Center Wheel Not Moving

[matthewlawson3]

Hi, I just started learning how to take apart watch movements and now I'm trying to put back together a Seagull equivalent to the ETA 6497. 

I have had a difficult time with putting the wheel train back in place. I thought I had it working and so I put on the wheel train bridge and added in the mainspring barrel and then the barrel bridge and then attempted to turn the center wheel and it won't move now. I took the barrel bridge back off and the barrel removed and still won't move. 

What have I done wrong? Could this be that my wheel pivots I think it is, is not in the wheel train bridge correctly?

[HectorLooi]

Check to see if any pivot has been bent or broken. 

Photos of the gear train before putting on the train bridge would help.

[matthewlawson3]

2 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Check to see if any pivot has been bent or broken. 

Photos of the gear train before putting on the train bridge would help.

Understood. I will try to get these up.

[watchweasol]

Hi  When assembling the watch, as in your case the train wheels and bridge, at that piont check for rotation. Then fit the barrel and bridge and check again, then when fitting the pallet/fork put a ouple of turns on the spring and check that the fork snaps back between the banking pins smartly. That way you have verified the freedom of the movement at each stage of the rebuild.  What you have got is like Hector said  a bent pivot or a trapped/broken one . so its dismantle and chech it all again.

[matthewlawson3]

2 hours ago, watchweasol said:

Hi  When assembling the watch, as in your case the train wheels and bridge, at that piont check for rotation. Then fit the barrel and bridge and check again, then when fitting the pallet/fork put a ouple of turns on the spring and check that the fork snaps back between the banking pins smartly. That way you have verified the freedom of the movement at each stage of the rebuild.  What you have got is like Hector said  a bent pivot or a trapped/broken one . so its dismantle and chech it all again.

Hopefully, they are not broke or bent. I won't get to work on it again till Wednesday, but I'll post pictures of the gear train when I do.

 

There was rotation before putting on the train bridge. Which brings up another question, which way should the center wheel rotate?

Edited April 4, 2022 by matthewlawson3

[watchweasol]

Hi without the barrel or fork in the watch it will rotate either way, when the barrel is fitted thats a different matter. but when fitting the barrel and bridge put a turn on the spring and the train will rotate and the escape wheel should do a little reverse action this proves the train is good then fit the fork and check its action..