,,rules ,,and ,,practice ,,for ,adjusting ,watches ,,by ,,walter ,j4 ,,kleinlein ,,author ,,of ,,the ,,watch ,,adjuster ,,and ,,his ,,work ,copyright1 #aibj1 by ,walter ,j4 ,kleinlein ,all rights reserved ,,preface ,in the early days of horology the apprentice was taught the art of making a complete watch4 ,production was slow1 very few duplicate watches were constructed1 and it was necessary that extra material be made individually by hand in the same way that the original part was produced4 ,as time passed the value of the repairer was indicated by his ability to make new parts and to replace them so that the watch would again be in running condition4 ,this was the prevailing situation for many years and the repairer was judged according to his skill in making and finishing the various parts4 ,a similar method of judging ability is still in force among some employers1 although the development of the industry into machine and specialized work has made many changes in regard to the most important duties of the repairer4 ,it is no longer necessary for him to know how to make a complete watch and only on occasional instances is it necessary for him to make a part4 ,genuine material for modern watches is supplied by the manufacturer at less expense than it can be produced by the individual and in this particular branch of the work the repairer's requirements have been very considerably curtailed4 ,a more exacting and a higher standard of timekeeping has developed1 however1 and in this field the requirements of the watchmaker have increased to the extent that it is no longer sufficient to merely restore a good watch to running condition4 ,it must keep time4 ,this development has grown gradually and surely and the past twenty-five years may be assumed as the period of greatest advance4 ,it has been made possible by scientific and practical refinements which permit the adjustment of watches so that they will keep time within closely defined allowances under varying conditions4 ,the larger problem of the successful repairer of today1 therefore1 is that of understanding the principles governing close time and of knowing how and where to look for the causes of variation1 so that the higher standard of timekeeping may be restored in case of damage since the original adjustment4 ,it is naturally essential to know when material is correct1 how to make it fit in its proper place1 and how to make and finish some of the individual parts4 ,it is also commendable to be skilful in all classes of lathe work1 as this at times gains prestige for the workman through restoring old model watches to running condition4 ,it is1 however1 a disadvantage to develop one's ability in making parts for watches of a bygone age and neglecting the training that happens to be most essential and of daily advantage in repairing modern watches so that they will keep time as consistently after repairs have been made as they did when new4 ,the object of this book is to present the essential points of watch adjusting in an elementary and non-technical way that will interest the average watchmaker and to enable him to have a convenient source of information1 covering the necessary refinements that are fundamental in repairing1 regulating and adjusting the better class of watches4 ,the author trusts that the experienced successful watchmaker will read the book with interest and also with profit and that the novice will be enabled to foresee that there is something more to the art of watchmaking and repairing than that of merely assembling a watch and making it tick4 ,it so happens that the author has had many years of experience in both factories and repair shops and that a considerable part of his duties have been devoted to instruction4 ,he has for a long time felt the need of a book that would1 above all else1 be practical in its description of the rules that an adjuster follows and which would prove its value in actual experience by being personal as far as permissible in the same sense that detailed shop instruction would be4 ,since writing the article entitled ,the ,watch ,adjuster and ,his ,work several years ago numerous inquiries have been received1 for this class of information and the present book is an effort to meet this demand in a manner that can be followed without highly technical or theoretical education4 ,to promote advancement and interest in everyday practical results is the foremost consideration1 and to this end definite means are presented for personal development and for obtaining better results from high grade watches than can possibly be obtained without a fair knowledge of the final details which go so far toward assuring close time4 ,,walter ,j4 ,,kleinlein1 ,july #ba1 #aibj ,waltham1 ,mass4 ,,contents ,,part ,i4--,,the ,,adjustment ,,to ,,temperature ,,chapter ,i ,page ,the ,compensation ,balance1 ,controlling ,factor #c #a4 ,general ,method of ,obtaining ,results #b4 ,how to ,place ,screws ,when the ,rate is ,either ,slow or ,fast in ,heat ,compared to ,cold4 #c4 ,composition of and ,distortions of ,compensation ,balances4 #d4 ,tests and ,experiments4 #e4 ,effect of ,shifting ,screws to ,different ,locations4 #f4 ,permanency of the ,temperature ,adjustment4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,equipment for ,temperature ,adjusting #i #g4 ,various ,methods ,available4 #h4 ,electrically ,equipped ,oven1 ,description and ,dimensions4 #i4 ,the ,lower ,temperature ,box4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,difference in ,observatory and ,commercial ,systems #ac #aj4 ,observatory ,system4 #aa4 ,commercial ,system4 #ab4 ,rating ,card and ,method of ,calculating ,variation #ac4 ,value of the ,normal ,period ,rate4 #ad4 ,definition of the ,characters ,used on ,rate ,cards for ,gain or ,loss in ,time4 #ae4 ,increasing or ,decreasing the ,extremes of ,temperature4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,some ,practical ,methods of ,correction #ai #af4 ,example of ,maintaining a ,pleasing ,appearance of the ,balance4 #ag4 ,correction ,varies ,when ,screws are ,above or ,below ,normal ,size and ,weight #ah4 ,over or ,under ,compensation4 #ai4 ,special ,corrections for ,over or ,under ,compensation4 #bj4 ,example ,illustrating that ,temperature ,variation is ,not ,always ,due to the ,balance and ,spring4 ,,chapter ,v ,the ,middle ,temperature ,error #bf #ba4 ,why this ,error ,exists and ,what it ,consists of4 #bb4 ,how ,nickel ,steel ,balances ,overcome this ,error4 ,,part ,,ii4--,,the ,,adjustments ,,to ,,isochronism ,,and ,,positions ,,chapter ,,vi ,general ,consideration #ca #bc4 ,optional ,allowances for ,variation4 #bd4 ,some ,necessary ,requirements for ,learning ,adjusting4 #be4 ,train and ,escapement ,freedom4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,theory and ,practice #ci #bf4 ,theory of ,frictional ,errors and the ,isochronal ,hairspring4 #bg4 ,how ,theory ,works ,out in ,practice and what ,isochronism ,consists of4 #bh4 ,common ,causes of ,extreme ,isochronal ,variation4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,relative ,pinning ,points of the ,hairspring #dc #bi4 ,original ,springing of ,watches4 #cj4 ,how ,pinning ,point ,alterations are ,made4 #ca4 ,even ,coil ,hairsprings ,very ,incorrect for ,some ,watches4 #cb4 ,how to ,find the ,correct ,collet ,pinning ,point for ,any ,watch4 #cc4 ,results in ,vertical ,position ,rates due to ,changing the ,pinning ,point4 #cd4 ,the ,natural ,position ,error and ,why it ,cannot be ,eliminated4 #ce4 ,principle of ,pinning ,point ,alterations4 #cf4 ,same ,principles ,apply in ,case of ,american ,hunting ,models4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,manipulation of the ,regulator ,pins #ea #cg4 ,altering the ,length of ,spring by ,regulator ,pins #ch4 ,method of ,examining ,vibration of ,over ,coil ,between the ,pins4 #ci4 ,position ,corrections ,obtained by ,spreading or ,closing the ,regulator ,pins4 ,,chapter ,x ,factory and ,repair ,shop ,adjusting #ec #dj4 ,routine ,varies ,according to ,circumstances4 #da4 ,considering the ,watchmaker in the ,small ,shop of ,one or ,two ,workmen4 #db4 ,advantages of ,understanding ,adjusting ,even ,though ,watches are ,not ,tested in ,positions or ,isochronism4 #dc4 ,concerning ,watchmakers of ,limited ,experience4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,preliminary ,notes and ,practice for ,beginners #ef #dd4 ,practical ,suggestions4 #de4 ,the ,first ,point of ,consideration in ,learning to ,adjust4 #df4 ,causes of ,variation ,between ,dial ,up and ,dial ,down4 #dg4 ,short ,motion ,generally ,indicates ,where to ,find ,trouble4 #dh4 ,short ,motion ,sometimes ,caused by ,burr on ,opposite ,pivot4 #di4 ,examining the ,hairspring4 #ej4 ,exceptions in ,regard to ,gaining ,rate and ,short ,motion4 #ea4 ,detailed ,practice4 #eb4 ,which ,rate to ,use as the ,unit for ,comparison4 #ec4 ,damaged ,pivots1 ,pitted ,end ,stones and ,methods of ,correction4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,preliminary ,notes and ,practice on ,vertical ,corrections #fd #ed4 ,five ,principal ,causes and ,corrections for ,pendant ,up ,variation4 #ee4 ,poor ,motion1 ,cause and ,effect4 #ef4 ,regulator ,pin ,practice for ,pendant ,up ,variation4 #eg4 ,pendant ,up ,corrections ,through ,poise of ,balance #eh4 ,concentricity of the ,hairspring4 #ei4 ,correcting ,pendant ,up ,variation ,through ,pinning ,point ,alterations4 #fj4 ,percentage of ,watches ,requiring ,correction of ,position ,rates ,,chapter ,,xiii ,concrete ,examples ,showing ,definite ,three ,position ,alterations and ,labor ,utilized #gj #fa4 ,order of ,position ,timing and ,method of ,calculating the ,variation4 #fb4 ,example ,no4 #a1 ,three ,positions1 ,columbus4 #fc4 ,example ,no4 #b1 ,three ,positions1 ,ball4 #fd4 ,example ,no4 #c1 ,three ,positions1 ,elgin4 #fe4 ,example ,no4 #d1 ,three ,positions1 ,hampden4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,concrete ,examples ,showing ,definite ,five ,position ,alterations and ,labor ,utilized #gg #ff4 ,what ,five ,position ,adjusting ,consists of--,detailed ,allowances4 #fg4 ,example ,no4 #e1 ,five ,positions1 ,hamilton4 #fh4 ,example ,no4 #f1 ,five ,positions1 ,elgin1 ,b4 ,w4 ,r4 #fi4 ,example ,no4 #g1 ,five ,positions1 ,waltham1 ,vang4 #gj4 ,example ,no4 #h1 ,five ,positions1 ,vacheron and ,constantin4 #ga4 ,example ,no4 #i1 ,five ,positions1 ,e4 ,howard #gb4 ,example ,no4 #aj1 ,five ,positions1 ,illinois1 ,b4 ,s4 #gc4 ,causes of ,extremely ,fast ,vertical ,rates4 #gd4 ,how to ,locate ,defective ,gearings4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,timing and ,final ,regulation #ia #ge4 ,mean ,time ,screws and ,timing ,washers4 #gf4 ,importance of ,properly ,fitted ,regulator4 #gg4 ,effect of the ,middle ,temperature ,error4 #gh4 ,some ,practical ,reasons for ,slow ,rates4 ,,part ,,iii4--,,special ,,notes ,,chapter ,,xvi ,special ,notes #ii #gi4 ,efficiency of ,execution ,analyzed 7,two ,examples7 #hj4 ,truing the ,balance4 #ha4 ,poising the ,balance4 #hb4 ,truing ,hairsprings4 #hc4 ,treating a ,rusty ,hairspring4 #hd4 ,stopping by ,escapement ,locking when ,hands are set ,backward or ,when ,watch ,receives a ,jar4 #he4 ,essentials and ,non-,essentials in ,cleaning ,watches4 ,,rules ,,and ,,practice ,,for ,,adjusting ,,watches ,,part ,i ,,the ,,adjustment ,,to ,,temperature ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,compensation ,,balance ,,controlling ,,factor #a4 ,general ,method of ,obtaining ,results4 ,only since the introduction of the compensation balance which received its most substantial early experiments as recently as the year #ahei1 has it been possible to control the variation in pocket timepieces which is caused by changes in temperature4 ,previous to this introduction it was not uncommon for the best watches to vary as much as two or three minutes with changes of forty or fifty degrees ,fahr4 ,through experiment and improvement in the quality and application of balance materials1 such advancement has been made1 that this variation has been reduced to seconds and temperature adjusting is now quite universal in the production of medium and high grade watches4 ,in the large factories1 girls and young men of very little previous experience are frequently taught to make the alterations and to do the testing1 while men of experience in watchmaking handle only the more intricate cases such as stoppers and radical rates that may require investigation of the inner workings of the movement4 ,the simplicity of the adjustment naturally becomes more apparent with experience and the general alterations consist merely of transferring the balance screws in opposite pairs1 either forward or backward one or more holes1 according to the extent of the correction desired4 ,as these alterations are quite positive the adjustment can be undertaken with considerable certainty of obtaining results in every instance4 ,the repairer will not find as much daily necessity for understanding temperature adjusting as he will for being thorough in ,position adjusting4 ,the subject is covered1 however1 for the benefit of those who may desire practical experience in this branch of adjusting and also for those who desire a general knowledge of the details4 #b4 ,how to ,place ,screws ,when the ,rate is ,either ,slow or ,fast in ,heat ,compared to ,cold4 ,if a watch rates slow in heat compared to cold it is necessary to shift screws in opposite pairs out toward the cut or free end of the rims2 because when the metals expand the hairspring becomes weaker and produces a loss in time4 ,during this period the free ends of the balance rims1 carrying the transferred weight are forced toward the center and produce a gaining rate which compensates for the loss caused by the weakened spring4 ,as the metals contract in cold the free ends of the balance are drawn outward from their true form and the concentrated weight of these screws near the ends reduces the fast rate in cold and in principle works both ways in its action on the rate4 ,should the circumstances be just opposite1 or the rate be fast in heat compared to the rate in cold1 it will be necessary to move the screws away from the free end of the rims4 ,in doing this1 less weight will be carried toward the center as the free ends curl inward and as a result1 the rate in heat will become slower and the slow rate in cold will be reduced4 #c4 ,composition of and ,distortions of ,compensation ,balances4 ,compensation balances are generally made of one layer of brass and one of steel1 with the brass on the outside consisting of about three-fifths of the total thickness and the steel on the inside consisting of about two-fifths4 ,these metals are firmly soldered together and the distortions in changes of temperature are as follows4 ,in heat both metals expand1 which infers that the rims become longer as well as wider and thicker4 ,brass expands more than steel and because of its attachment to the steel it cannot continue to lengthen in its true circular form1 due to the fact that the steel does not become enough longer to maintain the true curve1 and the result is that the free ends of the rims are forced inward4 ,in cold the brass1 contracting more than the steel1 pulls the rim outward at the free end which is just in reverse of the operations in heat4 ,the end of the rim which is attached to the balance arm always moves in the opposite direction from the free end1 or outward from the center of balance1 when the free end moves in1 and inward when the free end moves out4 ,in comparison1 however1 this movement is negligible as will be noted later in the results obtained in moving screws in that direction4 #d4 ,tests and ,experiments4 ,it is generally understood that the purpose of the compensation balance is to act in opposition to the error caused principally by the hairspring4 ,the steel hairspring having no compensating qualities1 either grows stronger or weaker with changes in temperature4 ,when it becomes longer1 wider and thicker in heat1 experiments seem to prove that the increased width and thickness are not in proportion to the increased length1 for if they were1 the spring would actually be stronger2 while timing proves that it is weaker because of the loss in time4 ,in cold the shortening factor seems to dominate because of a gain in time4 ,in a series of tests with steel springs on uncut steel brass balances1 the temperature error in the extremes of #dj degrees and #ij degrees ,fahrenheit was found to be from eighty to one hundred and sixty seconds4 ,with the same balances cut the error was reduced from seventy to one hundred and thirty seconds in each instance1 without any correction of the balance screws4 ,a former test with palladium springs on the same balances1 previous to having been cut1 showed a considerably reduced error1 indicating that the steel springs were mainly responsible for the temperature variations4 ,the above tests were in actual practice and results are given as noted1 regardless of scientific or established formula relating to the cubic measurement of metals in changes of temperature4 #e4 ,effect of ,shifting ,screws to ,different ,locations4 ,as a rule compensation balances generally have five or six pairs of balance screws in addition to two pairs of mean time screws4 ,high grade ,swiss and some ,american models do not have mean time screws and are therefore generally supplied with seven or eight pairs of balance screws4 ,the mean time screws are never disturbed in making alterations for temperature1 such alterations being confined to the balance screws only and the mean time screws are reserved for timing4 ,for appearance sake the balance screws should be evenly distributed1 although it is necessary at times to closely assemble them to obtain temperature results and they should not be disturbed in making ordinary repairs1 as the adjustment may be destroyed in so doing4 ,with the larger balances the moving of one pair of screws for a distance of one hole1 generally makes a difference of four or five seconds in the temperature rate4 ,in the case of smaller balances this alteration does not make as much difference1 although the weight and location of the screws has considerable influence on the result4 ,a pair of screws shifted from the second holes from the cuts1 to the holes adjoining the cuts1 will generally make a correction four or five times as great as would be obtained by shifting a pair of screws from the third to the fourth holes from the arms4 ,the same proportional difference is obtained in moving a pair of screws from the center of the rims out to the cut1 compared to moving a pair of screws from the holes nearest the arms out to the center of the rims4 ,this principle also obtains in moving the screws in the opposite direction and is due to the fact that while the metals composing the balance follow the common laws of expansion and contraction1 the balance actually becomes smaller in area during expansion and larger during contraction4 ,this condition is made possible entirely through joining the metals in proper proportion and then cutting the rims4 ,in the factories where large quantities of a particular model having a standard style balance are handled1 tests are usually made to determine as to just what degree of correction will be obtained by shifting various pairs of screws certain distances4 ,this information is then used in making alterations with considerable certainty4 ,the expert temperature adjuster becomes fully informed as to the peculiarities of various models and is capable of getting larger percentages of watches within the limits of allowance1 after making alterations1 than he could obtain otherwise4 ,through understanding the various models individually1 he is also enabled to furnish information that will cause intelligent arrangement of the balance screws1 for each model1 when they are originally fitted4 ,the production thereby showing a greater yield of good watches that do not require alterations after the first test4 #f4 ,permanency of the ,temperature ,adjustment4 ,when the original temperature adjustment has been carefully executed it is quite permanent and unless the screws have been mutilated or changed in location there will seldom be an occasion for readjusting4 ,the balance may be retrued and repoised many times and the spring may be retrued1 altered1 or even changed1 without seriously interfering with the temperature rating1 as long as the screws are not shifted4 ,in changing the spring1 however1 it is necessary that the same number of coils and the same size of spring be used1 as otherwise readjusting would be required4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,equipment ,,for ,,temperature ,,adjusting #g4 ,various ,methods ,available4 ,two boxes are necessary for temperature testing4 ,one fitted up to maintain a temperature of about #ij deg4 ,fahr4 and the other maintaining a temperature of about #dj deg4 ,fahr4 ,the method employed in obtaining the high temperature varies in different styles of boxes1 while the low temperature is always obtained through the use of ice4 ,when only an occasional test is made1 any simple method whereby approximately close results in the two extremes can be obtained1 may be used4 ,for instance1 the watch may be enclosed in a tin box and placed in sand that is kept at a temperature of #ij or #ie degrees ,f4 ,a thermometer placed in the sand indicates when the temperature rises too high or falls too low4 ,the ordinary household refrigerator may be used for testing the cold4 ,tests by this method are advisable only for short periods and for an approximate idea as to the extent of error4 ,if frequent tests are made and accurate results are expected1 it is quite important that the special boxes be used4 ,such boxes are often constructed with a capacity of four or five hundred watches1 or they may be constructed to receive only half a dozen watches4 ,some are made with a zinc or copper tank in which warm water is placed and which surrounds the chamber in which the watches are deposited4 ,the water is kept at the desired temperature by means of a small adjustable flame4 ,in other instances electrical arrangements are used1 in which case no water is required4 ,in either instance a thermostat controls the source of heat4 #h4 ,electrically ,equipped ,oven1 ,description and ,dimensions4 ,a very practical arrangement for testing a few watches at a time in the higher temperature is shown in ,fig4 #a4 ,this is electrically equipped and will maintain an even temperature at all times4 ,the outside of the box is constructed of about one-half inch lumber and the inside is lined with asbestos4 ,it is about fourteen inches high by ten inches wide and eight inches deep4 ,a4 ,is an incandescent lamp set in a porcelain base4 ,b4 ,is a porcelain plug through which the wires ,c enter the box4 ,d and ,e4 ,are metal uprights with a thumbscrew on the top1 under each of which a wire terminates4 ,f4 ,is the compensating bar1 one end of which is fastened solidly to ,d with rivets4 ,the opposite end is free and rests against the end of a thumbscrew which passes through ,e4 ,the thumbscrew is to be adjusted so that the free end of ,f will rest against it in a temperature of #gj deg4 ,fahr4 or any lower temperature4 ,as the temperature rises the free end of the bar moves away from the end of thumbscrew1 breaking the circuit and extinguishing the light1 which cuts off the source of heat4 ,as the temperature decreases the bar again comes into contact and creates the circuit4 ,this bar can be made of various compensating metals1 one combination of which is a strip of zinc about six inches long by three eighths of an inch wide and one thirty-second of an inch thick4 ,on the outside of this soft solder a strip of tin six inches or a trifle less in length1 by one fourth inch wide and one thirty-second of an inch thick4 ,both metals should be bent to a curved form before they are soldered together as shown in the cut4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a ,it is generally preferable to have the bar taper to a slightly narrower width at its free end1 and near this free end it is necessary to solder a small strip of platinum at the point where the end of thumbscrew comes in contact4 ,g1 ,h1 ,i and ,j are ventilating holes one inch in diameter and covered by a swinging slide so that the holes can be opened or closed as desired for regulating the ventilation4 ,k4 ,is a shelf of brass screen located about five inches from the top and on which the watches and a thermometer are placed in testing4 ,l4 ,is a handle for the purpose of convenience in carrying the box4 ,the front is to be enclosed by a door made in two parts1 the upper section of which is glass which will admit of observing the thermometer4 ,proper adjustment of the thumbscrew and bar makes the box ready for use4 #i4 ,the ,lower ,temperature ,box4 ,fig4 #b shows a box specially made for testing watches in cold4 ,it is constructed of wood and stands about twenty-four inches high without the legs and about eighteen inches square4 ,a double partition packed with about one inch of sawdust will be most reliable4 ,the upper half of the box should contain a watertight zinc tank for holding cracked ice and about an inch of space should be left above for circulation of the air4 ,the chamber for receiving the watches may be about six inches square and supported by a crosspiece and attachment to the front4 ,it should be covered above to prevent particles of ice from falling on the watches which are to be placed on the floor or on a shelf of the chamber1 but the sides may be left partly open to improve the circulation of cold air4 ,the door may also be filled with sawdust but does not require glass as the moisture would prevent observation of the thermometer which should be inside for checking up the temperature when the door is opened4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b ,the bottom of the tank should be slightly higher on one side than on the other1 with a one-half inch drain pipe fitted to the low side4 ,the inlet end of the pipe should be covered with a fine screen to prevent dirt from accumulating in the pipe and the outlet may be either at the extreme bottom or on one of the sides as shown in the cut4 ,the upper part or cover of box should be made so that it can be easily removed for filling and cleaning the tank4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,difference ,,in ,,observatory ,,and ,,commercial ,,systems #aj4 ,observatory ,system4 ,in the foreign observatories where watches are generally tested for competition prize1 or certificate purposes1 they are subjected to either three or five day tests in each temperature1 preceded by one intermediate day at normal temperature which is not considered in making the deductions4 ,the purpose of this is to allow the metals to assume the natural condition before being placed in1 or changed from1 one degree of temperature to another4 ,after the three or five day test1 according to the grade of the watch1 the average of the daily rates in each temperature is considered in making the comparison and arriving at the total variation4 ,the total error is then considered in the summary1 as a fraction of a second variation per each degree of temperature4 ,as an example we will consider that the total error between the two averages is five seconds and that the difference in the two extremes of temperature was fifty degrees ,f4 ,the variation would be given as one-tenth of a second per each degree of temperature4 #aa4 ,commercial ,system4 ,in manufacturing watches for commercial purposes1 both foreign and domestic1 the tests are generally made for twenty-four hours in each temperature and the difference in the rates is considered as the total error4 ,sometimes preliminary tests of four or six hours in each temperature are made to obtain an estimate as to the extent of error1 then alterations are made1 after which the watch is subjected to the regular twenty-four hour test4 ,there is nothing to be gained by this in regular work1 although for a special rush job a day's time may be saved4 ,watches are always expected to be in first-class condition and such features as close fitting pivots or dirty oil will prevent any dependable timing4 ,it is also advisable to time them closely before the test is made1 as too great mean time variation may confuse in estimating the error1 especially if the time is not taken in each temperature exactly at the end of twenty-four hours4 ,the testing should preferably be done in the dial up position to eliminate poise errors as much as possible4 ,the first test is made in heat at #ij deg4 ,fahr41 then in normal temperature of sixty-five or seventy degrees and finally in the lower extreme of #dj deg4 ,fahr4 ,when the watch is removed from the cold box it will be covered with moisture which will immediately begin to condense4 ,the time should therefore be quickly noted and the watch replaced in the higher temperature box for four or five hours to become thoroughly dry and prevent against rusting of the steel parts4 #ab4 ,rating ,card and ,method of ,calculating ,variation4 ,a card ruled similar to the cut shown in ,fig4 #c1 may be used for entering the rates and the watch need only be set at the beginning of each test1 as deductions can be made from the entries on the card and the variation accurately ascertained without resetting or disturbing the time4 ,details as to the methods to be followed would be about as follows3 ,wind and set the watch to correct time1 place it in the heat box and at the end of twenty-four hours enter the variation from correct time in the upper left hand square of the card4 ,assuming that the time is four seconds fast1 enter this as shown in the first column ,fig4 #c1 then wind but do not set the watch and place it in normal temperature and at the end of twenty-four hours enter the total variation noted in the second square of first column4 ,assuming the time to be just correct1 place a zero as shown4 ,next wind the watch and place it in the cold box1 and assuming that the variation is sixteen seconds fast at the end of twenty-four hours1 enter this in the lower square of the first column as shown in ,fig4 #c4 ,the watch is next placed in the heat box to dry and the variation shown in the three sets of figures in first column are carried out as follows4 ,fig4 #c ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 44444444444444444444 ,make4444444444444444444 ---------------------------------------- --- ,,heat #d #d #b #b ---------------------------------------- --- ,,normal #j - #d #f #d ---------------------------------------- --- ,,cold #af #af #h #b ---------------------------------------- --- #ab #j ,in the upper square we find #d1 enter this in upper square of second column at its full value as shown4 ,next we find a #j in the second square of first column1 and as this is a loss of four seconds from the entry shown in the square above we carry it out in second column as -#d4 ,in the lower square of first column we find #af and as this is a gain of sixteen seconds over the square above1 it is necessary to carry this to second column at its full value as per illustration4 ,to determine the extent of variation between heat and cold1 simply ignore the normal rate of -#d in the second column and subtract #d1 from #af1 which indicates an error of twelve seconds slow in heat compared to cold4 ,or it may be determined as twelve seconds fast in cold compared to heat4 ,for convenience sake it is advisable to form the habit of using one of the temperatures as a unit for comparison and wherever large quantities of watches are adjusted1 it is generally the custom to use the higher temperature for this purpose and the rate is stated as either slow or fast in heat4 ,in this instance the rate is slow in heat and it will be necessary to shift one or more pairs of screws toward the cut as explained in ,chapter #a1 ,no4 #b4 #ac4 ,value of the ,normal ,period ,rate4 ,the rate in the normal period cannot be considered as of any value1 its importance consisting only of allowing the metals to return to the natural form and tension before being placed in the cold box4 ,this is quite important in obtaining a true estimate of the error1 because of the fact that in transferring the watch immediately from the extreme of heat to the extreme of cold1 there will be a period of time during which the metals are readjusting themselves to the natural form1 and the variation in time during this period will not be accounted for1 as the real comparative rate will not begin to develop until after the natural form and tension is reached4 ,if the limit of time devoted to testing is no object and if a very fine rate is desired the observatory method is of course to be preferred4 ,however1 by allowing an intermediate day at normal temperature we have the assurance that the hairspring is at the same tension and that the balance has the same form concentrically when the test begins in cold that it had when the test began in heat4 ,as the object is to find the variation between the two temperature extremes the estimate will be quite close enough and allows the saving of many days' time4 ,some authorities advocate in addition to the five days required for observatory testing in each temperature that the watch be subjected to an intermediate day in each1 instead of in normal1 before considering the daily rate4 ,this seems very logical1 as the time noted each day would be taken at the actual extremes in both instances and any outside factor in the timing would be eliminated4 #ad4 ,definition of the ,characters ,used on ,rate ,cards for ,gain or ,loss in ,time4 ,in making entries on the rate cards and in figuring the variations the sign is used as denoting that the watch is running faster than the standard time and the sign - is used as denoting that it is running slower than standard time4 ,this is stated for the reason that in some instances1 generally foreign1 the signs are used in reverse1 or as indicating that the watch requires a correction of or - the number of seconds indicated1 to attain the correct standard of time4 ,when the signs are identical in a column it is necessary to subtract the lesser from the greater and the result is the variation4 ,there are often instances however1 when one rate will be and the other - as shown in second column of ,fig4 #d1 and in these instances it is necessary to add the figures to obtain the variation4 ,the first column is always the progressive rate and the second column shows the variation carried out4 ,this example shows #h in heat1 the normal rate in the second square is not considered1 for the reason previously explained and the rate in cold is shown as -#a4 ,the total variation between the extremes is therefore arrived at by adding #h and -#a1 which in this instance gives us a total of nine seconds fast in heat4 ,fig4 #d ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 44444444444444444444 ,make4444444444444444444 ---------------------------------------- --- ,,heat #h #h ---------------------------------------- --- ,,normal #bj #ab ---------------------------------------- --- ,,cold #ai - #a ---------------------------------------- --- #i #ae4 ,increasing or ,decreasing the ,extremes of ,temperature4 ,the extremes of #dj deg4 and #ij deg4 ,fahr4 have been used for the reason that they are best suited for general purposes4 ,when it is known1 however1 that a watch is to be used in a warm climate the extremes may be raised five or ten degrees to advantage4 ,if the watch is to be used in a cold climate1 the extremes may be lowered this amount4 ,the metals1 however1 can only stand the strain of expansion and contraction to a certain degree1 and still maintain the positive qualities4 ,therefore it is quite important that the extremes be not raised or lowered very much beyond these figures4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,some ,,practical ,,methods ,,of ,,correction #af4 ,example of ,maintaining a ,pleasing ,appearance of the ,balance4 ,in altering the location of screws during the temperature adjustment it is often possible to either mar or improve the appearance of the balance4 ,as a demonstration of this point the correction made in regard to ,fig4 #c is analyzed4 ,the balance had twelve screw holes in each rim1 with the space between the first and second holes from the arms equal to double the space between any other two holes4 ,there were seven screws in each rim1 equally divided as per cut ,fig4 #e1 which indicates screws in the first1 second1 fourth1 sixth1 eighth1 tenth and twelfth holes4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e ,a correction of the rate could have been obtained by shifting the screws in either the sixth or eighth holes forward three holes4 ,or those in either the first or second holes could have been shifted to the ninth holes and those in the fourth holes might have been shifted to the ninth holes with good results possible in either instance4 ,moving one pair of screws under any circumstances however would have caused a massing of three pairs of screws at some point and a vacant space of three holes at another point which would not present a very good appearance for high grade work4 ,therefore the alteration made was to move the screws from the second to the third holes1 fourth to seventh1 and from the eighth to the ninth holes as indicated by the positions shown in ,fig4 #f4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f ,examination of the fourth column ,fig4 #c1 which gives the result of the second test will show that the desired correction was obtained with a better appearance of the balance than would have been possible if only one pair of screws had been shifted4 ,in following the logic of the alterations made we must consider that the screws moved from the second to third holes made no correction1 due to the fact that the balance rims remain almost stationary at this point1 the alteration being for appearance only1 those moved from the fourth to the seventh holes were estimated for a correction of seven or eight seconds only1 for the reason that the alteration did not carry them beyond the center of the rims where the greatest curvature takes place4 ,the screws moved from the eighth to the ninth holes however were estimated for the full correction of four or five seconds which is to be expected through shifting a normal pair of screws from one hole to another beyond the center of the rim on sixteen or eighteen size balances4 ,in moving a pair of screws one hole between the first quarter and the center of the rims1 a correction of from two to three seconds can be expected and from the center to the cut the difference for one hole is generally four or five seconds1 while an alteration between the arm and the first quarter seldom yields any correction4 ,the matter of appearance should at all times be respected1 for it is just as easy to obtain results in most instances and also have a well-appearing balance4 ,there is also less disturbance of the poise usually in moving several pairs of screws a short distance than there is in moving one pair a longer distance4 #ag4 ,correction ,varies ,when ,screws are ,above or ,below ,normal ,size and ,weight4 ,normal corrections can only be realized when normal screws are shifted4 ,some balances have one half1 or quarter head screws which of course will not produce a correction as great as will be obtained by shifting regular screws4 ,sometimes platinum1 or other extra heavy screws will be found in balances and these will produce a correction almost double that of ordinary screws of the same size4 #ah4 ,over or ,under ,compensation4 ,on some occasions it will be found impossible to maintain a pleasing arrangement of the screws because the temperature variation will make it necessary to mass all of the screws either in the holes nearest the cuts or in those nearest the arms4 ,this is due to either over or under compensation of the balance4 ,over compensation is caused by too large a proportion of brass in the rims1 which causes them to curve inward too far at the free ends in heat and outward too far in cold4 ,when the extent of this error is so great that the rate is still fast in heat1 with the screws massed in the holes nearest the arm1 a correction can be obtained by fitting heavier screws in the holes adjacent to the arms and lighter screws in the holes nearer the free ends4 ,when the rate in heat is slow with the screws massed at the free ends of rims the balance is under compensated1 which is caused by too large a proportion of steel compared to the proportion of brass in the rims4 ,this prevents the free ends of rims from curving inward far enough to carry the weight the proper distance toward the center of balance4 ,a correction for this can be obtained by fitting heavier screws in the holes adjacent to the cuts and lighter screws in the holes toward the center of rims4 ,in changing the weight of screws as stated above it should be remembered that the gross weight of all screws must remain the same or the timing will be seriously affected4 ,it is also important that the poise be tested whenever a considerable degree of alteration is made1 as this will assist in obtaining an accurate rate4 #ai4 ,special ,corrections for ,over or ,under ,compensation4 ,balances having the extreme degree of over or under compensation will seldom be found in high grade watches4 ,in any instance1 however1 it is possible to obtain a better distribution of the screws by fitting either a larger or a smaller hairspring4 ,for instance1 we will assume a case of under compensation in which the screws have all been massed at the holes nearest the cuts4 ,if the spring has seventeen coils1 a correction of from five to ten seconds can be obtained by selecting and fitting a spring of the same make that will have eighteen coils1 and the correction obtained will permit of shifting one or two pairs of screws back toward the arms4 ,in case of over compensation a spring of the same make1 one coil smaller1 will permit of shifting one or two pairs of screws toward the free ends of rims4 ,in a series of tests it was demonstrated that by duplicating or changing springs of the same make and size1 on balances that had previously been compensated1 there was very slight difference in the temperature variation of the watch4 ,also by changing pinning points or breaking out one-fourth to one-half of the coil around collet and adding weight to the balances to correct the mean time the difference in the variation was almost negligible4 ,on the other hand it was found that by replacing the springs with others of larger or smaller size1 variations of from three to ten seconds were noted in all instances4 ,in selecting and fitting a spring that will be one coil larger or smaller1 it should be noted that the inner coil of the original spring and that of the new spring are approximately the same distance from the collet4 ,for if there was considerable space between the collet and inner coil of the original spring1 and the new spring was colleted quite close1 there might be the addition of an extra coil in the inside only4 ,this was found to produce only a very slight correction1 compared to that obtained by the addition of a complete outer coil4 ,these tests indicate that the proportion of strength of the spring in the temperatures varies with any appreciable change in length while slight changes make practically no difference4 #bj4 ,example ,demonstrating that ,temperature ,variation is not ,always ,due to the ,balance and ,spring4 ,fig4 #g ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 44444444444444444444 ,make4444444444444444444 ---------------------------------------- --- ,,heat -#aj -#aj #d #d #a #a ---------------------------------------- --- ,,normal - #f #d #e #a #d #c ---------------------------------------- --- ,,cold #ab #ah #a - #d #g #c ---------------------------------------- --- #bh #h #b ,the following example is submitted to show that temperature variation is not always due to the balance and spring1 and that the general condition of the watch may be responsible4 ,the second column of ,fig4 #g1 indicates an error of twenty-eight seconds slow in heat with all screws assembled in the holes nearest the free ends of the rims4 ,examination proved that the motion of the balance in cold was reduced to about one-fourth of a turn4 ,in heat the arc of motion was at least one full turn4 ,this difference in motion was sufficient to prove that there was some binding in the train4 ,a very close fitting of the escape pivots was found and this undoubtedly caused binding of the pivots in heat due to slight expansion4 ,expansion of the stone would also tend to close the hole1 and while the degree of temperature would hardly have any bearing on this point it is sufficient to show in what direction the tendency would be4 ,the fourth wheel end shake was very close and probably caused binding of the wheel in cold1 due to greater contraction of the bridge than of the fourth pinion4 ,furthermore the mainspring was only #j4jb of a millimeter narrower than the space in the barrel box4 ,this no doubt also caused binding through greater contraction of the barrel than occurred in the mainspring4 ,the above defects were remedied and the rate was found to be eight seconds plus in heat as per third and fourth columns ,fig4 #g4 ,this made it necessary to shift several of the screws away from the cut1 in almost the same position in which they were before the alteration which caused the close assembling of the screws was made4 ,the final rate was two seconds slow in heat as shown in fifth and sixth columns4 ,the variation of thirty-six seconds between the second and fourth columns was entirely erroneous1 and was due to condition of the watch irrespective of the balance and hairspring4 ,should the variation with the screws assembled have been by chance within the limits of allowance the watch would undoubtedly have been a very unreliable timepiece4 ,the errors in the watch would no doubt have been corrected during the position adjustment later1 but the large error in temperature which would have been introduced by wrongly moving the screws1 would have prevented reliable timing until possibly at some future period a test in temperature would have been made and the screws replaced in the proper positions4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,middle ,,temperature ,,error #ba4 ,why ,this ,error ,exists and ,what it ,consists ,of4 ,in adjusting watches to temperature it is not always possible nor expected to obtain a perfect rate between the two extremes1 manufacturers generally allowing from two to ten seconds variation according to the grade4 ,even when the rate obtained is perfect it will only be so at the two extremes and there will always be a few seconds variation in the middle or normal temperature4 ,this variation will always be a gain of from two to four seconds in the higher grades of steel brass balances and usually more in cheaper balances4 ,as there is no possible correction for this irregularity in ordinary balances it has long been known as the middle temperature error and for many years was one of the most perplexing problems that the manufacturer of specially fine timepieces had to deal with4 ,various devices were originated from time to time for the purpose of counteracting the error but they were always too infinitely complicated to be of commercial or scientific value1 and none of them were ever adopted as a solution of the problem4 ,in chapter ,i1 ,no4 #c1 will be found a description of the distortions of compensation balances in the extremes of temperature and the cause of the middle error is due entirely to the fact that these distortions are not exactly equal in both directions4 ,the free ends of the rims are drawn outward from the concentric form to a slightly greater proportional degree as the temperature decreases from normal and they are not forced inward at an even proportional degree with increase of temperature4 #bb4 ,how ,nickel ,steel ,balances ,overcome the ,middle ,temperature ,error4 ,through extensive experiment in the foreign laboratories balances containing nickel steel have been found to almost eliminate the middle error1 which is reduced to one second or less1 making it possible to obtain perfect adjustment in various temperatures4 ,all highest prize watches passing through the ,geneva ,observatory are equipped with these balances and they have been adopted for commercial use to a large extent by the manufacturers of the finer grades of watches4 ,from the same source success has recently been attained in applying this metal to hairsprings and using them in connection with uncut balances1 but owing to the necessary high cost of production1 their general use may be delayed for some years to come4 ,their general use however would revolutionize the present-day methods of adjusting to temperature as there would be practically no expansion or contraction to deal with4 ,nickel steel balances will always be found to have the cuts about one eighth of the circle distant from the arms instead of close to the arms4 ,this is made necessary by the fact that the coefficient of nickel steel is about ten times less than that of ordinary steel1 and if the cuts were made close to the arms the brass in expansion would force the free end of the rims to curve inward to such an extent that it would cause an abnormally fast rate in heat4 ,by making the cuts more central the length of the segments are reduced1 thereby causing less curvature of the extreme ends and more nearly equalizing the extent of curvature both ways from the concentric form4 ,this equalization is what causes the reduction in the middle error and its absence in ordinary balances is what causes the larger error4 ,non-magnetic or palladium balances are also credited with a smaller middle temperature error than the ordinary steel brass balance1 but owing to the unstable nature of the metal they have not proved to be as reliable in other respects and are not used to any large extent4 ,the middle temperature error is of course a small factor in the larger sense of obtaining time from commercial watches but its influence is apparent in timing and it will therefore be considered further in the section devoted to ,final ,regulation1 ,chapter ,,xv1 ,no4 #gg4 ,,part ,,ii ,,the ,,adjustment ,,to ,,isochronism ,,and ,,positions ,,chapter ,,vi ,,general ,,consideration #bc4 ,optional ,allowances for ,variation4 ,the phrase ,adjusted to ,isochronism and ,positions does not always indicate the same high quality or the expense assumed in obtaining close rating in different kinds of watches4 ,one particular model may be stamped ,adjusted to ,five ,positions and this may indicate that the manufacturer of this model has tested all watches of this grade for twenty-four hours in each of five positions and that the extreme extent of variation from one position to any other1 among any of these watches1 did not exceed six seconds4 ,another model may be stamped in exactly the same way and it may indicate that all watches of that particular grade have been tested in exactly the same way and that the extreme extent of variation from one position to any other1 did not exceed twenty-five seconds4 ,the statement regarding the number of positions to which the watch has been adjusted is just as legitimate in the latter instance as it is in the former1 for the watches are really tested in five positions and required to perform within specified allowances4 ,the important difference is in the established limits of requirement1 one demanding an extreme of only six seconds variation and the other allowing twenty-five seconds4 ,both watches may have the same number of jewels and there is no way to discern the actual variation except through a test in positions4 ,technically it would be just as legitimate to stamp and advertise watches as above and have an allowance of fifty or more seconds1 providing that they were actually tested and not allowed to pass with a variation greater than this limit4 ,close limits of allowance require adjusters of greater skill and material of a finer degree of accuracy1 however1 than do greater allowances1 but the dealer and consumer are generally not informed in regard to this particular point4 ,some watchmakers also do not understand this feature clearly and the limits of variation to which watches have been adjusted are seldom considered4 ,should the difference in allowances and identical advertising be interpreted as an injustice to the manufacturer who maintains close limits for his various grades of watches1 it must be remembered that they speak for themselves after passing over the counter and into the hands of satisfied customers4 ,his reputation after a period of years will be more firmly established than will that of his less particular competitor in the high grade field4 ,a similar situation prevails in the repair shop1 and the fact that many of the leading dealers and railroad watch inspectors require at least a three position adjustment in the repairing of high grade watches1 is convincing evidence that position rating demonstrates its importance in actual service when applied to repair work1 as surely as it does when applied to new watches4 ,in placing limits of allowance for variation in various grades it is not intended that all watches of a particular grade will have the extreme variation4 ,it is possible that an individual watch in the twenty-five seconds allowance class may have an even better rate than another watch that is in the six seconds class4 ,it is also possible for a watch in either class to have a perfect rate1 although these would be rather exceptional instances4 #bd4 ,some ,necessary ,requirements for ,learning ,adjusting4 ,the adjustments to isochronism and positions are not permanent to the same extent that the temperature adjustment is1 and they can be damaged or destroyed entirely by the average workman in making ordinary repairs unless he is familiar with the common principles governing their production and maintenance4 ,experienced workmen who are familiar with these principles avoid unconsciously doing any damage and make practical repairs in a manner that will maintain or improve the original adjustment and time-keeping qualities of the watch4 ,to know and to make use of these principles does not make a putterer of the workman1 in fact the consequence is just the reverse1 because the training acquired tends to eliminate guess work and enables him to determine more readily as to just what the trouble may be1 how to correct it1 and as to just what degree of perfection is required in a particular instance4 ,certain practical requirements are necessary in reaching this standard of workmanship and it would not be profitable to attempt to do adjusting unless one has first had a reasonable degree of training as a watchmaker or repairer1 especially in such branches of the work as truing and poising balances2 truing1 leveling and centering hairsprings2 matching the escapement2 finishing pivots1 and properly cleaning and assembling watches4 ,these mechanical requirements and experiences alone are not sufficient1 however1 and a certain amount of study must be consolidated with them in order to become proficient4 ,this study should not deal so much with the problems of manufacture of the watch1 or its various parts1 as it does with the problems pertaining to the finished results that are to be obtained through refinement and intelligent assembly of these parts4 ,the workman's willingness to indulge in such study is a very large asset among the requirements1 and it only remains for him to obtain the proper class of instruction and then to conscientiously follow correct methods in his practice and to make personal experiments1 conforming to the instruction1 so that his confidence will become more enduring4 ,it is further required that he be capable of realizing the difference between genuine and imitation materials1 especially such essentials as balance staffs1 hole jewels1 mainsprings and roller jewels1 which are the most frequently changed and most frequently substituted parts of watches4 ,imitation materials may be less expensive as a matter of first cost but staffs may have pivots and shoulders out of line1 or out of true2 hole jewels may be rough1 out of round or extremely thick2 mainsprings soft1 or of improper proportion1 and roller jewels may have sharp edges which cause rubbing in the fork and hanging up when the second hand is reversed4 ,it is most satisfactory to depend upon the materials supplied by the manufacturer of the watch1 as imitation goods are seldom any better4 #be4 ,train and ,escapement ,freedom4 ,beyond a general insight of high class watch-work this book is not intended to meet the requirements of beginners4 ,it is designed principally for watchmakers of some experience1 and cannot presume to cover details that would be essential for those in early apprenticeship4 ,it is thought essential1 however1 to consider some matters in a general way and among these are the subjects of side shakes and end shakes1 and the escapement1 as far as they pertain to general inspection of the watch without consideration of details that refer to correction of irregularities which are presumed to have been acquired in earlier training4 ,thoroughness of mechanical ability always demands a system of inspection and of making corrections and it is quite necessary to follow some method that will reveal any point or points that may not be up to standard4 ,as a rule it is best to begin at either end of the watch1 and if it is to be taken down the best place to begin is usually with the balance and examine each part as it is removed until the barrel has been reached4 ,if it is not to be taken down1 just as good results will be obtained by beginning the examination at the barrel and finishing with the balance4 ,sometimes watchmakers of considerable ability will demand as a basic consideration that pivots be fitted with very little side shake and that end shakes also be quite close if close time is to be expected4 ,these presumed to be1 wide side shakes and long end shakes1 very often have nothing whatever to do with the absence of a close position rate and frequently are absolutely necessary for good performance of the watch and proper space for oil4 ,the importance of reasonable limits is of course granted1 but it is very detrimental to have pivots too close fitting and more stoppage and irregular time keeping can be traced to lack of freedom than can be traced to excessive shakes4 ,if the repairer is not familiar with accepted standards of side and end shakes1 he can improve his judgment by examining watches of the higher grades and comparing the results with those found in cheaper makes of watches4 ,such examination will invariably disclose the fact that fine watches receive very careful consideration in this respect4 ,the center1 third and fourth wheels generally having from #j4jc mm4 to #j4je mm4 freedom for end shake and #j4jae mm4 to #j4jb mm4 for side shake4 ,the escape wheel1 pallet and balance will be found to run quite uniform at from #j4jb mm4 to #j4jc mm4 freedom for end shake and from #j4jjge mm4 to #j4jabe mm4 for side shake4 ,the smaller and thinner watches generally favoring the lesser figures and the larger and thicker watches favoring the higher4 ,this uniformity of freedom will be found absent in cheaper watches2 for instance1 a center wheel may have #j4jb mm4 end shake and #j4ja mm4 side shake which would be very close fitting for large pivots4 ,the fourth wheel may have as much as #j4jh mm4 end shake and #j4jc mm4 side shake which would be too great4 ,the pallet may have #j4je mm4 end shake and the balance #j4ja mm4 and in this instance the short end shake of the balance would be more detrimental in most instances than would the longer end shake of the pallet4 ,the variation will even be found to exceed these figures and when they are found in connection with thick1 straight hole jewels they often interfere with a close position rate and with regularity of time in service4 ,the interference in timekeeping is considerably aggravated in cases where one pivot has excessive side shake and the opposite pivot is close fitting1 as this tends to cause almost certain binding of the close fitting pivot as soon as the power of the mainspring is applied4 ,the end shake and side shake allowance for the barrel depends considerably upon its style of construction4 ,safety barrels constructed so that the arbor revolves with the main wheel1 when the watch is running1 may have about the same end shake and side shake as applied to the center1 third and fourth wheels1 and if the pivots of the arbor are quite large they may have a trifle more side shake4 ,as a rule larger pivots will stand more side shake than smaller pivots2 this1 however1 does not apply in the case of large bearings1 such as safety main wheels that revolve around a stationary arbor1 or going barrels where the entire barrel revolves around the stationary arbor when the watch is running4 ,in such instances the main wheel or barrel should have from #j4jc mm4 to #j4je mm4 end shake on the arbor and should be just free for side shake4 ,the arbor which turns only when the watch is wound requires merely freedom for end shake between the plates1 as well as for side shake where the pivots pass through the plates4 ,with reference to the escapement1 good watchmakers often have different methods of examining the various points and of making corrections and it is not of so much importance as to just how correct conditions are obtained1 as it is that they actually be obtained4 ,whatever the method may be it is certain that each escape wheel tooth must have positive locking on each pallet stone and that there must be positive space for drop between the back of each stone and the pointed end of each escape wheel tooth4 ,there must also be sufficient draw when each tooth and stone are locked to hold the fork against the bankings4 ,when the lock1 drop and draw are correct it is next necessary to see that the fork length and guard pin freedom are correct4 ,there is only one positive method of determining as to when the fork length is correct1 and this is through closing the bankings to drop4 ,this can be done either before or after placing the balance in the watch and merely requires turning the banking screws so that the excentric pins will close in on the fork until the fork arrives at the pins1 at the same instant that the tooth drops on the pallet stone4 ,this eliminates any slide of the stone on the tooth beyond the actual locking and in this condition it is required that the roller jewel pass through the fork slot and out of the fork horn entirely on both sides with perfect freedom4 ,should it touch on both sides of the fork1 then the fork is either too long or the roller jewel is too far forward1 and if it touches on one side only it may require simply equalization of the freedom4 ,the guard pin length also must be obtained with the bankings closed to drop and should be just free from the safety roller on both sides4 ,when the inspection proves that these conditions have been properly provided for1 it is necessary to slightly open the bankings so that there will be just a trifle of slide of each stone1 on each tooth1 after the locking takes place4 ,extremely wide side shakes of the escape1 pallet or balance pivots will sometimes cause striking of the roller jewel when conditions are otherwise correct1 and these side shakes should not be very much beyond the extreme limits mentioned in this number4 ,the fact of this feature1 however1 should not be construed as a recommendation that these pivots be closely fitted1 for reasonable freedom is to be desired because it is positively necessary4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,theory ,,and ,,practice #bf4 ,theory of ,frictional ,errors and the ,isochronal ,hairspring4 ,theory teaches us in brief1 that the position adjustment is made necessary principally because of frictional errors4 ,it would therefore seem that if the watch was mechanically correct there would be little or no requirement for position alterations4 ,we are also advised that an isochronal hairspring is one which will cause the long and short arcs of the balance to be made in equal time and that to attain this1 the center of gravity of the spring must coincide with the center of gravity of the balance and that a certain pinning point is necessary in producing this result4 ,now if we have a watch of correct mechanical construction and fitted with an isochronal spring it would seem that a close rating timepiece would be assured4 #bg4 ,how ,theory ,works ,out in ,practice and ,what ,isochronism ,consists of4 ,practical adjusting1 however1 proves that such is not the case1 for even when the construction and alterations produce watches as nearly correct as scientific methods can determine1 there is often considerable variation in the position rates4 ,a twenty-four hour test in any position may prove that the long and short arcs are made in equal time showing the spring to be isochronous and yet the position variations have not been accounted for4 ,in this connection experience proves that a spring showing a perfect isochronal rate may have its collet pinning point changed1 in relation to the pinning point at the stud and that through such an alteration1 a correction in positions can be obtained1 without in the least disturbing the perfect isochronal rate4 ,this indicates that the separation of the two adjustments which is possible in theory1 does not hold good in practice1 because a spring showing a perfect isochronal rate has been altered for the purpose of counteracting some position error and thereby producing a practical center of gravity of the balance and spring combined1 instead of separately4 ,this may be further explained as creating an error in a spring which is supposed to be theoretically isochronous1 with the idea of making it act in opposition to the position error and the combination thus obtained produces practical isochronism as well as a corrected position rate4 ,it is not suggested that these relative pinning points be altered for the purpose of overcoming position variation such as may be caused by dirt and gummy oil1 damaged pivots1 or balances that are out of poise4 ,the watch should be in first-class condition and have a good motion in every position and then the alterations may be safely undertaken in accordance with the principles4 ,adjusted to isochronism indicates that the watch functions uniformly during the entire twenty-four hours running4 ,it is immaterial as to whether the rate be perfect or whether it be a gain or a loss1 so long as it is uniform4 ,the watch is not isochronous if there is both a gain and a loss in the rate1 even though the time be perfect at the expiration of twenty-four hours4 ,experiment will demonstrate that watches carefully adjusted to positions will also have a very close isochronal rate4 ,these isochronal experiments can be made by timing watches for twenty-four hours in any one of the vertical positions and noting the variation in periods of from four to twelve hours and by comparing the variation in the first period1 during which time the arc of motion is long1 with the variation in the latter period when the mainspring power is weaker and the arc of motion is short4 #bh4 ,common ,causes of ,extreme ,isochronal ,variation4 ,the most common causes of isochronal variation with which the repairer has to deal and which are often very destructive to position rates1 as well as to general time keeping1 may be found in the factor of1 out of poise and uneven motive force1 which is one of the elementary principles of adjusting4 ,this feature should be thoroughly understood by all watchmakers1 so that as good results as possible may be obtained from all watches above low grade1 even though no test for adjustment is to be made4 ,when the balance is slightly out of poise and the motion is exactly one and one-fourth turn during the twenty-four hours1 this out of poise will not affect the isochronism4 ,when the motion varies and reaches approximately one and one-half turn during the first few hours after winding and then drops to one and one-quarter turn and finally to one turn or less during the latter part of the twenty-four hours1 the poise error will have considerable effect4 ,this factor is not perceptible in the flat positions1 but shows up to the full extent in the vertical positions and the variation differs according to the location of the point that is heavy4 ,for example1 if the balance is heavy on the lower side when at rest1 the watch will lose during the hours that the arc of motion is over one and one-fourth turn and will gain when the motion drops to one turn or less4 ,should the heavy point be on the top side of balance the result will be reversed and the watch will gain when the motion is over one and one-fourth turn and will lose when it drops to one turn or less4 ,the total variation may be either seconds or minutes1 depending upon the extent of the poise error and experiments will prove that serious isochronal variations can be traced to the simple cause of lack of poise and irregular motion in more instances than to any other cause4 ,the arc of one and one-fourth turn is the ideal motion1 as slight poise errors are neutralized at this point1 but very few watches will maintain this motion for twenty-four hours1 therefore the poise must be as nearly perfect as possible4 ,the nearest approach to even motion of modern watches is found in the fine ,swiss grades equipped with stop work1 which causes only the best part of the mainspring to be utilized4 ,such watches also receive the most expert attention as to gearings of wheels and pinions and the train wheels are specially rounded up on their respective staffs4 ,this latter feature has been adopted by at least two of the ,american manufacturers of fine watches during the past few years with considerable benefit in producing even motion and the use of lighter mainsprings4 ,it should be definitely understood that these tests refer to the vertical positions of the watch only and that the horizontal positions are not affected in the same way by lack of poise4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,relative ,,pinning ,,points ,,of ,,the ,,hairspring #bi4 ,original ,springing of ,watches4 ,theory and practice agree that different models of watches have important relative points of attachment of the spring to collet and stud4 ,in the original springing and adjusting of high grade watches1 these points receive careful consideration1 and only a very small percentage ever require future alterations4 ,there are instances1 however1 where the original allowance of position variation has been considerable1 also medium grades where no attention has been directed to pinning points and in which an occasional alteration may be required before a close position rate can be obtained4 #cj4 ,how ,pinning ,point ,alterations are ,made4 ,these alterations are generally made by breaking off or letting out a small section of the inner coil at the collet4 ,in making such alterations a quarter of a coil broken away at the collet will have the same effect as will a quarter of a coil broken off at the outer end and will require less weighting of the balance to correct the mean time4 ,it will also avoid breaking and remaking the over coil and the possible necessity of readjustment to temperature4 ,letting out the spring can be accomplished by unpinning and repinning the spring at collet with less of the coil entered in the pinhole4 ,this is not a positive alteration1 however1 because very often the segment in the pinhole is as short as it can be with safety4 ,a more substantial correction is that of reforming the over coil in a manner that will cause the end holding the stud to be shifted further forward4 ,the method of obtaining this correction is illustrated in ,fig4 #h4 ,the broken line shows the original formation of the over coil with the stud on the line ,b4 ,the solid lines show the corrections with the stud shifted to the line ,a4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h ,when the collet is turned to replace the spring in beat1 the stud will be in its original location on the line ,b4 ,this will cause the pinning point at collet to be shifted from ,a to ,b and bring it that much nearer to the horizontal line ,c4 ,this alteration has the same effect as that of letting out the spring at the collet or of moving the stud forward on the over coil1 with the advantage of eliminating any change in the mean time4 ,it should be definitely understood that the objective in making the above alterations and as illustrated with the aid of the following cuts1 is the relation of the pinning point at collet to the pinning point at stud1 and that the change in length of the spring has no bearing on the matter whatever as far as the position rate is concerned4 #ca4 ,even ,coil ,hairsprings ,very ,incorrect for ,some ,models4 ,it is often supposed that hairsprings having exactly even coils are correct for close position and isochronal rating4 ,such springs do approximate the nearest correct relation in more instances than any other relation4 ,they are precisely correct for very few models1 however1 and are very incorrect for many models1 as will be seen through study of the following cuts showing the various points of attachment and the different results obtainable in each4 #cb4 ,how to ,find the ,correct ,collet ,pinning ,point for ,any ,watch4 ,a very simple method of locating the proper point of attachment of the spring to collet is to face the train side of the movement and hold the balance stationary with a small twig1 and with the pallet fork just midway between the two bankings4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #i ,presume the existence of a vertical line through the center of hairspring and collet as shown at ,a ,b ,fig4 #i4 ,then presume a horizontal line as shown at ,c ,d on the same cut4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aj ,the proper pinning point is at the intersection of the collet and horizontal line2 the spring may be either over or under even coils1 depending entirely upon the location of the stud hole in the balance bridge as demonstrated by ,figures #i1 #aj1 #ad1 #ae4 ,when the spring develops to the right from collet as shown in ,fig4 #i1 for example1 the proper point of attachment is on the right side of collet as shown at ,e ,fig4 #i1 and also at ,j ,fig4 #ad4 ,if it develops to the left as the springs of all fine ,swiss watches do1 the proper point of attachment is on the left side of collet as shown at ,f ,fig4 #aj4 #cc4 ,results in ,vertical ,position ,rates ,due to ,changing the ,pinning ,point4 ,in either of the above instances the spring will develop upward as it leaves the collet4 ,these points of attachment always produce a fast pendant up rate when compared to the opposite1 or pendant down rate1 and all high grade watches are originally fitted with springs conforming to this principle4 ,if these points of attachment were changed to the opposite side of collet so that the spring would develop downward as shown at ,g ,fig4 #aa1 and ,h ,fig4 #ab1 the results would be reversed and the pendant up rate would be slow in comparison to the pendant down rate4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa ,this point of attachment in which the spring develops downward from the collet is generally known as the slow point among adjusters1 and when a spring is pinned at either the slow or fast point the pendant right and left positions generally compare quite closely to each other in timing1 provided that the poise and other conditions of the watch are correct4 ,if the pinning point was changed to the intersection of the collet and vertical line as shown in ,i ,fig4 #ac1 the pendant up and down rates would compare nearly equal to each other and the pendant right position would be slow compared to the pendant left position4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab ,if it were pinned at the intersection of the collet and vertical line just opposite to that shown in ,fig4 #ac1 the pendant left position would be slow compared to the pendant right position4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac ,the vertical points of attachment are seldom used1 for the reason that the variation between the pendant right and left positions would be very difficult to control within close limits1 due to the existence of the natural error4 ,as these positions1 together with the pendant up position are the most important of the four vertical positions1 they are given preference1 and the natural error is placed in the pendant down position where it will be the least detrimental to the performance of the watch4 #cd4 ,the ,natural ,position ,error and ,why it ,cannot be ,eliminated4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ad ,the natural error generally consists of from twelve to fifteen seconds in finely constructed watches1 and exists because of the fact that it is impossible to perfectly poise a spiral spring4 ,the location of the heavy point1 however1 may be shifted by changing the point of attachment at collet as described in ,no4 #cc1 this ,chapter4 ,the nearest approximation of a poised spiral spring is probably attained through ,l4 ,lossier's inner terminal curve4 ,results are not positive1 however1 and any deviation from the required precision makes the curve valueless4 ,it is possible to obtain perfect adjustment between three vertical quarter positions and the two horizontal positions1 but all four quarter positions cannot be perfectly adjusted because the natural error will show up in one of them4 ,manufacturers of fine watches do not of course presume to supply perfect adjustment in the five positions4 ,some however1 have considerably closer limits of allowance for variation than do others and it is logical to presume that a line of high grade watches having a five position allowance of six seconds from one position to any other would show better results than another line which had even a six position adjustment and an allowance of fifteen seconds from one position to any other4 #ce4 ,principle of ,pinning ,point ,alterations4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ae ,when an alteration of any pinning point is necessary1 the extent and direction of the alteration are determined by the rate of the watch4 ,for instance1 if a spring is pinned at the fast point and if a slightly slower pendant up rate is desired1 the spring can be broken off at the collet and pinned one-eighth above the horizontal line4 ,if the rate is to be made slightly faster1 the spring can be let out a trifle at the collet1 the over coil reformed or the stud moved forward on the over coil so that the collet point of attachment will come slightly below the horizontal line when the spring is placed in beat4 ,the former alteration causes an approach toward the slow point and in making the latter alteration we assume that the fast point is a trifle below the horizontal line on that particular watch4 ,when altering springs from the extreme fast point to the extreme slow point1 it is advisable to remove a trifle less of the inner coil than the extreme calculation4 ,this will cause the point of attachment to be slightly above the horizontal line on the slow side and will most always produce the result desired and if it does not1 there is still a possibility of further alteration4 ,the same principle applies in making an alteration from the extreme slow to the extreme fast point and in this case the point of attachment to collet may be just a trifle below the horizontal line4 ,the theory of this is that all shortening of the coil from the fast to the slow point produces a slower rate pendant up1 until the extreme slow point is reached4 ,after passing this extreme slow point the pendant up rate begins to grow faster until the extreme fast point is reached4 ,a,the designations right and left in regard to pinning points are used with the explicit understanding that the individual is facing the train side of the movement4 ,the same designations used as referring to position rates1 or results to be expected in positions should be interpreted to mean with the individual facing the dial side of the watch4 #cf4 ,same ,principles ,apply in ,case of ,american ,hunting ,models4 ,the points shown in ,figures #ad and #ae refer generally to ,american hunting models4 ,in all other high grade watches the location of the balance and spring will be found either to the right or left of the center of the watch4 ,in ,american hunting models the balance and spring are located in the lower center of the watch4 ,this is due to the fact that ,american manufacturers do not construct separate models for hunting watches as is done by foreign manufacturers4 ,instead of producing an entirely separate model1 the method simply calls for a change in the construction of the barrel bridge by reversing the position of the barrel and winding wheels4 ,this places the winding sleeve at figure three on the dial1 which is customary on hunting watches and causes the entire movement to be shifted by ninety degrees with the balance just about opposite the pendant4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote ,a3 ,important ,note4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,manipulation ,,of ,,the ,,regulator ,,pins #cg4 ,altering the ,length of ,spring by ,regulator ,pins4 ,on some occasions when the pinning points seem to be comparatively close and the watch is in good condition with the balance in poise1 it is possible to obtain corrections by closing or opening the regulator pins4 ,this1 however1 can only be resorted to1 to a limited extent1 as otherwise the value of the regulator may be impaired4 ,the pins should not be closed tight enough to cause kinking of the over coil and they should not be spread apart any more than enough to make the mean rate about #b seconds per hour slower4 ,some models of watches consistently require that the pins be closed1 while other models require that they be slightly spread1 and it is therefore advisable not to disturb the pins when cleaning watches unless they have been bent by incompetent hands4 ,it is better to reserve the majority of pin alterations for such time as the position rate determines the necessity of an alteration4 ,when the pins are open1 however1 it is necessary to adjust the coil so that its vibration will be equal4 ,correct execution in spreading or closing the pins will very often make it possible to obtain a correction of six or eight seconds between the vertical and horizontal positions4 #ch4 ,method of ,examining ,vibration of ,over ,coil ,between the ,pins4 ,the proper method of examining this vibration is to stop the balance and observe the movement of the coil between the pins4 ,the vibration should be equal at the slightest oscillation of the balance as well as during the longer arcs4 ,the coil should not rest against one or the other of the pins at any time unless they are both closed4 ,emphasis is placed upon equal vibration of the coil when the pins are open because of its importance1 and if results are not obtained 7as expected7 the examination should be repeated to see if correct conditions have been attained4 ,examination of this vibration should be made from both sides of the pins and usually the best estimate can be obtained by looking between the pins from the stud side4 #ci4 ,position ,corrections ,obtained by ,spreading or ,closing the ,regulator ,pins4 ,when the regulator pins are tightly closed and the watch has a fast pendant up position rate1 it will be possible to obtain a slower rate by slightly spreading the pins4 ,when the pins are spread and vibration of the coil between them can be discerned1 and the pendant up rate is slow1 a faster rate can be obtained by closing them4 ,in spreading the pins they should be drawn away from the coil equally1 as otherwise the coil will strike one pin with more force than the other1 which will not produce results as expected and will cause uncertain regulation4 ,in closing the pins they should be drawn together one at a time until both are in equal contact4 ,they should not be merely squeezed together1 as this causes distortion of the coil at the point of contact4 ,,chapter ,x ,,factory ,,and ,,repair ,,shop ,,adjusting #dj4 ,routine ,varies ,according to ,circumstances4 ,the principles covering the adjustment of watches are the same in the repair shop as they are in the factory and they are equally the same in the various lines of high grade watches regardless as to whether they are of ,american or foreign extraction4 ,the routine covering the work to be done1 however1 may vary1 depending upon the quantity of watches that are turned out4 ,in the factories where large numbers of watches are adjusted the adjuster is trained in the various branches of watch work and eventually devotes his entire time to adjusting4 ,the watches are generally turned over to him after they are all assembled and ready for the final balance and spring work1 or after they have been finished and rated1 in which instance he receives only those that are not within the requirements and he then makes the necessary alterations1 after which they are again tested for results4 ,in some repair shops where large numbers of fine watches are handled1 a similar system is used and one competent adjuster devotes his time principally to the work of timing and adjusting4 #da4 ,considering the ,watchmaker in the ,small ,shop of ,one or ,two ,workmen4 ,by far the greater number of watchmakers are employed in stores having only one or two workmen who are required to do the cleaning and to make all repairs4 ,for this reason an adjuster of equal skill could not do as much actual adjusting as could be done in either of the two previous instances1 but for the same reason he would not be expected to do as much4 ,he can1 however1 adjust the high grade watches that he repairs just as closely1 and he should not permit himself to feel that time and the nature of his position prohibits him from doing so4 ,whether it does1 or does not prevent him from obtaining close rates depends entirely upon his training and understanding of the necessary details4 ,if he is skilful and accurate1 his output of work in the long run will not be reduced1 his work will give better satisfaction and he will have less comebacks to take up his valuable time4 #db4 ,advantage of ,understanding ,adjusting ,even ,though ,watches are ,not ,tested in ,positions or ,isochronism4 ,to understand position adjusting thoroughly is of the greatest advantage in obtaining satisfactory time from any medium or high grade watches even though they are not to be tested in positions because vital points will receive intelligent observation where they would otherwise be overlooked4 #dc4 ,concerning ,watchmakers of ,limited ,experience4 ,the previous notes and rules covering pinning points of the hairspring as detailed by the cuts and descriptions1 together with the concrete adjusting examples to follow would no doubt be of sufficient note for watchmakers of considerable experience4 ,there are1 however1 many ambitious workmen who have not devoted any time whatever to the study or practice of adjusting and to whom some elementary study and practice may be quite indispensable4 ,to be of service to this class of workmen chapters ,,xi and ,,xii are devoted to preliminary notes and practice lessons4 ,the contents of these chapters can be worked out in practice by almost any workman who is capable of holding a position as watchmaker and it is substantially necessary that they be mastered before finished results are to be expected4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,preliminary ,,notes ,,and ,,practice ,,for ,,beginners #dd4 ,practical ,suggestions4 ,experience will eventually prove that most of the variations in positions are caused by apparently insignificant details4 ,the mistake made by the average repairer is generally that of failing to detect these details and to make slight corrections where necessary1 as he proceeds with the ordinary cleaning and repairing of the watch4 ,this oversight often prevents what would otherwise be excellent results in timekeeping and makes it necessary to utilize extra time and labor in the effort to obtain more consistent timekeeping4 #de4 ,the ,first ,point of ,consideration in ,learning to ,adjust4 ,the first consideration in position adjusting should be directed toward equalizing the time in the two horizontal positions4 ,this equalization should be accomplished entirely by attention to details that can be plainly seen before arriving at the point of actual timing of the watch4 ,the principal requirement for equal time between dial up and dial down is equal arc of motion of the balance in each of the two positions1 and the adjuster should become capable of obtaining this equal arc of motion before attempting to obtain close rating in the other positions4 #df4 ,causes of ,variation ,between ,dial ,up and ,dial ,down4 ,variations between dial up and dial down may be due to one or more of the following causes which have been arranged in two groups1 the first group consisting of the most frequent and common causes1 while the second group consists of causes equally detrimental but less common4 ,group ,no4 #a #a4 ,dirt or thick oil in one or both balance jewels4 #b4 ,burred or marred balance pivots4 #c4 ,end of one balance pivot flat or rough and opposite pivot polished4 #d4 ,ends of both balance pivots polished but not same form4 #e4 ,balance pivot bent4 #f4 ,hairspring rubbing balance arm or stud4 #g4 ,hairspring concave or convex in form instead of perfectly level4 #h4 ,over coil rubbing under balance cock4 #i4 ,over coil rubbing center wheel4 7,some watches74 ,group ,no4 #b #aj4 ,balance pivots fitted too close in jewels4 #aa4 ,one pivot having excessive side shake and the opposite close fitting4 #ab4 ,escape or pallet pivots bent or damaged4 #ac4 ,balance end stone pitted or badly out of flat4 #ad4 ,over coil rubbing outside coil1 at point where it curves over spring4 #ae4 ,balance arm or screw touching pallet bridge4 #af4 ,balance screw out too far1 touching bridge or train wheel4 #ag4 ,safety roller rubbing dial plate or jewel setting4 #ah4 ,fork rubbing impulse roller4 #ai4 ,guard pin rubbing edge of safety roller4 #bj4 ,roller jewel long and rubs guard pin4 #dg4 ,short ,motion ,generally ,indicates ,where to ,find ,trouble4 ,any of the above irregularities will cause a variation in motion between dial up and dial down and invariably the trouble will be found on the side which has the shorter motion4 ,for instance1 a pivot that is flat or rough on the end will cause a shorter motion1 when it is down1 than will the opposite pivot when it is down1 provided that its end is slightly rounded and highly polished4 ,the same is true when the oil is gummy or dirty in one jewel and the opposite jewel is clean and freshly oiled4 ,capped escape or pallet pivots when flat or rough on one end have the same effect to a lesser degree4 ,it is never proper to make the end of a pivot flat or rough and thereby shorten and equalize the motion4 ,neither should the ends of both balance pivots be flattened at any time4 ,on the contrary1 the ends of pivots should always be slightly rounded and highly polished3 there is no logical reason for having them otherwise4 #dh4 ,short ,motion ,sometimes ,caused by ,burr on ,opposite ,pivot4 ,there are occasionally instances where a poor motion on one pivot is caused by a slight burr on the opposite pivot4 ,this is usually due to the fact that while the burred pivot is running on its own end stone1 there is space enough between the end stone and jewel to give the burr clearance1 but when the position of the watch is reversed1 the balance end shake allowance causes the burr to rub on the top of jewel hole and prevents perfect freedom of motion when the good pivot is downward4 #di4 ,examining the ,hairspring4 ,the hairspring may be true and level but it should be carefully examined to see that there is no possibility of touching at any point4 ,the observation should take place during the full arc of motion of the balance1 for there are some instances in which no rubbing takes place until the motion accelerates4 ,the watch should be held at different angles and the space between the balance arm and spring1 and the stud and spring1 closely scrutinized for possible contact4 ,the space between the spring and over coil at the point where the over coil rises and curves over the spring should be at least equal to the width of the coils and care should be taken to see that the over coil just before the point of rising has the usual space between it and the next coil4 ,either position in which the hairspring may rub will have a shorter motion and a gain in time compared to the opposite position in which there is no interference4 #ej4 ,exceptions in ,regard to ,gaining ,rate and ,short ,motion4 ,invariably the arc of motion which is the shortest will gain time compared to the opposite position which has a longer motion4 ,there are1 however1 some few instances in which there are exceptions to this rule1 and knowledge of these exceptions is quite valuable in preventing confusion and doubtfulness in the certainty of making specific alterations4 ,as an example in the horizontal positions2 if both end stones are perfect and the freedom of one pivot in the jewel is correct while the opposite pivot has entirely too much freedom1 the motion may be somewhat shorter with the proper fitting pivot downward while the rate may be slower compared to the opposite position4 ,this is caused by the balance describing a larger circle when the large hole jewel is upward1 as the pivot is allowed to travel a greater distance from the center of the hole as it wavers from side to side during the oscillations4 ,when the watch is reversed the weight of the balance prevents the pivot from wobbling in the large hole and eliminates the possibility of compensating for the larger circle described by the balance in the opposite position4 ,the same results are possible when the freedom of both pivots is correct and when one end stone is pitted1 as the pit in the stone causes a short motion when downward and prevents the pivot from having any side play whatever1 while the opposite pivot enjoys full play to whatever freedom there may be and through this causing a somewhat larger circle to be described by the balance and a slower rate in time4 ,it should be understood that this does not refer to instances where the end stone surface is merely slightly worn1 but to pittings in which the surface of the stone has been actually pierced4 ,in most instances of slight wear the motion will be shorter and the rate fast which conforms to the general rule covering rate and motion4 #ea4 ,detailed ,practice4 ,for preliminary practice in position adjusting1 select a watch of about #ag jewels which has just been cleaned and put in order to the best of one's ability4 ,regulate it so that it will time within ten seconds in twenty-four hours4 ,then run it dial up for twenty-four hours and make a notation as to the number of seconds either fast or slow4 ,next run it dial down for twenty-four hours and make note of the number of seconds fast or slow in this position4 ,if there is a variation in time between the two positions it will be found that the position having the faster rate of the two will also have a shorter arc of motion4,b ,the exact arc of motion in each position can be known by observing the arms of the balance and comparing the extent of the arc with some point on the pallet bridge4 ,a variation of one-eighth of an inch in motion will generally make a difference of four or five seconds in the rate and greater variations will make corresponding increases in the difference4 ,when a watch is in good order a correct motion for the horizontal positions is generally considered to be that of one and one-half turn1 which consists of three-quarters of a revolution of the balance in each direction4 ,should the motion be very much below this1 in both positions1 there may be something wrong with the general condition of the watch or possibly there may be a weak mainspring at fault1 or an imitation spring that is too long and thick may take up too much room in the barrel and cause poor motion as surely as will one that is two weak4 ,assuming1 however1 that the motion is good in one position and drops off in the other1 it is quite probable that only an ordinary position correction will be required and the immediate problem to be considered is that of causing the short arc of motion to accelerate enough to equal the longer arc4 ,the precise correction required will most probably be found among the causes listed in ,no4 #df1 this ,chapter4 #eb4 ,which ,rate to ,use as the ,unit for ,comparison4 ,the horizontal position which has the slower rate of the two should be considered as the unit which is correct and it will always have the longer motion of the two1 barring the occasional exception as described in ,no4 #ej4 ,this longer arc of motion is universally due to a better condition1 while the shorter motion indicates that something is wrong1 and it should always be the aim of the adjuster to improve some condition that is below standard1 rather than to make some good condition a little worse in order to equalize the rates4 ,it may be possible to equalize horizontal rates by flattening the ends of pivots1 but it does not require much more time to improve the motion in one position than it does to make it a little worse in another4 ,the advantage is all one way and results either good or bad depend entirely upon the viewpoint of the worker and how he applies himself to the situation4 #ec4 ,damaged ,pivots1 ,pitted ,end ,stones and ,methods of ,correction4 ,in the examination of pivots1 end stones and jewels1 it is necessary to use a stronger glass than the one used for ordinary work4 ,damaged pivots can often be detected by looking through the end stone with a strong glass while the balance is moving4 ,if imperfect they will appear dark or display a slight waver or flash and if they are in good condition they will appear bright and seem to stand still4 ,they can also be examined in the lathe and a good true enclosed balance chuck is of immense value in detecting burrs1 chipped edges1 rings on the sides1 slight bends and poorly shaped ends4 ,the complete balance and spring can be inserted and the pivots can be refinished without disturbing the roller or hairspring4 ,the chuck should be revolving very slowly when making the examination and moving the belt with the hand will enable one to see more than can be seen when the lathe is running at regular speed4 ,some watchmakers use small bow lathes for examining and finishing pivots1 or the ,jacot lathe1 which is excellent for this kind of work4 ,an end stone that has been deeply pitted should always be discarded and a new one supplied4 ,if the hole is very slight1 however1 it can be removed entirely and the surface of the stone re-polished on a lap charged with ,no4 #e diamond powder1 but the stone and setting should be thoroughly cleansed by brushing and pithing before replacement4 ,should a slight particle of diamond or any other hard stone powder possibly remain on the stone or in the bezel it might eventually enter the end of pivot and again cause pitting4 ,in case that the end stone is of the type that is flat and highly polished on both sides1 such as is usually found on detachable dome foreign watches1 it can be punched out with a piece of brass wire or peg wood and replaced in reverse position1 after which the bezel can be closed and the stone will be just as serviceable as a new one4 ,pivots that have been running on pitted end stones are generally rough on the end which is charged with some hard substance4 ,they require special treatment to remove the cause of the pitting and the following method of refinishing is very good4 ,place the balance in the lathe and draw a soft ,arkansas oil stone over the end of pivot with pressure enough to remove a bit of the metal4 ,this will drag out any hard particles that may be lodged in the end and after this has been done the pivot should be pithed clean and polished with a smooth hard steel burnisher covered with oil4 ,a hard stone such as sapphire or jasper1 or a steel burnisher should not be used on the pivot until the ,arkansas stone has first done its work1 because a hard instrument of this description will force the small particles that cause the pitting further into the end of the pivot instead of removing them entirely4 ,a pivot that has been treated in this way will not pit the end stone a second time unless carelessness in the use of hard powder permits additional particles to come in contact with the pivot or end stone4 ,there are some instances in which the steel is highly carbonized but manufacturers generally use the best steel obtainable for balance staffs and excessive carbon can generally be detected with a magnifying glass4 ,free use of diamond powder and emery wheel dust are more often responsible4 ,the holes of jewels should never be enlarged or polished with diamond powder after the jewels have once been placed in their permanent settings1 as this allows the powder to lodge between the jewel and the setting where it cannot be removed by cleaning but where it will be drawn out by the oil and charge any pivot that may be run in the jewel4 ,the grey powder in such instances may be seen through the top of jewel with a strong glass4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote ,b3 ,note ,exceptions in ,no4 #ej4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,preliminary ,,notes ,,and ,,practice ,,on ,,vertical ,,corrections #ed4 ,five ,principal ,causes and ,corrections for ,pendant ,up ,variation4 ,the first of the vertical positions to be considered is that of ,pendant ,up and to understand the causes of and corrections for variations in this position completes what is known as three position adjusting4 ,the usual causes of variation in the pendant up position as compared to the horizontal positions are as follows4 ,poor ,motion ,pendant ,up4 ,regulator ,pins not properly adjusted4 ,balance not in poise4 ,hairspring not in circle4 ,hairspring not pinned at proper point4 #ee4 ,poor ,motion1 ,cause and ,effect4 ,among these causes that of ,poor ,motion covers a number of troubles such as roller jewel rubbing in fork1 guard pin rubbing roller1 strong lock on the escapement1 or no lock on some teeth4 ,such causes may not prevent close rating between the horizontal positions because of non-interference until the position of the watch is changed4 ,the pendant up motion should therefore be the first vertical point of investigation and if at fault the cause should be eliminated4 ,in this connection it should not be expected that the arc of motion in the pendant up or any other vertical position will be as long as it will be in the horizontal positions1 for when a watch is in excellent condition in every particular the vertical arcs are always approximately one-fourth of a turn shorter than the horizontal4 ,this is due to frictions and is impossible of correction and therefore should not be confused with a poor motion of greater extent which has removable causes that are practical of execution4 ,a good motion is to be considered as one of the results to be expected in overhauling and putting a watch in good order and it should not be understood that it is particularly to be associated with adjusting only1 nor should any watch be slighted in cleaning and assembling with the idea that adjusting will correct it in a few minutes' time4 ,on the other hand it should be understood as fundamental that no watch can be a close time keeper unless it has a good motion and no good adjuster will attempt to obtain close time in one position or a close rate in different positions until the motion is first what it should be4 ,if it is what it should be1 about ninety per cent of the necessary work required for obtaining close position rates will have been completed4 #ef4 ,regulator ,pin ,practice for ,pendant ,up ,variation4 ,when the watch is in reasonably satisfactory condition and a three position test proves that the pendant up position has a variation of from ten to twenty seconds either fast or slow compared to the horizontal positions1 the regulator pins may be the first point of examination4 ,if there is considerable vibration of the coil between them1 and the pendant rate is slow1 it will be necessary to close the pins and if the rate is fast and the pins are found to be closed so that there is no vibration of the coil1 it will be necessary to spread them slightly4 ,closing the pins will of course make the general timing of the watch faster and spreading them will make it slower and therefore it will be necessary to regulate the watch for one or two seconds per hour before again testing it in positions4 ,the result of either operation1 however1 will be to cause the rate in the pendant up position to conform more closely to the horizontal rates4 ,preliminary and profitable two position experiments can be made between dial up and pendant up1 by having the pins closed on most any watch that is in good order and timing it within five or ten seconds in twenty-four hours1 then rating it in these two positions4 ,next spread the pins slightly1 re-time the watch and rate it in the same two positions and compare the variations4 ,a few experiments of this description will soon demonstrate as to the extent of correction that can be obtained in this way4,c ,the rule of equal vibration of the coil between the pins after they have been spread must be rigidly enforced4 #eg4 ,pendant ,up ,corrections ,through ,poise of ,balance4 ,assuming that the motion and regulator pins seem to be satisfactory1 the next point of investigation should be the poise of balance4 ,the hairspring should be removed and the pivots known to be straight and polished before testing4 ,the rollers are of course a part of the balance and are not to be removed4 ,a perfectly poised balance can be stopped at any point on the tool and it should at least remain stationary at each of the four quarters of its circumference4 ,no4 #bh1 ,chapter ,,vii1 should be consulted for details on poise corrections4 #eh4 ,concentricity of the ,hairspring4 ,the next point of consideration may be the concentricity of the hairspring1 and it is quite important that the spring be centered as nearly perfect as the trained eye can determine4 ,any unusual pressure of the spring in one direction will cause undue friction and a fast rate compared to the opposite direction4 ,there are several easy tests for determining as to how nearly the spring may be centered4 ,one of these is to look straight down upon the spring and examine the space between the coils that extend beyond the circumference of the dome4 ,this test may be made in three ways1 one with the balance at rest1 one with the coils of the spring wound up and the third with the coils unwound4 ,with the balance at rest and the spring centered there will be the same space between the coils all around as though the spring were out of the watch entirely and laying on the bench4 ,if it is not properly centered there will be more space between the coils on one side than there will be on the opposite4 ,the same conditions will be apparent when the spring is wound up1 although the coils will all be nearer to each other than they were with the balance at rest1 and when they are unwound the coils will all be farther apart with the same apparent difference on opposite sides when the centering is not correct4 ,the winding and unwinding of the spring is alternating and almost instantaneous1 as the balance oscillates from one extreme to the other4 ,for observation of the spring when it is wound or unwound it is necessary to stop the balance with the finger or camel's hair brush as it reaches its extreme arc of motion1 then hold it stationary for a few seconds while the space between the coils is being examined4 ,the balance should then be allowed to swing to the opposite extreme1 when it should again be held for examination of the coils4 ,in one of these extremes the coils will be wound and in the other they will be unwound and after a few experiments in stopping and starting the balance it will be found that the entire examination will not require over ten seconds' time4 ,when the spring is not properly centered the reason is of course found in some curve of the over coil and the most usual point at fault is the section or curve on which the regulator pins act4 ,if the coils open too wide on the side where the regulator pins are located this section of the coil will be too near the center and should be moved outward1 possibly equal to one-half or one full space of the coils4 ,if the coils are too close on the side where the pins are it will probably be found that the section requires shifting toward the center slightly4 ,the balance should be removed from the watch in either instance and the coil circled with the over-coiling tweezer1 although experienced workmen can frequently make excellent corrections with a fine pointed tweezer without removing the balance4 ,finely adjusted watches will always be found to have springs as nearly perfectly centered as it is possible for expert workmen to get them and it is quite interesting and instructive to observe the vibration of a perfect spring by any one interested in the work4 ,some watchmakers center the spring on the balance cock before it is staked on the balance and very good results can be obtained in this way4 ,the balance cock is placed on the bench in the inverted position which makes it easy to locate the point or curve requiring alteration4 #ei4 ,correcting ,pendant ,up ,variation ,through ,pinning ,point ,alterations4 ,should most careful investigation of the condition of the watch indicate that the ,motion1 ,regulator ,pins1 ,poise of ,balance and ,centering of the ,hairspring as well as the general condition of the watch are satisfactory and the rating show that there is still considerable variation between the horizontal positions and the pendant up position there is still one source through which positive correction may be obtained4 ,this refers to the relative positions of the collet and stud pinning points which is defined with explanatory cuts and formula in ,chapter ,,viii4 #fj4 ,percentage of ,watches ,requiring ,correction of ,position ,rates4 ,in constructing this chapter and the preceding one it has been preferred to go into detail for the purpose of defining the possible corrections and alterations1 together with the results to be expected4 ,not every watch demanding position correction would require the extent of investigation and possible alteration that is pointed out and in most instances the direct cause will be disclosed with very little investigation4 ,in fact1 the experienced adjuster can tell almost immediately where to look for trouble by merely observing the position rate as entered on the card4 ,it should also be clearly understood by the student that when the repairing and cleaning of high grade watches is done by one who understands the details of adjusting1 there will be only a very small proportion of the watches requiring position corrections4 ,as a rule among experienced adjusters there will be about seventy per cent of the watches that will have very close rates4 ,if1 therefore1 one hundred watches are put in order and tested in positions there should be seventy that do not require any correction1 while about thirty will require either minor or major alteration4 ,the time required for making alterations on this thirty per cent of the watches will be offset by a smaller percentage of unsatisfactory returns and a better reputation for doing good work4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote ,c3 ,see ,chapter ,,ix1 on ,regulator ,pin ,alterations4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,concrete ,,examples ,,showing ,,definite ,,three ,,position ,,alterations ,,and ,,labor ,,utilized #fa4 ,order of ,position ,timing and ,method of ,calculating the ,variation4 ,in submitting the previous chapters it is assumed that the average ambitious watchmaker will gain enough knowledge from the various details to enable him to understand the meaning of the adjustment of watches1 the causes of variations and the principal alterations for obtaining corrections4 ,there are many features covered that will enable him to develop in practice and to experiment in individual points of importance1 without running up against mathematical deductions that halt and discourage further interest in the subject4 ,to understand the principles constitutes a large percentage of the qualifications required and to be able to execute the practical alterations and corrections required in different kinds of variations completes the general qualifications4 ,it would hardly be sufficient1 however1 to conclude the work at this point without giving more definite examples for comparison1 together with some indication as to the approximate time that may ordinarily be utilized in doing the work and also showing some instances of a possible choice of several alterations and why a particular alteration is advisable4 ,for this reason the following examples will be found to have an important part in fulfilling the mission of this book4 ,in selecting these examples the fineness of results has not been the principal consideration4 ,the deciding factor was the differences in variation and alterations1 and the fact that they cover the widest field for general instruction that could be selected from hundreds of equally good rates among various models of watches which1 with three exceptions1 were put in order for railroad service4 ,the method of computing the variation from one position to any other is similar to that used in temperature adjusting as described in ,chapter #c1 ,no4 #ac4 ,the watch should first be timed closely and then rated for twenty-four hours in each position4 ,it should be wound before being started in each position but should be set only on the first day so that the time is never disturbed4 ,the first position to be rated is universally ,dial ,up1 then in succession ,dial ,down1 ,pendant ,up1 ,pendant ,right and ,pendant ,left4 ,the daily total number of seconds fast or slow should be entered in the first column of the rate card after each twenty-four hours run4 ,this column then constitutes the progressive rate from which the actual variation between the different positions is ascertained4 ,the figure in the upper square is first carried out to the adjoining column at its full value and then the difference between this figure and that of the second square is entered in the second square of second column1 and so on until the difference between each of the succeeding squares of first column is registered in the second column4 ,if the figure in a square of first column is greater than that in the preceding square the carried out figure would be entered in second column as ,if the figure is less than the preceding square it would be carried out as-4 ,the total variation in positions is obtained from the figures entered in second column4 ,if these figures are all entered as either plus or minus it is necessary to merely subtract the lesser figure from the greater4 ,if1 however1 some figures are entered as plus and others as minus it will be necessary to add the greater figure of each of the two denominations4 #fb4 ,example ,no4 #a1 ,three ,positions4 ,columbus1 ,no4 #cehhdf1 ,open ,face1 #ag ,jewels4 ,repairs ,made4 ,new balance staff1 two balance screws changed1 hairspring trued and cleaned4 ,after timing the watch closely it was tested in three positions and found to have a variation of eleven seconds fast pendant up as per second column1 ,fig4 #af4 ,fig4 #af ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #cehhdf ,make ,columbus ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #a #a #d #d ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d #j - #a #g #c -------------------------------------- ,p ,u #aj #aj #ad #g ---------------------------------------- --- #aa #d ,investigation showed the hairspring to be pinned nearly correct1 true level and in circle2 balance true2 regulator pins closed and motion satisfactory4 ,a correction could have been made in one of several ways2 either by making a slight alteration of the pinning point at the collet2 correcting a possible slight error in poise or by slightly spreading the regulator pins4 ,as the extent of variation did not indicate any serious error at any particular point for a watch of this description the possible poise error and the slight variation in the pinning point were waived and the regulator pins were spread just enough so that slight equal vibration of the coil could be seen with a double eyeglass4 ,after this alteration the mean time was found to be one second per hour slow which was corrected on the mean time screws and the next test showed that the variation had been reduced to four second as per fourth column1 ,fig4 #af4 ,the time consumed in making the alteration aside from the repairing was less than ten minutes4 #fc4 ,example ,no4 #b1 ,three ,positions4 ,ball ,no4 ,b#jfjhaf1 ,open ,face1 #ag ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,refinished balance pivots and cleaned4 ,the first test in positions disclosed a variation of thirty-five seconds as per second column ,fig4 #ag4 ,investigation found the balance true2 hairspring true1 level and circle2 regulator pins very nearly closed and the motion one and one-eighth turn4 ,this rate like example ,no4 #a1 was also fast in the pendant up position1 but the greater extent of the error indicated that there must be some serious poise error1 and upon investigation this was found to be the case4 ,a screw on the roller jewel side or at the bottom when the balance was at rest was found to be heavy4 ,this was corrected and the next test showed a much improved rate although there was still a variation of eight seconds fast pendant up as per fourth column ,fig4 #ag4 ,fig4 #ag ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 ,b#jfjhaf ,make ,ball ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #b #b #g #g #g #g ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d #b #j #ad #g #ad #g -------------------------------------- ,p ,u #cg #ce #bi #ae #bd #aj ---------------------------------------- --- #ce #h #c ,a better rate than this was desired and further examination proved that the locking of the pallet stones and escape teeth was quite strong and caused the pendant up motion to have a shorter arc than would have been entirely desirable4 ,an alteration was made by pushing the receiving stone further back into the slot and rebanking the escapement4 ,the third position test showed an improved motion and a variation of three seconds as per sixth column4 ,the total time required for making the alterations was about three quarters of an hour4 #fd4 ,example ,no4 #c1 ,three ,positions4 ,elgin ,no4 #gdegdhh4 ,open ,face1 #ba ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,cleaned2 polished pivots and new mainspring fitted4 ,the first position test showed a variation of nineteen seconds as per second column1 ,fig4 #ah4 ,it will be noted that this example differs from ,nos4 #a and #b1 in that the rate is slow in the pendant up position4 ,examination showed all points satisfactory except that the regulator pins were spread considerably and allowed too much freedom of vibration for the coil4 ,had this vibration been slight it would have been advisable to examine the poise4 ,as it was considerable1 however1 the alteration made was to close the pins so that only slight vibration was visible with a strong glass4 ,fig4 #ah ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #gdegdhh ,make ,elgin ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u - #i - #i #e #e ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d -#ah - #i #h #c -------------------------------------- ,p ,u -#df -#bh #i #a ---------------------------------------- --- #ai #d ,this watch was not equipped with mean time screws and it was therefore necessary to fit a pair of thin timing washers because closing the pins caused a gaining rate of two seconds per hour in the mean time4 ,the next position test showed a variation of four seconds as per fourth column ,fig4 #ah4 ,the time consumed in making the alteration and fitting the washers was about ten minutes4 #fe4 ,example ,no4 #d1 ,three ,positions4 ,hampden ,no4 #adchfgf1 ,open ,face1 #ba ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,new balance staff and hole jewel fitted and cleaned4 ,the first position test showed a variation of twelve seconds slow pendant up as per second column ,fig4 #ai4 ,fig4 #ai ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #adchfgf ,make ,hampden ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #b #b #b #b ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d #d #b #f #d -------------------------------------- ,p ,u - #f -#aj #i #c ---------------------------------------- --- #ab #b ,investigation found all points such as balance true1 hairspring true1 level and circle and the regulator pins reasonably satisfactory4 ,the motion1 however1 was not as good as it should have been when the spring was nearly wound up4 ,it was let down to where it would ordinarily be after about twenty-hours run and found to have barely one turn pendant up and a trifle over one turn in the flat positions4 ,this proved that the motion was not satisfactory for a watch that had just been put in order and all pivots were examined for close end or side shake2 they were found to be satisfactory and the mainspring was removed for examination and found to be somewhat set and about #j4ja mm4 thinner than those generally used for this grade watch4 ,a new mainspring was fitted and the motion was improved by about one-fourth of a turn and the next position test showed a variation of two seconds as per fourth column ,fig4 #ai4 ,the time consumed in examination and changing the mainspring was about twenty-five minutes4 ,the three position limit of variation allowed by most manufacturers and railroad inspectors is seven seconds from one position to any other4 ,records of thousands of watches on which the work has been carefully done in putting the watches in order1 show that about seventy per cent of the watches will rate within five seconds in the three positions without making alterations and that only ten per cent will be close to the limit of seven seconds1 while about twenty per cent will require alterations such as shown in the four examples above4 7,see ,chapter ,,xii1 ,no4 #fj47 ,one or two more examples might be introduced to show variations and corrections between dial up and dial down2 this feature has been pretty well covered however in ,chapter ,,xi1 and five position example ,no4 #i also shows a variation of the horizontal rates with correction4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,concrete ,,examples ,,showing ,,definite ,,five ,,position ,,alterations ,,and ,,labor ,,utilized #ff4 ,what ,five ,position ,adjusting ,consists of--,detailed ,allowances4 ,five position adjusting consists of a further refinement of the condition of the watch4 ,the fact that a very close rate is shown in the first three positions is not an indication that the watch will be an excellent timepiece under all conditions4 ,in fact there are instances where there may be an excellent three position rate and a further test in the pendant right and left positions may disclose some error that would positively prevent close timing in service4 ,even under the five position test the limit of allowance must be reasonably close or unfavorable conditions may exist and cause irregularity in timing4 ,a popular allowance for very fine watches among ,swiss and some ,american manufacturers is six seconds variation for the five positions as an extreme limit1 and for medium high grades ten seconds extreme variation is considered a fair allowance4 ,these allowances are graduated1 however1 and a six seconds extreme allowance watch would have an allowance not exceeding three seconds in the horizontal positions1 with two seconds additional in the pendant up position and one second additional in either the pendant right or pendant left positions4 ,watches having an extreme allowance of ten seconds may be permitted to have not more than five seconds variation between the two horizontal positions1 with two seconds additional for the pendant up position and still three seconds additional in either the pendant right or left positions4 ,it will be noted that there is considerable difference between six or ten second allowances of this description and straight limits of six or ten seconds4 ,some manufacturers have greater limits of allowance1 sometimes as great as twenty-five seconds for the five positions1 but as a rule the first three positions are required to rate within seven seconds and the difference of eighteen seconds is divided between the right and left positions4 ,under limits of this description a watch that would not be tolerated under the six or ten seconds class would be considered as good4 ,watches having such large allowances1 however1 and rating close to the limit are hardly justified in being considered as adjusted to five positions4 ,the fact that they are so considered however1 is the reason why watchmakers will sometimes fine wide variation in new watches before they have been damaged or mishandled4 ,the following five position examples were selected with the same care as were the three position specimens and will be found to cover a wide field of variation for comparison with rates that the adjuster may desire to correct4 #fg4 ,example ,no4 #e4 ,hamilton1 ,no4 #bdhjbg2 ,open ,face1 #ba ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,new balance staff and cleaned4 ,the first test in five positions showed a variation of twenty seconds as per second column ,fig4 #bj4 ,it will be noted that in four of the positions the rate was quite close and that the pendant right position had an extremely fast rate4 ,a casual investigation indicated that all points relating to the spring1 regulator pins and balance were reasonably satisfactory but that there was a slight falling off in motion in the pendant right position4 ,further investigation of this feature disclosed a slight striking sound when the watch was held to the ear in this position4 ,the dial was removed and the bankings were closed to drop whereupon it was discovered that the fork was long on the inside1 or when the receiving stone was locked on the escape teeth4 ,this prevented the roller jewel from passing through the fork freely as it did on the opposite side4 ,the balance pivots had the limit of allowance for side shake which aided the cause of the roller jewel in striking4 ,fig4 #bj ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #bdhjbg ,make ,hamilton ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #a #a #c #c ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d #b #a #g #d -------------------------------------- ,p ,u #d #b #h #a -------------------------------------- ,p ,r #bb #ah #ab #d -------------------------------------- ,p ,l #bj - #b #h - #d ---------------------------------------- --- #bj #h ,after correcting the roller jewel shake and readjusting the slide and guard pin freedom the next test showed a variation of eight seconds in the five positions as per fourth column ,fig4 #bj4 ,the side shake of the balance pivots was not detrimental after the real cause of the variation had been removed and therefore no correction was required in this respect4 ,if the error in the escapement had not existed and if the watch had shown the same rate with all points appearing to be satisfactory1 the trouble would most likely have been found in the poise of balance with the upper side heavy in the pendant right position4 ,the time consumed in making the correction was about one half hour4 #fh4 ,example ,no4 #f4 ,elgin4 ,b4 ,w4 ,raymond4 ,no4 #d1aji1edc1 ,open ,face1 #ae ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,new fourth pinion2 new end stone2 mainspring2 refinished balance pivots and cleaned4 ,note that this was only a #ae-;,jewel watch4 ,it belonged to a railroad engineer1 however1 who wanted it placed in first class condition1 as it had not been satisfactory4 ,the first five position test showed an error of twenty-four seconds as per second column ,fig4 #ba4 ,examination of the motion1 pivots1 regulator pins1 escapement and poise proved them to be satisfactory4 ,the hairspring however1 was found to be pinned at the slow pendant up point as per illustration in ,fig4 #bb4 ,fig4 #ba ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #dajiedc ,make ,elgin ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #h #h #b #b ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d #af #h #c #a -------------------------------------- ,p ,u #j -#af #b - #a ---------------------------------------- --- ,p ,r #d #d - #a - #c ---------------------------------------- --- ,p ,l - #a - #e - #f - #e ---------------------------------------- --- #bd #g ,the alteration made was to break out one-half of the inner coil at collet so that it was pinned at the fast point as illustrated in ,fig4 #bc4 ,a pair of balance screws were removed and a heavier pair fitted to correct the mean time1 which would have been about ten minutes fast in twenty-four hours because of shortening the spring4 ,the balance was repoised and the next test in positions showed a variation of seven seconds as per fourth column ,fig4 #ba4 ,the time required for making the alteration was about one half hour4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bb ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bc ,this watch was a full plate model with the train developing to the left from the center and illustrations ,no4 #bb and #bc are given to show that1 while the train follows the ,swiss development1 the spring follows the ,american method and develops to the right from the collet even though it is located to the left of the watch center4 ,the principle remains the same as that illustrated by ,figs4 #i and #aa and explained in ,chapter ,,viii4 #fi4 ,example ,no4 #g4 ,waltham4 ,no4 #ajejdaab4 ,open ,face1 ,vanguard model1 #bc ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,cleaned and new hole jewel4 ,first five position test showed a very erratic rate as per second column ,fig4 #bd4 ,investigation proved that the motion dropped off considerably after a few hours run and that the mainspring was too weak for this grade of watch4 ,a proper mainspring was fitted which in turn corrected the motion1 but the next test in positions proved that there was still a variation of eighteen seconds as per fourth column ,fig4 #bd4 ,fig4 #bd ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #ajejdaab ,make ,waltham ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #j #j - #b - #b - #a - #a ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d #j #j - #e - #c - #a #j -------------------------------------- ,p ,u #ad #ad -#ba -#af - #d - #c -------------------------------------- ,p ,r #d -#aj -#ai #b - #e - #a -------------------------------------- ,p ,l #af #ab -#be - #f - #c #b ---------------------------------------- --- #bd #ah #e ,the balance and spring were removed and considerable poise trouble was discovered4 ,the trouble was at different points of the balance and no one location seemed to be heavy at all times4 ,the balance pivots were carefully gauged with a metric micrometer and found to be out of round1 or to be exact1 more oval in form than cylindrical4 ,a new staff with round pivots was fitted1 after which the balance was easily poised and the next test showed a variation of five seconds as per sixth column ,fig4 #bd4 ,the total time required for making the examination and alterations was about one hour4 #gj4 ,example ,no4 #h4 ,vacheron and ,constantin4 ,no4 #bgb1hed1 ,open ,face1 #ba ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,new balance staff1 hole jewel1 cap jewel1 glass1 and cleaned4 ,the first test after making the repairs showed a variation of twelve seconds as per second column ,fig4 #be4 ,it will be observed that the rates in the horizontal positions are on the fast side and those in the vertical positions are on the slow side4 ,in this instance the hairspring developed to the left from the collet similar to the illustration shown in ,fig4 #aj1 page #de4 ,fig4 #be ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #bgbhed ,make ,v4 ,c4 ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #b #b - #d - #d ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d #e #c - #h - #d -------------------------------------- ,p ,u - #a - #f -#ad - #f -------------------------------------- ,p ,r - #h - #g -#ba - #g -------------------------------------- ,p ,l -#ag - #i -#be - #d ---------------------------------------- --- #ab #c ,investigation found the escapement1 regulator pins and pinning point satisfactory2 the motion was one and one-fourth turn in the vertical positions when fully wound and only a trifle less when partially let down4 ,in the flat positions1 however1 the motion was very little better than in the vertical1 which indicated either pivot or end stone trouble as under normal conditions the flat motion would be about one-fourth turn greater than that of the vertical4 ,inspection of the end stones proved that they were satisfactory but the ends of the balance pivots were found to be somewhat flat and not perfectly polished4 ,the ends of the pivots were slightly rounded and highly polished1 the jewels and end stones cleaned and reoiled and the balance replaced1 after which the motion in the flat positions was one and one-half turn with the mainspring fully wound and only slightly less when partially let down4 ,the motion in the vertical positions was also slightly improved and the next test in position showed a variation of three seconds as per fourth column ,fig4 #be4 ,time required for making the above alteration was about one-half hour4 ,in the study of this example it should be clearly understood that when the ends of balance pivots are flat1 burred or not well polished1 or when the end stones are dry or dirty the motion in the horizontal positions will be shorter than normal and this will always cause the rate to be faster than it should be4 ,acceleration of the motion in such instances by means of refinishing the pivot ends or by cleaning and reoiling the jewels and end stones will always produce a slower rate through causing a longer arc of motion4 ,this point is covered in ,chapter ,,xi1 ,no4 #dg4 #ga4 ,example ,no4 #i4 ,e4 ,howard4 ,no4 #a1aaf1gce4 ,open ,face1 #bc ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,new balance staff2 hole jewel2 mainspring and cleaned4 ,the first test in positions showed a variation of eleven seconds4 ,the rate in all positions was fast with the exception of the dial down rate1 which was slow4 ,see ,fig4 #bf4 ,at first glance it might appear that by causing a faster rate of six or seven seconds in the dial down position the watch would have a very good rate4 ,this1 however1 would not be consistent unless the rate was due to the exception referred to in ,chapter ,,xi1 ,no4 #ej4 ,examination of the motion in the horizontal positions proved that it was about one fourth turn better in the dial down position than it was in the dial up position which rate compared very closely with the vertical positions4 ,it was therefore evident that the dial up rate was not true and investigation found the oil in the upper jewel had become thickened by the entrance of dirt which caused the short motion and fast rate when the balance was running on this end stone4 ,fig4 #bf ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #aaafgce ,make ,e4 ,howard ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u #b #b - #e - #e #b #b ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d - #c - #e -#aj - #e #d #b -------------------------------------- ,p ,u #a #d - #f #d #i #e -------------------------------------- ,p ,r #g #f #j #f #aj #a -------------------------------------- ,p ,l #i #b #b #b #ad #d ---------------------------------------- --- #aa #aa #d ,after thoroughly cleaning the jewel1 end stone and pivot1 the motion in the dial up position was improved and equaled that of the dial down position4 ,the next position test showed the horizontal rates to be equal but the variation of eleven seconds in the five positions still existed as per fourth column ,fig4 #bf4 ,the vertical rates were all fast compared to the horizontal2 the regulator pins were found to be slightly open which prevented a correction at this point4 ,the locking of the escapement was examined and found to be satisfactory1 so the balance was again removed and tested for poise which was also found satisfactory4 ,the hairspring was pinned at the usual fast point as per illustration in ,fig4 #i1 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,the most positive alteration to be made under the circumstances was to break off the spring at the collet and repin it at about #de deg4 above the horizontal line4 ,this would be slightly approaching the slow point as explained in detail in ,chapter ,,viii1 ,no4 #ce4 ,the mean rate of the watch would necessarily be faster after shortening the spring2 the mean time screws were found to be turned in close to the rim and were each turned out about one full turn to compensate for the gain4 ,the poise was tested and found to remain correct and the next position test showed a variation of four seconds as per sixth column ,fig4 #bf4 ,the total time required for the alterations was about one hour4 #gb4 ,example ,no4 #aj4 ,illinois4 ,no4 #a1dhc1jbc1 ,open ,face1 #ba ,jewels4 ,repairs made4 ,trued and poised balance1 new balance jewel and cleaned4 ,this example has been selected for the purpose of illustrating a test in the sixth or pendant down position and to give a practical demonstration showing that the rates in the pendant down and pendant up positions can be reversed1 with positive results1 through reversing the collet pinning point of the spring1 as covered in ,relative ,pinning ,points ,chapter ,,viii4 ,this alteration can be undertaken with assurance of results even though there may be serious errors of construction in the watch4 ,the first five position test proved that the rate pendant up was extremely fast compared to all other rates as per second column ,fig4 #bg4 ,investigation proved that the hairspring was properly centered and pinned at the fast pendant point and that the regulator pins were slightly spread with equal vibration of the coil between them4 ,the motion was about one and one-fourth turn pendant up and over one and one-half turn in the horizontal positions when the mainspring was nearly full wound4 ,the ends of balance pivots were found to be perfectly flat1 which was no doubt due to an effort to produce a faster rate in the flat positions to cause them to compare more favorably with the pendant up rate4 ,this1 however1 was unsuccessful as indicated by the rate4 ,it is quite possible that if the watch ever was closely rated it was due to counterpoise of the balance as with the present rate the poise1 escapement and regulator pins were satisfactory and did not admit of further corrections that would be of advantage4 ,by examining the ,p4 ,u4 rate in second column ,fig4 #bg1 it will be found to be twelve seconds fast and then by referring to the separate ,p4 ,d4 7,pendant ,down7 rate at the bottom1 it will be found to be four seconds slow4 ,adding these figures gives a total variation of sixteen seconds between these two positions4 ,fig4 #bg ---------------------------------------- ---------- ,no4 #adhcjbc ,make ,illinois ---------------------------------------- --- ,d ,u - #c - #c - #a - #a ,p -------------------------------------- ,d ,d - #h - #e - #b - #a -------------------------------------- ,p ,u #d #ab - #f - #d -------------------------------------- ,p ,r #j - #d - #d #b -------------------------------------- ,p ,l - #f - #f - #g - #c ---------------------------------------- --- ,p4,d4 - #d #aa ------------------------------- ,now if these rates were reversed and the ,p4 ,d4 rate was in the place of the ,p4 ,u4 rate the watch would have shown a very good position rate in the first five positions and the greater part of the sixteen seconds variation would have been in the pendant down position where it would be of the least disadvantage4 ,in order to obtain this condition the collet pinning point was changed from the fast to the slow point1 or from ,e1 ,fig4 #i1 to ,g1 ,fig4 #aa1 ,chapter ,,viii4 ,a pair of heavier screws were fitted to the balance to compensate for the difference in time caused by shortening the spring and the next five position test showed a variation of six seconds4 ,a separate pendant down test proved that the pendant up and pendant down rates had been practically reversed as shown in the fourth column4 #gc4 ,causes of ,extremely ,fast ,vertical ,rates4 ,extremely fast pendant up rates are not particularly unusual1 although the causes and corrections may be widely different4 ,for instance1 the poise and motion feature1 ,no4 #bh1 ,chapter ,,vii1 may be responsible1 or the balance may be in poise and the collet having a wide slot may cause out of poise and be responsible if the slot is located at the proper point4 ,a defective escapement or regulator pins tightly closed may also be responsible4 ,should these points be found satisfactory1 however1 the rate is generally due to one of three causes4 #a4 ,excessive side friction of pivots because of being too large in diameter4 #b4 ,train wheels and pinions being of incorrect proportion and causing irregular motion and affecting the vertical positions mostly4 #c4 ,centrifugal force1 which would cause the balance rims to spring outward in the longer arcs of vibration and thereby produce an abnormal slow rate in the horizontal positions where the arc of motion is always longest4 ,this is due to the balance rims being too heavy in proportion to the arms or center bar4 99 99 99 99 99 ,when either of these three conditions are found there will be others among the same lot of watches1 but as a rule they are only found on older watches made before correct proportions were firmly established4 ,train depthings can often be improved if the workman is equipped with a rounding up machine and knows how to use it4 ,otherwise the watch can be sent to the factory for correction and the only alternative of the repairer is to cut the spring to the slow point1 or counterpoise1 with the intention of eliminating expense and getting as good results as can be expected for the financial returns that are to be received4 #gd4 ,how to ,locate ,defective ,gearings4 ,defective gear or depthing of wheels can be detected in two ways1 one by observing the engaging surfaces of the wheel teeth and another by testing the engagement of wheel and pinion4 ,if the gearing is correct1 observation will show that the engaging surfaces of the wheel teeth are smooth and either dark or possibly polished from wearing away of the plating4 ,if the gearings are not correct the engaging surfaces will have cuts or ridges crosswise which have been produced by the pinion leaves4 ,the cause of this cutting is due to either a faulty construction of the teeth or to the fact that the pitch circle of the wheel is too small while that of the pinion is too large4 ,testing the gearing in the watch is accomplished by placing the engaging wheel and pinion in the watch so that they are free to turn without engaging with any other wheel4 ,a piece of ivory or celluloid several inches long and about the diameter of a piece of peg wood should be pointed at one end and this end should be held between the upper pivot and oil cup of the jewel1 with enough pressure of the left hand to cause friction in turning the pinion4 ,the larger wheel should then be turned in the direction in which it revolves when running2 this is accomplished with a piece of peg wood held in the right hand4 ,if the gearing is perfect there will be smoothness as the wheel and pinion turn and if it is imperfect there will be a butting effect in the action4 ,should there be a slight intermittent stepping action due to drop of the wheel teeth on the pinion leaves it should not be mistaken for butting as this is not detrimental and will not cause cutting of the teeth4 ,watches that have below standard train gearings require considerably stronger mainsprings than do those which have correct gearing and they will seldom take a reasonably good motion without a strong spring4 ,a safe way to judge gearings if in doubt is by the motion and the engaging surfaces of the wheel teeth4 ,if the motion is steady and the teeth are not cut by the pinion leaves they may be considered as satisfactory4 ,if the motion is steady for a time and then suddenly drops off there is generally something wrong in the gearing4 ,the wheel and pinion in error can be determined by noting at what particular intervals the motion decreases4 ,in nearly all instances this condition will cause a gaining rate in the vertical positions because of the fact that the vertical arcs are shorter and comparatively more easily affected than the horizontal arcs4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,timing ,,and ,,final ,,regulation #ge4 ,mean ,time ,screws and ,timing ,washers4 ,in the general overhauling of watches1 changing staffs1 retruing and repoising of balances it is often necessary to make corrections of several minutes per day in the mean time4 ,for this reason and for the convenience of the future some manufacturers have provided from two to four mean time screws in the balances4 ,a complete revolution of these screws either in or out1 generally corrects any variation that may be required and frequently considerably less is all that is required in bringing the watch to time4 ,it is of course necessary that these screws be turned in opposite pairs as well as equal distances and that they be fitted with enough friction to prevent looseness and not too tight to cause bending of the pivots when they are turned4 ,if properly used for the purpose for which they were intended they are of inestimable value to the repairing fraternity in producing results4 ,the manufacturers of some watches do not supply mean time screws with the balances and the repairer is obliged to depend entirely upon timing washers for fast corrections1 for it is1 of course1 not to be expected that repair shops will carry an assortment of all different kinds of screws such as the factories are able to maintain4 ,occasionally a jeweler or watchmaker will be found who has strenuous objections to the use of timing washers in any sense1 but unless they are supplied with a large assortment of the various makes and weights of screws and are willing to use the extra time required for properly changing the screws it is difficult to see just what legitimate alternative they can adopt4 ,investigation of this point disclosed the fact that the method employed by some watchmakers was to spread the regulator pins1 which would of course make the mean time slower but would certainly destroy the adjustment to positions and make it practically impossible to obtain results from the regulator4 ,it is admittedly poor workmanship to use ill-fitting washers and poor taste to use brass washers on high grade gold screw balances1 but the fact should not be overlooked that the manufacturers of many fine watches use washers to a limited extent1 even when an abundance of balance screws are available and very fine ,swiss models are often supplied with a pair of thin platinum washers which are not easily detected4 ,the regulator should not be moved from the center of the index in correcting the mean time but should be used for minor final regulation only4 ,the length of the hairspring should also not be disturbed in correcting the mean time of an adjusted watch and while a slow rate can be corrected by reducing the weight of a pair of balance screws it is necessary to use either heavier screws or washers for correcting a fast rate4 #gf4 ,importance of ,properly ,fitted ,regulator4 ,final regulation of watches is necessary after making repairs regardless as to whether they have been adjusted to positions or not4 ,position rating does not necessarily suggest that the timing has been completed as the object is only to limit the variations from one position to any other and a test of three or four days should always be made in one position after the position rating has been completed4 ,this additional timing has for its purpose the close regulation of the watch either in the pendant up position or in the position it is carried4 ,the last column on the rate card is reserved for this purpose4 ,in this respect the repairer who comes in contact with the customer may gain considerable advantage by noting in which pocket the watch is usually carried and then being guided in the final regulation by this knowledge4 ,the method of doing this regulating consists generally of moving the regulator which requires certain attention to be effective when it is moved4 ,the regulator should be carefully fitted around the dome and all attachments in connection should be tightly fitted to the plate or bridge so that they will remain rigid when regulation takes place4 ,the tension around the dome should be even and if a tension spring is used in connection it should be strong enough to keep the regulator against the screw constantly without sticking at any point as the screw is moved forward and backward4 ,it should also be closely examined to see that there is no shake4 ,this can be determined by lightly taking hold of the segment holding the regulator pins and moving it up and down and side ways before the tension spring is fitted4 ,this should be examined with a glass and a correction made if any looseness is noted4 #gg4 ,effect of the ,middle ,temperature ,error4 ,in the final regulation of watches it is important that the middle temperature error receive due consideration4 ,this error is always a few seconds fast as explained in temperature adjusting ,chapter ,v1 ,no4 #ba1 and is of some consequence in the larger number of complaints regarding losing rates in the pocket1 compared to complaints of gaining rates4 ,the position rating as well as the final regulation is generally done in normal temperature which produces a rate from two to four seconds faster than the heat extreme and it is to be expected that the pocket rate will be slower because the temperature will be higher than normal4 ,this loss may not be the full amount of the middle error as it would depend upon the actual temperature encountered for the entire twenty-four hours and the watch may only be subjected to the pocket temperature for a part of this period4 ,this works in exactly the same way in a lower temperature1 as the variation is a loss in either direction from the middle or normal temperature and in case that the watch should be subjected to a freezing temperature at night the result will be a loss during that period4 ,as an example we will assume the regulation of a watch in which the temperature rate at the extremes of #dj deg4 and #ij deg4 ,fahr4 is perfect1 while at the temperature of #gj deg4 it will time four seconds fast4 ,now if this watch is regulated to no variation in the normal temperature it will be plainly seen that there will be a loss of four seconds per day if the watch is placed in service at either of the temperature extremes4 ,if it had been regulated to run four seconds fast in the middle or normal temperature it would time more nearly correct in the pocket4 ,it is safe to assume that the watch will lose its proportional rate with a lesser change in temperature and for this reason it is of advantage to finally regulate all watches from two to four seconds fast in the rack rather than to time them just correct4 #gh4 ,some ,practical ,reasons for ,slow ,rates4 ,there are additional reasons for the suggestion of timing watches a few seconds fast rather than just correct4 ,among them may be mentioned the fact that many watches are carried in the left vest pocket1 and that in this instance they very often assume the pendant right position which is generally a trifle slow compared to pendant up in most watches of close adjustment4 ,magnetism to any extent whatever always causes a slow rate and this will have its effect whenever the balance1 hairspring1 regulator1 regulator spring or pallet are slightly effected or when the mainspring1 large winding wheels or case springs are considerably charged and experiments have shown that in no instance has a fast rate been produced from this cause4 ,the gradual weakening or loss of elastic force of the hairspring is also a factor to be considered4 ,there are some influences which cause a gaining rate that to some extent may offset these losses1 although in the absence of necessity for cleaning or other repairs these influences are slight in comparison to the natural and possible causes for a slow rate4 ,,part ,,iii ,,special ,,notes ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,special ,,notes #gi4 ,efficiency of ,execution ,analyzed 7,two ,examples74 ,in performance of the various alterations and corrections that have been touched upon in the chapters devoted to position adjusting there are some points that deserve special note4 ,this refers to positive execution of the correction which the watchmaker sets out to make4 ,as an example we may analyze the simple feature of polishing a pivot and cleaning and reoiling a jewel to improve the motion in one of the horizontal positions4 ,ordinarily this would seem to be a very simple proceeding requiring no additional remarks4 ,it is1 however1 quite possible to go through all of the operations of removing1 cleaning and reoiling the jewel and polishing the pivot and then find that no improvement has been made in the motion4 ,invariably the workman of moderate experience will say that he has just cleaned and reoiled the jewel and polished the pivot and that it must be all right4 ,investigation1 however1 will sometimes show that the pivot has again been marred or that a particle of dirt has found its way into the jewel hole during replacement either through dust in the oil or through clinging to the end of the pivot when the balance was laying on the bench4 ,this experience is one that comes occasionally to the best and most careful adjusters and if it is found that results have not been obtained the first time it will be necessary to go over the operations a second time4 ,it is possible to almost entirely eliminate this duplication of work if proper care is exercised in examining the pivot and jewel with a good glass before replacing and in using oil from a closed receptacle in which it has not been possible for dust to collect4 ,the point raised in this instance is that the improvement desired is not assured because of merely going through the operations of doing the work4 ,it is necessary to actually remove the cause and then keep it removed4 ,the proof is found in the improved motion and it would hardly be worth while to retest in positions until this improvement was obtained4 ,proper curvature of the over coil within the range of the regulator pins is another feature that may be corrected and the correction unconsciously destroyed in replacing the balance or in centering the spring4 ,a slight kink in the coil close to the regulator pins may cause the spring to be forced out of center when the regulator is moved1 or it may cause the coil to lay against one pin and cease vibrating between the pins4 ,this would cause a gain of some seconds per day when the regulator had actually been moved to cause a slower rate4 ,these two examples are introduced to convey the idea that it is necessary to actually produce the corrections or alterations in any instance and that close timing and close position rates depend more upon this practical execution and understanding as displayed by the watch repairer than they do upon a high degree of technical knowledge4 ,personal instruction of watchmakers in adjusting has demonstrated in most instances that the refinements are not considered seriously enough at first1 but that consistent practice and reference to the rules soon make the proper impression1 after which results are attained in less time than was at first required for faulty execution4 #hj4 ,truing the ,balance4 ,the balance should invariably be true in the round and flat and always in poise before it is placed in the watch4 ,it is at times pardonable to pass a balance that is not perfectly true in the round1 especially when the watch has been repaired on several occasions and it is noted that the rims have a tendency to become set slightly inward or outward after having been perfectly trued4 ,this shows a natural tendency of the metals to find a permanent position which may be slightly away from the true concentric form4 ,a balance of this description may be poised as it is and often will produce better timing results than would be gained by perfect truing and subsequent regulation during readjustment of the metals4 ,it is advisable to always have the flat true as by doing so any slightly bent pivots will be detected through wavering of the balance and the flat is not very frequently affected by setting of the metals4 ,balances should generally be trued and poised in normal or slightly above normal temperature4 ,if they are trued in a low temperature they will be out of true and possibly out of poise in the temperature to which they are mostly subjected4 ,compensation balances are not presumed to be true in the round under variations of temperature and therefore inspection for true is necessary in somewhere near the same temperature in which they are trued4 #ha4 ,poising the ,balance4 ,in poising balances it is necessary to consider the mean rate of the watch and several details in connection therewith4 ,if the rate is known to be fast1 weight should be added to the light side1 and if it is known to be slow weight may be removed from the heavy side4 ,if the rims of the balance have been trued outward it is a safe rule to remove weight from the heavy side in poising and if they have been bent inward to get the balance true1 weight should be added to the light side in poising4 ,a balance that is in perfect poise can be brought to a perfect stop on a fine jeweled poising tool at any point of its circumference4 ,for ordinary work it is generally considered as satisfactory if it can be brought to a perfect stop at each of the four quarters4 ,when the heavy point seems to be first at one place and then just opposite it is proof that either a pivot is bent or oval in form instead of round4 ,in some instances balances will be found to swing slightly and stop at several different places4 ,this is usually an indication that there are several flat places on one or both pivots and if the watch is a fine one the staff will require changing or the pivots may be rounded up on a ,jacot ,lathe4 ,a fine edge jeweled poising tool is best for fine work as defects in pivots and variations in poise can be more easily discovered than with calipers4 #hb4 ,truing ,hairsprings4 ,original truing of the hairspring is made necessary by the fact of attaching the collet to its center4 ,when springs are turned out by the manufacturer they are perfectly true1 that is1 the coils are level and perfectly spiral in form and the deviation from this spiral form1 made necessary in attaching the collet1 is what demands certain forming of the inner terminal so that it will blend with the other coils of the spring which have not been disturbed4 ,in attaching the collet it is first necessary to have the spring level before the pin is forced tightly in place4 ,this can be fairly well determined by sighting across the flat of the spring and focusing upon the inner coil to see that it is level for at least one half of its length from the point of exit4 ,after this operation has been completed and the pin has been set up tight1 with the surplus ends cut off flush with the collet it will be necessary to slightly pull the coil up or down1 providing it is not perfectly level4 ,the next operation will be that of truing the round and all work and bending of the spring for this operation is concentrated within the first quarter of the coil from its point of attachment and it is seldom ever necessary to make any bends beyond the first eighth of the coil from the attached point4 ,figure #bh may be of some value in gaining an idea as to just how this inner coil should appear when it has been trued4 ,the broken lines illustrate a condition after colleting and before truing4 ,the heavy lines illustrate two positions into either of which the coil may be formed in getting the spring true4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #bh ,the outer black line shows the most adaptable form for most instances4 ,the inner black line shows the most practical form for use in instances where there is unusual space between the collet and the inner coil4 ,it will be noted that these two forms blend into the true spiral form of the spring at about one-eighth of the coil distant from the collet4 ,these forms may be used as a basis for truing the spring in any instance in which it has been bent or mishandled around the collet after its original truing4 ,experts always true springs after they have been staked to the balance and a light weight calipers tapered on one end to a smaller diameter than the collet is used for spinning the balance1 making observations1 and corrections4 ,considerable progress can be made by some watchmakers in removing the spring from the balance and placing it on a colleting tool or tapered broach and then truing the flat and round as good as possible1 after which it should be perfected in the calipers4 ,when the balance is spinning in the calipers and the spring is true in the flat there will be no jumping or quivering of the coils as observation is made across the top of the inner four or five coils4 ,when it is perfectly true in the round and the balance is spinning in one direction the coils will seem to be whirling into a hole of which the collet is the center4 ,when spinning the balance in the opposite direction the effect of the coils will be similar to the waves produced by dropping a small stone in still water and they will appear to be whirling away from the center4 ,this effect in both instances is caused by the eye following the spiral form of the coils as the spring revolves4 #hc4 ,treating a ,rusty ,hairspring4 ,when rust begins its attack upon any point of a hairspring there will be a constant loss in time until its advance is stopped4 ,should considerable headway have been made by the rust before the watchmaker's attention is enlisted for an examination it may be necessary to change the spring entirely before good results can again be obtained4 ,there are many instances1 however1 in which proper care at the right time will produce as good results as will a new spring4 ,the first appearance of rust is generally indicated by one or more spots of a light brown shade and in such instances it has hardly attacked the metal to any serious extent1 although usually enough to cause a slightly losing rate4 ,at this stage the spots may be scraped with a piece of peg wood after which the spring can be placed in a small copper pan containing lard oil to a depth of about one-fourth inch4 ,this pan should then be held over an alcohol lamp until the oil becomes hot enough to smoke1 after which the spring should be removed1 immersed in benzine for about thirty seconds and then dried in sawdust4 ,this treatment will stop further rust and the only indication of previous rust may be a removal of the color from the spot which had been affected4 ,in case that the rust has reached a stage far enough advanced to seriously pit the metal1 good results cannot be expected from the spring even though further rusting may be prevented4 #hd4 ,stopping by ,escapement ,locking ,when ,hands are ,set ,backward1 or ,when ,watch ,receives a ,jar4 ,this is sometimes a very annoying trouble and while it should not occur on high grade watches at all1 it does show up just often enough to cause a certain degree of unpleasantness for the owner of the watch as well as for the watchmaker4 ,there are two principal causes for the difficulty4 ,one is due to the back of discharging pallet stone having a very sharp corner combined with a slightly rough edge on the back of the escape wheel teeth and when the two factors meet with some slight force1 such as is caused by reversal of the train wheels the sharp corner of the stone wedges itself into the rough surface of the tooth and holds until pulled away by some small instrument4 ,this can be remedied by removing the sharp edge of the stone on a diamond charged polishing lap and a very slight correction is sufficient4 ,the second principal cause is due to sharp edges on the roller jewel4 ,first quality roller jewels always have these edges rounded1 as otherwise they may wedge into the horn of the fork and often will not release through ordinary shaking of the watch4 ,a short guard pin can also cause the trouble by allowing the roller jewel to catch on the end of the fork horn before it enters1 or the guard pin may catch on the edge of the crescent on the safety roller1 but the two causes mentioned above will allow hanging up even when the guard pin1 roller jewel and all other shakes are correct4 ,when the above conditions are correct and all setting connections are properly fitted1 the hands may be set either forward or backward without in any way disturbing the time4 ,there are instances1 however1 where the watch will stop when the hands are reversed and at times the second hand will actually turn backward although the watch will immediately begin to run as soon as the backward pressure on the hands is discontinued4 ,this is caused by the cannon pinion being so tightly fitted that turning it backward will require more force than that which is supplied by the mainspring4 ,a condition of this description is more pronounced when the mainspring is nearly run down and sometimes it will happen at such times and will not occur when the spring is fully wound4 #he4 ,essentials and ,non-,essentials in ,cleaning ,watches4 ,it would be difficult to suggest a best method for general cleaning of watches4 ,different watchmakers have different methods and good results are attained in more than one way4 ,whatever the method1 however1 there are certain definite requirements that are fundamental4 ,among these are the thorough cleansing of pivots1 jewels1 pinion leaves1 wheel teeth1 mainspring and winding parts4 ,it is not sufficient to depend upon routine and simply dip the parts in various solutions1 brush and reassemble the watch4 ,there are many instances in which the oil becomes gummy and sticks to the jewels and pivots to such an extent that peg wood and pith must be applied with considerable energy to obtain perfectly clean surfaces and holes4 ,the essential feature is that of actually removing every particle of dirt from the contact surface4 ,it is not essential that the plate and bridges should have a high lustre1 as this does not facilitate the running4 ,if it is desired and if facilities are available1 the plates and bridges may be dipped in benzine and dried in sawdust1 then washed and brushed in a solution of hot water1 borax and castile soap1 then rinsed in fresh water1 dipped in alcohol and dried in sawdust4 ,this produces a lustre to the plate bridges and wheels4 ,when it is not convenient to use hot water the parts may be dipped and brushed in benzine for at least one minute and dried in sawdust1 then dipped in alcohol and again dried in sawdust4 ,in either event thorough pegging and pithing of the jewels1 pivot holes and pivots is necessary as well as brushing and examining all wheel teeth and pinion leaves4 ,the steel parts should be examined and gummy oil eliminated4 ,fresh oil should be applied in proper quantities in the proper places4 ,this requires some study1 as either too much or too little oil is detrimental4 ,when a watch is cleaned annually by the same workman it is not necessary that the mainspring be removed and reoiled each time1 for a mainspring properly oiled will last for two or three years before requiring cleaning and reoiling4 ,it is well known that mainsprings frequently break shortly after being removed and cleaned and this annoyance may be avoided in many instances by intelligent use of this rule4 ,balances should not be dipped in acid solutions1 as the liquid gathers under the screws and will often cause them to discolor in a short time4 ,it is better to polish them with fine rouge and cotton thread arranged on a wire bow as the lustre will be more lasting4