Pocket watch - New main spring needed

[rossjackson01]

Hello folks. I'm having great time. Watch repair is great fun. Although I'm not in the zone for repair, at present I seem to be destroying everything.  

I need a main spring for the movement of a pocket watch. Can anyone tell how I can tell what spring I need. I am a basic novice.  I don't mind criticism as long as it is constructive. I have dissembled the movement. The main spring kept winding but not tightening. Opening is as seen. New one needed.

Regards

Ross

 

Edited April 22, 2022 by rossjackson01
grammar

[praezis]

16 minutes ago, rossjackson01 said:

New one needed

Sure? If the arbor doesn‘t grip, you may adjust the inner coil (bend a bit more at right in you photo).

Frank

[grsnovi]

I was able to find the exact part number for my Elgin grade 313 by going to: pocketwatchdatabase.com however I know the model and serial number of my movement.

As @praezis says, you might not need a new spring. Does the arbor engage with the end of the spring?

Optionally, if you know the height of the spring, the thickness of the spring and the length of the spring you can go to:

https://www.cousinsuk.com/category/filter/mainsprings-by-size-watch-pocket

and by matching the end hole patterns they will make an effort to suggest a spring.

Let us know how it turns out.

[JohnR725]

Replacing a pocket watch mainspring is the same as a wristwatch mainspring. If you can identify who made the watch you can look up and see what supposed to be used. Otherwise you just measure the dimensions and find another spring.

The only complications you run into typically with pocket watch springs are specific types of ends. Like T type  and there's a variety of other ones very common on American pocket watches.

It would be nice to have a picture looking straight down on the barrel so we can see the entire spring in the barrel. Can't quite see where the end is as you seem to trim that often all the pictures? But it looks like a standard tongue type in spring. Also looks like it fills the barrel up nicely it's not too short I would just pull it out and measure it and get another one. If you give us the dimensions we can look at our mainspring books and see what probably is. Typical mainspring measurements are based on the width – thickness and length. Sometimes there's a fourth dimension which is the diameter the inside of the barrel in other words if you expect to build this shove the mainspring and without a Winder. These are more common on wristwatches.

[rossjackson01]

As requested. Photographs of the movement and spring. On the movement there is a number sequence 345858 the last number may be a B. Anyone any information for me please. I've never taken out a main spring. I'll try it tomorrow.

Regards

Ross

[JohnR725]

From one ear images I snipped out what I was looking for. A classic problem with pocket watch mainsprings are getting the correct  end. This appears to be a poorly made tongue End. It looks like from the barrel it was supposed to have a tongue end. Often times they would've had something protruding for a hole lens spring. Or perhaps this mainspring had a hole and was modified to be a tongue but they didn't do a really good job.

Now if you get us the dimensions we can look in the catalogs and see what might fit and whether you go have to modify the end etc. You can also look carefully at the edge of the barrel to see if barrel modifications had been done.

 

 

[Nucejoe]

3 hours ago, rossjackson01 said:

The main spring kept winding but not tightening. 

 Your mainspring is far from a tight grip around the barrel arbour,  the catch of the arbour does catch the eye on mainspring , but will slip out easy if spring isn't tightly wrapped around the arbour. 

The spindle seems broke somsomeone rigged it, you need a new spring, as said if you gives us the measurement length, width and thickness a suitable general resort spring can be found to work in your watch.

[rossjackson01]

My goodness. You lot are so good. I've done as suggested. I closed the spring centre down then released it a little. Inserted the arbour and hey presto! It winds. Now, using the photographs, I am going to commence the rebuild. Woohoo!

I repaired the keyless works. Someone had unscrewed the setting lever and it was miss hitting. Gosh, its great fun learning.

Regards

Ross

[Nucejoe]

36 minutes ago, rossjackson01 said:

My goodness. You lot are so good. I've done as suggested. I closed the spring centre down then released it a little. Inserted the arbour and hey presto! It winds. Now, using the photographs, I am going to commence the rebuild. 

Hi there. Will do for practice but you are sure to see low power reserve and weak torque out of the barrel.

There is actually no way of knowing about the condition of the barrel specially the barrel wall other than taking the spring out, clean the barrel and inspect and more often than not, the spring should be replace with a new one. 

Regds

[rossjackson01]

I'VE DONE IT!!!!          I'VE DONE IT!!!!      I'VE DONE IT!!!!

Sorry for the shout. But, I've actually got the pocket watch working. I'm sitting here, looking at the movement, and its ticking. Yes, ticking. 

Put the Keyless works together. Can wind up, the train wheels move, the motion works are OK. Fitted the balance. Movement, shake, kept going. Still going. It's not perfect, I can see the balance wheel is not square on side elevation. Runs like a wobbly car tyre. But it's ticking when the movement is flat. 

Way to go!!!!! A well into the future project to make it fully functional. But, I'm on the way.

Can you tell I'm excited?

Regards and thank you to all

Ross

 

 

[VWatchie]

 Congrats Ross! 

I remember so well, and will never forget the first watch I got ticking after a service. An unbeatable (ha-ha)  feeling and one of the happiest moments of my life.

[grsnovi]

8 hours ago, rossjackson01 said:

Can you tell I'm excited?

Congrats Ross!

I'm waiting for the same jolt of excitement but it probably won't be for a week or two as I'm waiting on a mainspring winder. At least my $200 worth of oil showed up... 

[rossjackson01]

14 hours ago, grsnovi said:

I'm waiting for the same jolt of excitement but it probably won't be for a week or two as I'm waiting on a mainspring winder. At least my $200 worth of oil showed up... 

It was fabulous. Still going 14 hours later (and counting), still excited. 

I only have two bottle items for oiling. 1 watch oil and one grease. £5 each. My set up is on my computer desk.

Adding a photograph of my workspace. Video of the balance wobble.

Regards

Ross

 

This is a video on YouTube of the balance wheel. Wobbly it is. But it's all mine.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gnhmSmDbOJw

Ross 

Edited April 24, 2022 by rossjackson01

[watchweasol]

Well done Ross , Just watching its heart beat gives a lot of pleasure. The balance needs truing but probably at a later stage as skills devlope but you have done a great job in getting it working.  Like the workspace although it would benifit from a better mat but with linited space a nice little sertup. I see you have the PC up there do you have the timegrapher Sware on it?.

[rossjackson01]

18 minutes ago, watchweasol said:

Like the workspace although it would benifit from a better mat but with linited space a nice little sertup. I see you have the PC up there do you have the timegrapher Sware on it?.

Thank you. I have replaced the mouse mat with a special repair mat as suggested. The cut box has saved me losing springs a number of times. Twanged the arbor 3 times. Hit the wall and bounced back into the box. Phew! 

Timegrapher on PC? 

I use the PC to watch the YouTube tutorials. Play/Pause whilst attempting the repair. Great fun.

Regards

Ross

[watchweasol]

There is a Timegraher S/ware  watch-O-Scope that runs on a PC, The lite version works basicaly as a demo with no print function but runs well enough The licences version  Around  $50  it requires an amplifier and pick up for the watch  Have a look. I think that there is now an amp and pickup ready made now I made my own and it all works very well.     all the best.

[rossjackson01]

Thank you folks.

I decided to do a full disassemble, clean and oil. Opened the container. Sneezed. Now I can't find the second hand. Aaagh!

As an aside. Anyone any idea on the watch movement make? I thought Omega, but cannot see any makers marks apart from the number mentioned. 345858 or is it 34585B. The balance cock motif certainly looks like Omega ones I have seen on YouTube. But nothing really matches. ????

Regards

Ross