Watch oils?

[stevew]

With so many watch oils available nowadays, with different ones for different parts of the workings, i have always wondered, what did they use years ago?. You see Clocks and Watches, still working sometimes, and obviously never had such advanced oils.

[oldhippy]

Whale blubber boiled down. 

[Nucejoe]

Obviously new improved lubricants come to be needed as finer( friction reduced) movements are manufactured. Hublot makes a multiple complication mechanical watch now, with fifty days power reserve, not neccessarily stronger MS, but less friction. 

On the other hand, industry is to survive which some times neccessitate  abuse of the term NEW IMPROVED in adverts. Not to get into details of shroud bussiness practices.

Nano science is expected to come up with technologies to revolutionize lubricants as we know em today.

 

 

[nickelsilver]

Many advancements have been made in the lubricating qualities of watch oils over the years, but perhaps the most important is how long they remain effective in use. That coupled with almost universally waterproof cases since the mid 20th century allowed a shift from having one's watch serviced every year or 18 months or so, to several or more years between servicing. When a watch is cleaned and reoiled every year then the old whale oil works very well (it really was from whales).

[Tmuir]

At the other end of the spectrum the senior lecturer at the school I studied told me when he was an apprentice the worst job that he had was making the grease for the tower clocks they looked after.

He had to go down to the butchers to collect all the offcuts and then they had to render the fat down to make grease for lubing the tower clocks.

Thank god now we can just buy a bottle of oil or grease.

[stevew]

Obviously with Watches getting finer and more advanced, old oils would not work. But as no Whales where i live will have to use Mobeius etc lol. But interesting to know what they used, and who thought of the idea? 

[canthus]

Often quoted in Lee Child novels by Jack Reacher character is a substance called squalene.  A natural organic compound found in shark liver oil and olive oil, and was used by watchmakers to lubricate delicate mechanisms.  

Also found on the sides of human noses !!                      Not sure how long it would last before going rancid,  who nose !!!

[yankeedog]

I heard it said  that  whale  oil is still  unsurpassed  as a lubricant. At one time it was used in automatic  transmission  fluid..after they phased  it out here in the states there were for many years  a transmission  shop  on every  corner..

[yankeedog]

As for lubricants..I am convinced  that there  is a hose down  in Texas that  it all comes  out  of..they just squirt  it into different  colored bottles. 

[Nucejoe]

2 hours ago, yankeedog said:

As for lubricants..I am convinced  that there  is a hose down  in Texas that  it all comes  out  of..they just squirt  it into different  colored bottles. 

Ha ha,    . 

[stevew]

9 hours ago, yankeedog said:

As for lubricants..I am convinced  that there  is a hose down  in Texas that  it all comes  out  of..they just squirt  it into different  colored bottles. 

Lol