Mainspring Wind Left or Right

[wudce]

I have a Seagull ST3620-6498 I got off of ebay that's I'm learning repairs with the same one Mark use in one his videos which is what got me started in this hobby. Anyways my problem is which way dose the mainspring wind, you see when I took the lid off of the barrel the mainspring flew out, not sure what I did wrong but found all the parts but I can't really tell which way it was wound and not able to find anything on the web about it. Last question would the parts from a ETA model be the same as this clone say the mainspring. Thanks for any help.

[spectre6000]

Look at the arbor. There's a screw on one side, and the other is just a pivot. Now look at how the barrel fits into the movement. The ratchet wheel goes on one side, and the barrel has teeth that engage the train of wheels on the other. Knowing which way the arbor fits in the movement, look closely at it and you'll see the hook. Compare the direction of the hook to the spring, and it'll become self evident which way it needs to go in.

[wudce]

If your talking about the hook on the arbor then I will need to get better magnification which I have something coming it soon.

Thanks!

[spectre6000]

I am. Magnification helps.

[Nucejoe]

I agree with spectre. 

See how the MS is to sit in, to do its job, then you can figure out how to insert all types of it.

[Klassiker]

I'm guessing what happened is that when you removed the barrel lid you pulled the arbor with it, which in turn took the centre coils of the spring with it. If the spring isn't damaged, these are large enough to hand-wind back into the barrel (with care and practice). If you prefer, replacements are easy to find. You just need to measure the thickness, width, length and the type of hook.

[wudce]

From what I can see using what I have learn so far it is wound clockwise which my understanding is most are, there are a few out there that's wound counterclock wise or left handed. I try to wind it back in but when I get to very end it's like it's won't lay into place. I think something happen to it when it came lose like it did. I check the spring dimensions and came up with 18 " long (There some wound up to tight at the very end maybe 18.5, It's 1.48 mm wide or so and 0.29 thick also looks like a normal hook. I look at some on ebay the seller say it's for ETA 6497 and 6498 but not been able to get them to tell me anything else. Good thing this movement did't cost me much. I will keep checking and see if I can find a supply. Thanks for all the help.

[Nucejoe]

6 minutes ago, wudce said:

From what I can see using what I have learn so far it is wound clockwise which my understanding is most are, there are a few out there that's wound counterclock wise or left handed. I try to wind it back in but when I get to very end it's like it's won't lay into place. I think something happen to it when it came lose like it did. I check the spring dimensions and came up with 18 " long (There some wound up to tight at the very end maybe 18.5, It's 1.48 mm wide or so and 0.29 thick also looks like a normal hook. I look at some on ebay the seller say it's for ETA 6497 and 6498 but not been able to get them to tell me anything else. Good thing this movement did't cost me much. I will keep checking and see if I can find a supply. Thanks for all the help.

The click tells you which direction ratchet therefor barrel arbour is turn to wind. 

[jdm]

18 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

The click tells you which direction ratchet therefor barrel arbour is turn to wind. 

And even if there where no click the arbour hook and barrel wall cut will tell you the same. Observe, reason, conclude.

[VWatchie]

This picture is from a Unitas 6498, the one used when I did the watch repair lesson courses. I'd be very surprised if your Chinese clone is any different.

EDIT: Oh, and the barrel goes in with the pivot (as seen in the picture) facing away from you. That is, the side where you screw on the ratchet wheel should be facing you when you put the barrel into the movement.

Edited July 21, 2020 by VWatchie

[VWatchie]

If you need a new spring and live in Europe I believe this would be an affordable option. You could get a Generale Ressorts spring but that would actually be more expensive.

[wudce]

VWatchie I guess that looks right as I said the spring flew out of the barrel so I couldn't see what was what. Here what my spring looks like now. I took a leap of faith and for 12 bucks I got another one coming. So much fun!

[VWatchie]

3 minutes ago, wudce said:

VWatchie I guess that looks right as I said the spring flew out of the barrel so I couldn't see what was what. Here what my spring looks like now. I took a leap of faith and for 12 bucks I got another one coming. So much fun!

OK, that spring needs to be replaced! 

Anyway, even so, best practice is to replace the mainspring with a new when one can be sourced, which is not always the case, and then you will probably want mainspring winders, and then you're in for, how shall I put it, a "bit of a challenge". Anyway, don't worry about that now. One step at the time will do it! Good luck!

[wudce]

VWatchie thanks for your time. One more thing in looking at you photo I see the spring is wound to the right or clockwise? looking down at it and if I do get a winder then I would need a right hand winder as Mark pointer out in one of his video telling us most ETA model are left wound and some like the chinese one are right handed. I know I will need a 14mm die so I might look into this. 

[spectre6000]

54 minutes ago, wudce said:

How?

If you order a new spring, it'll come in a little disc so you can just pop it into the barrel like nothing. It's also possible to hand wind them into the barrel without doing damage. It's easier than it sounds.

[VWatchie]

30 minutes ago, wudce said:

One more thing in looking at you photo I see the spring is wound to the right or clockwise?

Well, when placed in the movement and you look down at it from the ratchet wheel side (the opposite side of the picture) I would say it is wound in a clockwise direction! So yes, if you do get a mainspring winder for it you would want a right winder. Anyway, If you ordered a new mainspring it will most likely come in a spacer so you can just push it into the barrel as Mark demonstrates in the course. Try to avoid mainspring winders for as long as you can. Mainspring winders are unfortunately, shall I say, a rather depressing costly aspect of watch repairing. Here's my current take on it.

[VWatchie]

4 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

It's easier than it sounds.

Oh I so wish that was true for me! 

[wudce]

$111.95 From Esslinger for what I would need just for this setup. VWatchie I read that post you made about Mainspring winders and I feel the same way. To have a set like Mark got you would need to be making some money off of what you work on to justify the cost or you have more money than you know what to do with. Another though would be just to buy a few dies etc for a few movements and only work on them but you will be limited to what you can do.  

[VWatchie]

59 minutes ago, wudce said:

To have a set like Mark got you would need to be making some money off of what you work on to justify the cost or you have more money than you know what to do with.

And, even so, that £1000 set will be far from enough, unless you are prepared to modify it 

[MrRoundel]

Since I am not doing repairs for compensation, unless the MS is broken or slipping I don't replace it. Sometimes I pop the cover and put a couple of dabs of clock oil on the coils. And there are times when I look at the design of the watch to see how difficult it is to remove the barrel, i.e. number of parts to remove to get there, before I make any decisions. The easiest designs have it so you can just remove the winding wheel (screwed to barrel arbor) and the barrel bridge with crown wheel and click intact.

But when I am going to be replacing the MS I always draw a diagram to show which way the spring winds when looking down into the open barrel. Yes, you can tell by looking at the arbor or click, but I like to keep it as simple as possible, FWIW. It's a drag when you get the MS installed cleanly only to discover that you have to remove it again, thereby taking the additional risk in damaging it. Good luck.

 

 

 

 

[wudce]

As Mark had said take pictures as you go which is what I have done and was going do the same with the MS before it flew apart.

[wudce]

There no stupid question only the ones not asked . I got a new MS in and looks to be the right one and I don't want to mess this up. As we know when you get a new MS it's already wound up in a cage and I have look the web over and not found how to properly get the new MS out of the cage and into the barrel. I guess when I get things right here I will take Marks  course and maybe I won't have ask so many questions. Thanks everyone for all the help. 

[AshF]

Have a read of this post.