary, step 16 must first be checked and adjusted.
13 - Oil balance jewels. Replace balance and bridge. Check level and freedom of balance, spring, bottom of stud and bottom of regulator key. Adjust movement of spring in regulator pins, adjust pins’ height.
14 - Check beat. Stop watch by placing screwdriver against both bridge and train wheel. Pallet should come to rest in center of banking pins.
to be continued…