Jump to content

Can anyone repair a broken pivot??

Robbie010
 Share

Recommended Posts

Robbie010 Watch Enthusiast

Robbie010

Posted
Posted

After what started out as a fairly successful afternoon reinstalling a fusee and chain on my pocket watch, I managed to apply too much pressure when handling the movement and accidentally snapped the bottom pivot on the balance wheel! ?☹️?

I doubt a replacement can be found and if repairable, it is well beyond my capabilities.

Is there anyone on the forum that could assist with repairing or replacing this!??

 

2E1A5E5D-CABF-4D65-AB4B-9C8888A93315.jpeg

967B4E34-6C1C-4F6D-967F-66764AFD0590.jpeg

CFC16B8F-71DA-4231-9F59-4E1843AE6D35.jpeg

KarlvonKoln Distinguished Member

KarlvonKoln

Posted
Posted

I have watched a video in which Mark did it.  I understand the principles and I have the tools and the drill bits.  But I have never done it, and currently have no pivot wire.  I had planned to set aside some time to practice re-pivoting some old junk watch wheels and balance wheels, because I believe I may need to do so someday.  I can tell you, it can be done.
If you're not in a hurry to fix the watch, you can acquire what you need to re-pivot the staff: pivot drill bits, to start.  I have a pivot polisher that is set up to take drill bits, in perfect alignment.  But a small lathe is probably better.  You'd basically be drilling into the exact center of the shaft, installing pivot wire into the hole with a tiny amount of Loctite glue, and then poising and polishing and cutting to length, as I understand it.  This is something you'll want to practice on spare parts several times before attempting it on a watch you care about, obviously, but I plan to get good at this and I'm sure you could also.
I am also sure there are members on this forum who've done this, probably more than once.  I will let them chime in and add to what I wrote here.  There are many with more years of experience than I have.

jdrichard Distinguished Member

jdrichard

Posted
Posted
46 minutes ago, Robbie010 said:

After what started out as a fairly successful afternoon reinstalling a fusee and chain on my pocket watch, I managed to apply too much pressure when handling the movement and accidentally snapped the bottom pivot on the balance wheel! ?☹️?

I doubt a replacement can be found and if repairable, it is well beyond my capabilities.

Is there anyone on the forum that could assist with repairing or replacing this!??

 

2E1A5E5D-CABF-4D65-AB4B-9C8888A93315.jpeg

967B4E34-6C1C-4F6D-967F-66764AFD0590.jpeg

CFC16B8F-71DA-4231-9F59-4E1843AE6D35.jpeg

I make full balance staffs and usually do not repivot. check me out on youtube JD Richard

  • Thanks 1
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Nucejoe
      Argh. Breaking pallet pivots

      By Nucejoe · Posted

      If a runner, I usually let the movement run in naphta for a minute, some movements need a bit of encouragement to run in liquids, so a quick dip of the movement in naphta then remove and encourage the oscilator with puffer, repeat several soaks.  Or if you don't want to soak or dip the movement in cleaning solution ,   keep putting naphta on jewel holes as the movement runs on bench. A pre-clean of some sort  helps.  Avoid lifting out the fork with tweezers or any tool.  Try blowing fork pivot out  with strong puff of air from jewels holes back side. Good luck .      
    • HectorLooi
      Argh. Breaking pallet pivots

      By HectorLooi · Posted

      60! Wow, that's a lot. Can't say I understand the problem because disassembly is usually quite uneventful, except for springs launching into space. Most people break pivots during assembly. I use a homemade brass pry tool to loosen parts. It's just a short length of hard brass wire sharpened to a chisel point. Don't pry at just one point and crowbar it out. Pry at the notch and when a crack opens up, slip the pry tool in and loosen it at a few more points until the bridge is free.
    • WpgRob
      Argh. Breaking pallet pivots

      By WpgRob · Posted

      Beginner here. Of about 60 watches I’ve serviced and repaired, I’ve broken a pallet pivot on three, always during disassembly, and usually when the old oil has transformed to glue. Each watch was Swiss, in case that makes a difference. Here’s what happened in each case: - unscrewed the pallet bridge or cock - gently inserted a screwdriver in the  slot under the pallet bridge or cock - gently but firmly rotated the screwdriver, avoiding a forwards force on the screwdriver. If alignment pins stick, the cam action is alternated back and forth between back corners of the plate. - heard a small but horrible click. Is there a special tool or technique for safely lifting the pallet bridge? Should everything be soaked in naphtha before beginning disassembly if there’s any sign of old oil gluing parts together? Thanks! Rob
    • mbwatch
      Full plate watch, Suitable tool for adjusting & testing pallet stones?

      By mbwatch · Posted

      You shared this test with me a few months back on a Hamilton project and so I had checked this watch to find the pins were still equally spaced. Their screw slots were undamaged and very tight hard to move so maybe no one has messed with them before. I can't work on it much today but I did measure the fork slot again and it seems like 0.44 is the right size. I measure the jewel that had been installed at just 0.42. would an undersized too narrow impulse jewel impact the impulse drastically? I ask because I have had it at a state where flipping the fork manually with a tool would unlock some of the time, but the balance was never capable of unlocking.
    • HectorLooi
      Help with repairing a quartz clock

      By HectorLooi · Posted

      This was what I was afraid of. The movement is not one of the generic black square modules. Remove the movement from the clock and try prying it open very carefully, without breaking the plastic tabs. The plastic might be brittle from age. Clean the wheels and check the battery contacts for corrosion. Check the PCB for bad solder joints. Take plenty of photos along the way.
×
×
  • Create New...