Help with Zenith 2542 Inca Shoc

[AlexeiJ1]

Hi Everyone,
I've servicing a 2542 Zenith and I broke half the balance bridge inca-shoc spring.
Watch still running. Serves me right for trying to clean the jewel. I'm mostly a seiko man these days so I'm used to the Seiko spring style.

Cousins lists lots of parts:
Inca 09.109.12.250 (15 pounds)
Inca 111.09 - (ETA 2824.2, 2836.2 & 2892.A2)  (5 pounds)

and finally
Shock Bloc, Lower, Zenith 2562PC 3025  for 13 pounds.

There is a complete balance cock for $50 on ebay.

What is the cheapest way of getting a shock spring and getting it in. I've done an inca style spring on an old omega moonphase for myself but that was easy to source an older part.

Can someone help interpret what part I should order.

Cheers
Alex

[rogart63]

Do you have a staking tool. How does it look on the otherside?  Is it a u shaped spring to hold every thing in place? Like on a ETA balance bridge? 

[jdm]

  On 12/1/2019 at 1:00 PM, AlexeiJ1 said:

I've servicing a 2542 Zenith and I broke half the balance bridge inca-shoc spring.
Watch still running. Serves me right for trying to clean the jewel. I'm mostly a seiko man these days so I'm used to the Seiko spring style.

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Same issue here with a  Chinese U shaped spring, broke it after trying too many times. I will need special tuition about that. But you can't do a proper repair or service without opening them. Give me Seiko springs any day. Good luck. 

Edited December 1, 2019 by jdm

[AlexeiJ1]

I do have a staking set. I haven't taken it out to check.

I'm just wondering regarding parts numbers mostly at this stage.

[jdm]

I don't understand what a staking set has to do with working on shock springs.

[nickelsilver]

  On 12/2/2019 at 10:53 AM, jdm said:

I don't understand what a staking set has to do with working on shock springs.

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Quite often (not always though) the bloc needs to be pushed out a bit or even completely to fit the spring. I personally wouldn't want to do it with a staking tool, a jeweling tool would be perfect.

 

AlexiJ1, if you can carefully measure the remains of your spring you can look at this list to find a part number, then this page at cousins for the part.

 

Inca's site it surprisingly full of useful info, you can see all the spare parts lists by caliber or dimension here. Unfortunately they don't list your specific caliber, but by measuring you should be OK.

[jdm]

  On 12/2/2019 at 11:23 AM, nickelsilver said:

Quite often (not always though) the bloc needs to be pushed out a bit or even completely to fit the spring.

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I would love to see a video of that. It has never been mentioned in the 4 years that I read here.

[nickelsilver]

  On 12/2/2019 at 11:30 AM, jdm said:

I would love to see a video of that. It has never been mentioned in the 4 years that I read here.

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Don't have a video, but if you look at the pic it's a matter of the design of the bloc. The spring has to come in from the back, the outside. Some blocs have more of a chamfer at the perimeter, and where they are seated may have a decent chamfer, and some of the smaller springs have a smaller "T" end, and can be coaxed into place one "T" tip at a time without disturbing anything. But often the bloc needs to be pushed out a bit to allow access to the slot for the T.

 

And,  on some calibers the slot for the T is too accessible and the spring wants to fall out when open. On Incabloc the concept is it remains captive, but on some smaller calibers (like 5x7 ladies movements) particularly on the dial side the bloc sits proud of the mainplate surface and the spring just falls out when open.

 

[jdm]

  On 12/2/2019 at 12:05 PM, nickelsilver said:

Don't have a video, but if you look at the pic it's a matter of the design of the bloc. 

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Thank you. I'm used to Seiko that apparently doesn't even have a separated block. Here the spring I broke and the block of a Chinese mov't, please excuse the poor pictures. Supposedly the hinges goes into the rounded slot? 

I suppose that a removable block and the use of a jewelling tool allows adjusting the end shake, making the difference between a rushed and a top job.

Finally, how these tools would fit the equation? 

 

 

[nickelsilver]

Yes that Seiko spring is similar to many of the Kif models, and I think should indeed fit into the rounded slot.

The lower tools are for shock springs that are sort of a "bayonet" mount, where there are usually 3 openings in the bloc and corresponding protrusions on the spring. They are easy to damage when inserting, thus the tools; but a piece of pegwood that has had its end made concave with a round burr works very well too.

[jdm]

  On 12/2/2019 at 1:25 PM, nickelsilver said:

Yes that Seiko spring is similar to many of the Kif models, and I think should indeed fit into the rounded slot.

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Thanks. For the record it's a Chinese mov't, the Seiko's are 1,000 times easier to deal with. For these I have made the following video that shows how to follow your advice with pegwood.