Mainspring winders

[diamondslayer]

One more question. Will the Bergeron half set work with ETA?

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[clockboy]

Depends on the calibur.These are the sizes with the half set left & right handed.

• No.0 = Ø5.60mm
• No.1 = Ø6.00mm
• No.2 = Ø6.50mm
• No.3 = Ø7.10mm
• No.4 = Ø7.80mm
• No.5 = Ø8.60mm
• No.6 = Ø9.80mm

[chadders1966]

Hi,

Hope it's OK to add on to someone elses thread, it's on the same subject! I've found a good quality second hand set of the same type as the Bergeon, but they are right handed only. Problem is I'm not sure what this means. I tend to just look at the orientation of the spring in the barrel, and make sure it goes back the same way. I could think of this as clockwise or anti-clockwise, depending what it is you are referring to (the winding direction, orientation of the spring etc.) and which side of the barrel, and where left/right hand comes in to it I'm not sure. Can anybody explain it to me in simple terms? Thanks.

Stephen

[clockboy]

It's the way the spring is wound into the watch barrel. Most swiss watches are right handed and a lot of asian watches are left handed. On the Bergeon the notches that pick up on the spring are in the different directions & also there are different winding units for the left & right. For this reason I broke the bank & purchased the half set & I am hoping to add the extra winders as and when I need them.

[chadders1966]

Thanks for responding. See, this is where my problem is with the right/left terminology, I could call doing the same direction either right or left handed unfortunately. Take the following photo of a barrel I've just opened:

 

 

I would call that right handed, but I can also see calling it left! So what should I be calling it?

I realise the answer would be to get a right and left handed set, but with limited funds I'm wondering if a right handed only set would be useful. Any thoughts? Thanks

Stephen

[Geo]

You would use a left hand winder for that one Stephen.

[chadders1966]

Thanks!

[clockboy]

Another way to look at it if it winds away from the centre arbour anti-clockwise it is a left hander.

[chadders1966]

Thanks for the advice guys, hopefully I'll be able to remember it!

Stephen

[Nathan]

I see on Marks video that some winders are not so good for blue steel mainsprings. Is there any particular brand to look for when purchasing a winder for blue steel mainsprings?

[bobm12]

I just got some winders (about a couple of months ago) I honestly I haven't tried them...I usually wind the mainsprings by hand. Since I've read here some controversial opinions about them I've been seriously thinking about checking out the Bergeon kits...only they are quite expensive for my hobby...

[chadders1966]

Hi,

Any tips on using mainspring winders, or what I am doing wrong. For the third time I have just broken the inner end of a mainspring (the hole that connects to the arbor) whilst using a winder. The winder's in decent condition, the arbors have good hooks. The problem comes after I have fully wound the spring, when I reverse the wind to release the spring from the winding arbor. It often either ends up with the inner part of the spring being compressed out of shape, or like just now the whole inner end snapping off.

Is it bad technique, or bad springs? I am inclined to think there is something wrong with what I am doing as it never seems to come out well, and I often have to reshape the end to fit the barrel arbor in. What do you think?

Stephen

[ro63rto]

Don't know what one you have but this might be useful if not seen before.

http://youtu.be/UrUQtVQIgQ0

[chadders1966]

Thanks for that. I've not seen that video, but that is the way that I do it. I think where I must be going wrong is as I said, when reversing the winder to try and unhook the arbor - I must be reversing too much or being too aggressive I think. It's frustrating as I don't know what else to do. I could try pulling the winding arbor out slightly and unhooking with tweezers I suppose.

[Marc]

I used to have the same problem with the inner end of the spring doubling back on itself and breaking. Now what I do is simply let the winding handle wind itself back under the spring tension so that there is no torque left on it, then carefully pull the arbor out just enough to get a pair of #4 tweezers in. I can then get the tips of the tweezers, one either side of the arbor, in between the top of the spring and the winding handle plate, and carefully extract the arbor the rest of the way with the tweezers holding the spring in the barrel.

It can be a bit fiddly but I don't get broken springs any more.

[chadders1966]

Thanks Marc. That's sort of what I was thinking I would do, forget about the reversing and just make sure the hook detaches myself. I usually do put tweezers in anyway as I find even when not attached the arbor often pulls the spring with it.

[clockboy]

The last time I used my winder I added a light coating of grease on the winding arbour & it seemed to release with ease.

[chadders1966]

Good idea thanks.

[masviken]

I ended up buying a Watch-Craft winder set like the one shown below.  I should be trying it out in the next week or so.  I know the learning curve is rather steep.  Fingers crossed...

1000x1000.jpg

Cheers.

Roger

 

Where did you find this set? I can only find Bergeon sets, and they are pretty pricey :)

[64americandeluxe]

I purchased my set from Ed the Wtch a Doc. http://watchdoc.com/

[64americandeluxe]

Watch, not Wtch

[Kraai]

Hi,

This is my first post on this very instructive forum. More than a year I read almost all posts.
Together with the wonderful videos of Mark I dare it to disassemble a watch and more importantly, to reassemble.

At an exhibition I thought I had bought a mainspring winder, but between the hook on the winder and the edge of the barrel is too little space for a spring. The disc fills almost the whole barrel. Only little torque can be given due to the absence of a handle. Can someone explain to me what I can do with this watchmaker tool?

Kraai

[frenchie]

It does look like a mainspring winder. Do you have any more pictures ?

[Geo]

Welcome to the forum Kraai.

What you have here is a set of mainspring winders. They are not the usual crank wind Bergeon type, but very similar. Instead of the cranks, you have a set if handles that are hexagonal in section that are used for the actual spring winding.

To operate it, you select the correct size of spring holder for the watch barrel and fit it to the large knurled handle. Now use the appropriate hexagonal handle to wind the spring into the holder. Once the spring is fully wound inside the holder, it is ejected into the spring barrel of the watch by pressing the button on the top of the knurled handle.

[Kraai]

Thanks for your reactions, but when you take a closer look at the images you will see that the hook is on a small part of the arber in the "normal" winder. However, in the "unknown instrument" there is very little space between the hook and the outer rim of the barrel. In these pictures the diameter of the barrels is more or less the same.