Dial Up, Dial Down: Rounding Balance Staff Pivots
When adjusting to 3 or more positions, our first goal is to get the dial up (DU) and dial down (DD) positions to agree. How close is “close enough” depends… Read more »
Adjusting a Hopeless 1922 Illinois 406 12s “Parts Watch” to 6 Positions
Our last example watch, the 1923 Illinois Bunn Special, was way too easy to adjust, so I thought I’d dip into the pile and try adjusting something more challenging. Enter… Read more »
Adjusting a 1923 16s Illinois Bunn Special to 6 Positions Without Removing Weight
It is much easier to work on fine watches than mediocre ones. High-grade watches were made with service and repair in mind, they left the factory in excellent condition, and… Read more »
Dynamic Poising, 5: Finding the Balance Wheel’s Heavy Spot
We need to find the balance wheel’s heavy spot to put it in poise. So far, we’ve discussed some of the principles involved in doing this and worked through some… Read more »
Rate Stability & Wavy Traces on Watch Timing Machines
Adjustment doesn’t correct for flaws; it builds upon an already excellent watch movement. As a result, not all watches are ready for adjustment. As all of our textbooks emphasize, a… Read more »
When Amplitude Attacks: Diagnosing and Dealing with Knocking
Amplitude is the watch adjuster’s friend: we want amplitude of at least 270 degrees in the horizontal positions and 220 in the vertical ones. If we don’t have that, the… Read more »
Undercutting Balance Screws
We have a few ways to remove weight from balance screws, and one of the best is undercutting, which removes a clean ring of weight from the flat bottom of… Read more »
Dial Up, Dial Down: Cleaning Balance Staff Pivots
When adjusting, the first positions we tackle are the horizontal ones: dial up (DU) and dial down (DD). For many watches, getting DU and DD to agree is most of… Read more »
Adjusting a 1922 Illinois 405 12s Pocket Watch to 6 Positions
Most collectors seem to have a favorite company, and my favorite pocket watches were made by Illinois. For irrational reasons, I like the 12 and 16 size Illinois watches more… Read more »
Adjusting Tools: The Timing Machine
Collectors of vintage watches tend to be fans of the old days and the old ways, but we’ll always take time-saving inventions when we can find them. If you don’t… Read more »