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Best Way To Pick Up Jewels

DrRock

By DrRock
in Watch Repairs Help & Advice

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DrRock Watch Enthusiast

DrRock

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Morning, oh experts :)

 

I finally received my assortment of 100 jewels from eBay, all nicely done up in a pretty little baggie with a professional-looking business card. And there are several in there that are the right size for my fake Chopard watch balance wheel. You may recall that this watch, while fake, looks superb, and the jewel flew out of the little clasp at the end of the balance wheel stem when I was in there adjusting the little +/- lever. The watch had been gaining about 5 minutes every hour, and I found the adjuster was hard over to the + side. Moving it to the middle had the watch keeping pretty good time. But it only runs when in the face down position, due to the missing jewel - as soon as I turn the watch over, the balance wheel stem passes through the hole where the jewel was, and stops. Turn it back over, and hey presto, it works again.

 

So I bought these jewels off eBay for $6.95 and free postage - had to be worth a try. But now I have the problem of trying to pick one up, manipulate it to be the right way up, and placing it in the holder before clamping the little spring clamp over it. That's the clamp that had been unclamped, and when I took the watch back off, it flew open and the jewel flew out, never to be found.

 

So, my question: what is the best way to pick up a tiny, tiny jewel? My best forceps (sorry, tweezers to you non-surgeons :) ) have really good tips, but due to the shape of the jewels, it is very hard to pick one up without it rotating in the jaws of the forceps and flipping out. I've already lost 3 from my assortment of 100 - although by some miracle, I did find one of them on my desk, lying up against my little wooden fence that surrounds the working area.  Do you guys just pick up and manipulate jewels with forceps/tweezers, or do you use Rodico, or some other method for doing it?

 

What is the best way? Or do I need something like a flat-bladed tool (I was thinking maybe the end of a number 11 scalpel blade - that's the long pointy one), then use that to carry the jewel to the "socket" and then gently slide it off using forceps? All ideas and suggestions welcome.

 

--
Pete, Brisbane
============
 

Edited by DrRock
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Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

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+1 mwilkes

 

For hole jewels I usually use tweezers and for preference I use Dumont 5a tweezers as I find the off-set gives me a little more manoeuvrability than the straight 5's or 4's. But for end stones and Incabloc springs I don't think that there is any thing to beat the jewel picker upper, at any price. I have not had a single flyer since getting mine last year.

 

It has also vastly improved the ease and speed with which balance pivots can be oiled.

I always used to start with the end stone upside down on the bench and the hole jewel next to it, also upside down. Place a drop of oil on the end stone, pick the hole jewel up and drop it onto the end stone, then turn the whole thing over, pick it up and install.

 

The number of times that the end stone has stuck to the tip of the oiler, or the hole jewel hasn't gone on straight, or the whole lot has launched into oblivion...

 

Now I install the hole jewel into the balance cock (or the main plate, which ever) dry, pick the end stone up with the picker upper by its top surface, apply oil to its lower surface safe in the knowledge that the surface tension of the oil cannot over come the grip, then position the end stone over the hole jewel and ease it off the picker upper with the tips of the 5a's. Complete doddle.

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DrRock Watch Enthusiast

DrRock

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Thank you :)  I just KNEW I needed another tool - yeay! :)

 

They're like tiny spoons. I suspect the tip of my #11 scalpel blade may do the same thing, but it isn't scooped out, so the jewel can still fall off it.

 

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll see if my nearest watch tool man has anything like those (www.watchbitz.com.au)  He is only about 40 minutes drive away.

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Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

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Just for you Geo...

 

post-73-0-75230000-1421445763_thumb.jpg

 

post-73-0-12249500-1421445773_thumb.jpg

 

This is the smallest one in the range, I don't think that I would have a use for the bigger ones.

And no, that jewel isn't balanced, it's hanging.

 

I don't know how long the sticky lasts. I've had mine just over a year now and have used it a lot with no loss of tackiness.

When it does eventually lose its stick I suspect that it will only require a rinse in cold water and then air dry to rejuvenate it, although at the price I will probably just replace it.

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DrRock Watch Enthusiast

DrRock

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Excellent!  Thanks for the hint - I've just ordered a set from Cousins, as my local bloke doesn't have them. Seems a reasonable price, and postage is only a couple of pounds (about $Aus5) so now I'll just wait for them to arrive before losing any more jewels. I ordered all 3 sizes - I can use the others for picking up the tiny fishing hooks I use for my fly tying.

 

Great idea - thanks again :)

 

--
Pete, Brisbane
============
 

Edited by DrRock
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Don Super WRT Addict

Don

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I used to drive myself crazy picking them up with #5 tweezers. Now I use some Rodico on a piece of pegwood. Haven't lost one since. The picker uppers look cool and I assume it's easier getting the jewel off them than off the Rodico.

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Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

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I used to drive myself crazy picking them up with #5 tweezers. Now I use some Rodico on a piece of pegwood. Haven't lost one since. The picker uppers look cool and I assume it's easier getting the jewel off them than off the Rodico.

 

Easier and cleaner as the silicon tip leaves no residue.

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Lawson Super WRT Addict

Lawson

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DrRock, on 17 Jan 2015 - 06:46 AM, said:

 

What is the best way? Or do I need something like a flat-bladed tool (I was thinking maybe the end of a number 11 scalpel blade - that's the long pointy one), then use that to carry the jewel to the "socket" and then gently slide it off using forceps? All ideas and suggestions welcome.

 

--

Pete, Brisbane

============

 

 

Hey Pete,

 

Personally I don't use steel tweezers due to their springiness when dealing with such items; I only use brass Dumont Tweezers, and keep them well dressed.

 

My favorite pair are No.4 Dumonts I purchased secondhand off fleabay.  They have been ground back about one-third of their length, so they aren't quite as pointy, but are now nicely shaped for 99% of the tasks I do servicing watches.  The only time I have ever had trouble picking anything up with my No.4, including Incabloc Jewels, is when they needed re-dressing.

 

post-246-0-18078400-1421483155_thumb.jpg

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clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

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I have in the past done this & purchased jewels. The issues I have found are 1) sorting them into sizes & 2) I have only changed one jewel (pallet) and despite a packet full not one was the correct size so purchased from Cousins.The same as balance staffs I have packets of them plus loose ones but as yet I have never found the correct one when needed. I now just purchase the correct size one from Cousins or Balancestaffs.com.  

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