Hairspring Made of Blue Carbon Steel

[PostwarO27]

I'm working on a vintage Omega 620 for my wife which had a bad hairspring along with needing a new mainspring and a lower balance shock (incabloc) setting. I purchased a donor movement that had a good balance, and the setting I needed...the mainspring I simply purchased from CasKer.

The steel of the hairspring is the blue carbon steel and not the white steel that I've seen in every watch I took apart in my short time tinkering with watches. When did Omega stop using the blue carbon steel springs?   I don't want to put in a hairspring if its not the proper type steel.

 

The movement it came out of is from 1968.

Thanks

[Nucejoe]

Hairspring's grade is what matters, I am not sure if the color indicates the grade. 

Traditionally hairsprings in Omega are high grade I think grade or No 1 , there are No2 up to five I believe.

 

[nickelsilver]

In 1968 Omega would have used a Nivarox spring and monometalic balance. Nivarox supplied springs either white or blue, in various grades as Joe mentioned, but still an alloy very different than carbon steel. 

[JohnR725]

8 hours ago, PostwarO27 said:

 I don't want to put in a hairspring if its not the proper type steel.

It's not like you really have a choice here? Hairsprings are usually not replaceable usually come with the balance wheel. Then as others have pointed out just because it's blue in color doesn't mean that it's steel.

[PostwarO27]

2 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

Hairsprings are usually not replaceable usually come with the balance wheel.

That's what I did...I took the entire balance, cock and all from the donor movement along with the lower shock setting.  But when I saw the color of the steel, I'm no longer sure if the hairspring and balance wheel from the donor is the proper match.

If the monometallic metal that Joe mentioned did come in white and blue, I'm comfortable with that and will proceed with the rebuild to get it on a time-grapher.

 

 

[Nucejoe]

@PostwarO27   If you are anything as terrible with dynamic poising as I am, then we can't tell a Chronograde oscilator apart from a regular one anyway. I go ahead and fix the watch with what you got, it'll run accurate. I mean you don't plan to send the piece in for COSC approval do you? 

 

2 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

@PostwarO27   If you are anything as terrible with dynamic poising as I am, then we can't tell a Chronograde oscilator apart from a regular one anyway. I go ahead and fix the watch with what you got, it'll run accurate. I mean you don't plan to send the piece in for COSC approval do you? 

 

Oh just noticed you scavanged the whole balance complete from the donor, its just adjusting for various positions then.