Jump to content

Anyone familiar with this Mühle/Glashütte Sa. micrometre?


VWatchie

Recommended Posts

I’m searching the eBay sites (.com/.de/.it/etc.) for a micrometre of the type used to measure the diameter of jewels. In this video a JKA Feintaster is used.

However, I found this “Feintaster Mühle/Glashütte Sa.” on German eBay and I wonder if anyone of you guys is familiar with it and if it is designed to measure jewels?

When I translate the German description to English (I don’t speak German) using Google translate it comes out like this:

“very well preserved and 100% intact
A fine pushbutton of the company mill from Glashütte in Sa. is sold in the original wooden box in very good condition. The device is ready for immediate use. The design corresponds to the fine buttons that were also made in the German watchmaker Glashütte. The quality and handling in practice are unsurpassed. Measuring accuracy 1/100 mm.”

I don’t know how much sense that makes to you but I’d appreciate your opinions.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those Glashutte micrometers are really nice, but don't have all the features the JKA has. The JKA has a little table that is adjustable in height (great for checking jewel diameters), and has fine jaws which will measure between two larger diameters.

My favorite though is the Bergeon 30112, which has a traditional micrometer head (instead of a dial indicator), and the little table and notched anvil and spindle for checking staffs and arbors.

 

bergeon mic.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Google translate didn't do a bad job, to be fair.

very well preserved and 100% intact
A precision dial gauge from the company Mühle of Glashütte in Sa. (Saxony) is sold in the original wooden box in very good condition. The device is ready for immediate use. The design corresponds to the precision dial gauges that were also made in the German Watchmaker School in Glashütte. The quality and handling in practice are unsurpassed. Measuring accuracy 1/100 mm.

It unfortunately doesn't say anything about what it can be used for or how to use it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks all!

I've been in touch with the seller and asked him if this tool was designed for measuring jewel diameters and if it was comparable to the JKA Feintaster. Here is the reply:

"Ja, der Mühle Feintaster ist noch vielseitiger einsetzbar"

With a bit of help from Google translate I think it means:

"Yes, the Mühle Feintaster micrometre is even more versatile"

If that is true, although I have some doubts as @nickelsilver doesn't agree, I guess it will go for quite a bit of money. Checked Cousines for the type of micrometre that @nickelsilver informed us about and the one they have (similar I guess?) would cost me £715/€780/$869 with taxes and shipping :huh:. Now, I'm a hobbyist so that is 100 % out of the question.

Anyway, I saw something similar (eBay listing here) that basically goes for a trifle but I simply don't know if it would suffice. So, again I would really appreciate your help and opinions!

@Klassiker, thanks for your offer to act as an intermediary:thumbsu:

Edited by VWatchie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've pretty much made up my mind to go with a used vintage Bergeon 30112 micrometre (the one shown by @nickelsilver), and they seem to be somewhat common on eBay. Prices for these seem to be around $250 (not including shipping and import charges). It's still quite a bit of money but considering it will last for a lifetime and probably more and a lot less expensive than a new, I think it is probably worth it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, VWatchie said:

I've pretty much made up my mind to go with a used vintage Bergeon 30112 micrometre (the one shown by @nickelsilver), and they seem to be somewhat common on eBay. Prices for these seem to be around $250 (not including shipping and import charges). It's still quite a bit of money but considering it will last for a lifetime and probably more and a lot less expensive than a new, I think it is probably worth it.

The WatchCraft mic you posted above is pretty crappy. We had one at school, bleh. The Bergeon is really great, you won't be disappointed, and if you are patient they do come up for under 250, I think I've seen them around 150 here and there.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, the trigger has been pulled! Found a very professional, friendly, and helpful seller on eBay who had a vintage Bergeon micrometer in prime condition. Paid a lot more than I had initially decided to do, but I'd rather pay for something that works really great and that can serve me well for a long time than for something that makes me frustrated and eventually will have to be replaced anyway.  If interested you can see the eBay listing here.

This reminds me of how very frustrated I was with my Chinese crystal press and how very satisfying it was to replace it with a true tool, a Bergeon 5500 crystal press.

Thanks all for your support! I'll report back once I received and tested my "new" micrometer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Come to think of it... How do you use one of these? :lol: I do believe I get the basics, for example measuring the diameter of a jewel (my main purpose), but how would I go about "checking staffs and arbors" as @nickelsilvermentioned? Any user manual out there. I Googled it but nothing of use came up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Come to think of it... How do you use one of these? [emoji38] I do believe I get the basics, for example measuring the diameter of a jewel (my main purpose), but how would I go about "checking staffs and arbors" as [mention=4990]nickelsilver[/mention]mentioned? Any user manual out there. I Googled it but nothing of use came up.
The jaws (anvil and spindle officially) are notched, and fine (thin). The notches allow easy measuring between shoulders on an arbor. The table allows setting parts down like jewels and checking diameters. On a staff with a broken pivot you can get the staff between the jaws (and on thd table, using tweezers) and visualize the needed extra usually within 3-4 hundredths.

I have a bunch of mics, handheld, vertical, horizontal. I use the handheld the most, then horizontal, then vertical. I wouldn't be without any of them.
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...
On 7/30/2019 at 4:06 PM, nickelsilver said:

Those Glashutte micrometers are really nice, but don't have all the features the JKA has. The JKA has a little table that is adjustable in height (great for checking jewel diameters), and has fine jaws which will measure between two larger diameters.

My favorite though is the Bergeon 30112, which has a traditional micrometer head (instead of a dial indicator), and the little table and notched anvil and spindle for checking staffs and arbors.

 

bergeon mic.jpg

Just wanted to mention that I did get a Bergeon 30112 and (after some adjustments) it has served me extremely well. I couldn't be happier.

However, now, two and a half years later, a JKA-Feintaster in absolutely pristine condition surfaced on Tradera.com, and not being able to resist bidding on it I got it for just £99/€119/$134. Handling and using this JKA-Feintaster is a true joy and to me it adds even more prestige to "Made in Germany".

JKA1.thumb.jpg.b546347a733f6cf1e156a9fb396a42be.jpg

JKA2.thumb.jpg.4d610a821f4005b9735a26f36128d76b.jpg

So, which one do I prefer? Well, the JKA is a bit more versatile (I guess) and the readability of the dial (super German design!) is just amazing, but unlike the Bergeon mic you can't really control how hard the spindles should press against the object (jewel) being measured as it is spring loaded. Not a problem, at all, as it's very gentle, but a very different feeling from the Bergeon. I'll be keeping and using both and and from my limited experience of the JKA so far I can recommend both.

Edited by VWatchie
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • An update, for everyone who contributed advice, and for those who come after with a similar problem. Based on the answers received, I decided to work on the face of the hammer first. I used a square degussit stone to guarantee a vertical surface to work against, and ground the face back until it was square across 90% of the depth. I was conscious of the risk of removing too much material.* After I'd got the shape how I wanted it, I polished the surface with lapping film. To cut a long story short, it did the trick and the hammer hasn't slipped off the cam since. Of course, that wasn't the end of my problems. Have a look at this video and tell me what you think is wrong. https://youtu.be/sgAUMIPaw98 The first four attempts show (0 to 34 sec.) the chrono seconds hand jumping forwards, the next two attempts (35 to 47 sec.) seem "normal", then on the seventh attempt (48 to 54 sec.) the seconds hand jumps to 5 sec. and the minute counter jumps to 1. The rest of the video just shows repeats of these three variants. I solved it by rotating the minute counter finger on the chronograph (seconds) runner relative to the cam.  I'd be interested to hear your opinions on that. It seemed to be the right thing to do, but maybe I've introduced another problem I'm not aware of. * What is the correct relationship between the two hammers and cams, by the way? Should both hammers strike the cams exactly at the same time, or is it correct for the minute counter hammer to be a bit behind the seconds hammer? In this picture, I removed the adjusting screw at 1, and the hammers are contacting the cams simultaneously at 3 and 4. I had to turn the screw down tight to achieve this condition after stoning the seconds hammer and replacing the bridge.
    • It was easy enough to pop off. Once I had the cannon pinion hanging on the blades of the stump, I got my #2 tweezers on the gear attached to the staff and levered it down. That way none of the force was on the brass wheel itself.   I reinstalled it and the bridge, and it looks like a small but reasonable amount of end shake. It also spins easily with a blower. It stops quickly, but I think that's due to the large shoulder and about what I'd expect from this wheel.  
    • Oh, right. For some reason I was picturing a monocoque case in my head. Good looking watch!
    • Well said Ross. My reason for the thread, i like many of us dont want to lose the forum, such a well knitted group of individuals i feel. But things can happen out of anyone's control. Would be nice to have something in place just in case, if anyone has any ideas please speak up. 
    • Ok thanks Ross, I will give that a try!😁
×
×
  • Create New...