At this point in the how-to series, it’s worth stepping back and contrasting dynamic and static poising to help illuminate the value of modern dynamic poising and even modern, smooth… Read more »
For the most part, accuracy in different positions is a matter of poise—the even distribution of weight around the balance wheel. We thus look for ways to add weight to… Read more »
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 »
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 »
I found this little watch—a Hamilton “Bagley”—in a local shop. The shop owner’s big passion is coins, but he’s also a NAWCC member and a pocket watch collector, and some… Read more »
After reading the earlier posts in this series, you should understand the basic reasons why watches can have different rates across positions. But like everything else in life, you really… Read more »
The second task in dynamic poising is to align the 4 vertical rates. For vintage watches, the vertical rates usually differ by a lot. My trusty 12s Illinois, for example,… Read more »
In dynamic poising, we add weight to the balance wheel’s lightest spot or remove weight from the wheel’s heaviest spot. What tools work well for removing weight? The amount of… Read more »
To put a balance wheel in poise, we add weight to the lightest spot or remove weight from the heaviest spot. What are good tools for adding weight? Balance Screw… Read more »