Lever

Your watch is a delicate mechanism.

It contains a great number of parts of which many are no larger than one of the full stops on this page. Each part has a defined shape and must perform its function in perfect harmony with the other parts. All are necessary. Neglect of even the smallest will always result in imperfect running and perhaps to failure.

The most delicate parts are the PIVOTS. Every wheel has two pivots. They are situated at either end of its axle. The horological term for an axle is an ARBOR and in watches it is not unusual for the diameter of an arbor to be 1mm or less. The pivots at each end can be as small as 0.2mm, turned to a special shape and polished to a mirror finish. These structures are fragile.

The main cause of pivot damage is violent impact as can happen if you drop your watch on a hard surface, if you knock your hand against something or some other such accident.

The pivots most at risk are those which support the BALANCE WHEEL and are found at each end of its arbor which has the special name: BALANCE STAFF.

In most modern watches pivot holes for the balance staff are constructed using two or three specially shaped pieces of ruby or agate or other hard stone. These are all set into a special interacting arrangement held in place with a retaining spring. The assembly acts as a shock absorber. There are in excess of 91 shock absorber systems at the last count. Some of the most common have names you may recall seeing written on a watch dial: Parachoc, Incabloc, Kif, Unisafe, Novochoc. The balance wheel is driven by the power from the mainspring passing through a train of wheels and pinions terminating in the escape wheel and the lever as shown in the illustration. As can be seen, this is a very complex assembly and one where the tolerances are minute. The pallets are usually jewelled to reduce wear on themselves and the escape wheel teeth but they must not run dry for years.

Remember: Wear = Error = Failure.

Apart from damage by impact, dry running is probably the worst cause of permanent damage to your watch. Regular oiling is essential if these tiny pivots are to work properly.

Every month I have watches handed to me for repair where the owner declares with pride: "Had this watch for 27 years. It's never needed any attention until now". My immediate inclination is to refuse the job. It is possible that as this person's watch has run with little or no oil for some years there will be severe wear on some pivots and the chances of a really satisfactory repair are reduced. Wear means that metal has been lost - for ever. Even a clapped out 'banger' needs a drop of oil occasionally!

Your watch is ticking away at about 18,000 beats per hour

432,000 per day

157,680,000 per year.This watch, maybe a splendid 18th or 21st birthday present, will have made about SIX THOUSAND MILLION ticks by the time the owner collects a bus-pass!

The moral of the story:

Have your watch serviced every 500,000,000 ticks [about 3 years]