Mainspring barrel not secured on one side

[Orologi67]

hi gang.  I have this old swiss watch i bought and apon dismantling and cleaning i realizex two things. 

First it obviously had a geneva stop at birth which is no longer there.  Unless someone else has a better idea what parts are missing.  Im attaching fotos. The geneva is assembled on the outside of the barrel lid.  The arbor for the geneva secondary wheel is missing as well.

Second.  The mainspring barrel arbor is only stablized on one side (the barrel bridge side).  The dial is porcelain.  I was hesitant to think the dial stablized the front pivot for the mainspring arbor.  It doesnt.  The barrel flops around with the dial on.

The fotos are after the initial cleaning.  I was checking for wear, polishing pivots, etc. This watch has an interesting time shaft which is friction fit into the minute wheel arbor.  Its not pictured.

The watch ran when i bought it.  Im asking if anyone knows or has seen i watch movement set up this way?  I cant seem to dismantle the arbor from the ratchet/ click wheel.  I know it comes apart but i tried and i dont want to screw up anything without someones experienced advice.

Thanks

Steve

Edited May 27, 2020 by Orologi67
Left out a picture

[JohnR725]

The mainspring barrel is known as a suspended barrel as it only is attached on one side.  I'm attaching a picture with some text to the image so you can see what it's supposed to look like. The way that it's supposed to be disassembled is you need to remove the barrel and then the arbor unscrews if you're lucky.

The stop works mechanism is interesting in that watchmakers like to collect things. Rumor has it they steal the jewels out of your watch but that's not true but they do like to collect stop works mechanisms. Or the reality is they get confused at least that's one theory and don't know how to put It back together so they just don't. The watch will work fine without it.

I've seen in the past where the solve the barrel wobbling problem dramatic modifications made in the dial side. Milling was done to the plate than a new plates inserted to support the barrel. Usually this always jumps out as just not looking right. So disassembling the barrel and possibly making a bushing providing the steel arbors not the problem which is unlikely.

 

 

 

[rodabod]

Yes, a floating barrel or “suspended barrel”. 
 

In the UK, the Geneva stopworks are regularly removed. Some watchmakers decided they were better without. For an excellent description of why they were implemented, David Boettcher’s website is excellent. 
 

https://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/blogstopwork.php

[Orologi67]

Thanks!  That was very helpful information.  Ill see if i can proceed removing the screw off part of the barrel arbor.

I did see a video on u tube about an extremely thin Vacheron that had a "floating barrel"  there wasnt enough room to have a bridge on the other side/ and or/ the plate wasnt thick enough to accomodate a pivot hole on one side.