Mainspring Winding

[mcoulton]

Hello

Firstly let me apologize in advance for asking the same question that a lot of other people (myself included) have already asked.  I have a Bergeon Mainspring Winding Kit and I want to use it to re-install a mainspring correctly. I've provide two pictures; One with the lid off the barrel showing the mainspring and arbor and the second picture is of the arbor only. If I understand it corectly, then I want to wind the mainspring using the blue dot (left-hand / counterclockwise) winding arbor?

Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided.

[Neverenoughwatches]

24 minutes ago, mcoulton said:

Hello

Firstly let me apologize in advance for asking the same question that a lot of other people (myself included) have already asked.  I have a Bergeon Mainspring Winding Kit and I want to use it to re-install a mainspring correctly. I've provide two pictures; One with the lid off the barrel showing the mainspring and arbor and the second picture is of the arbor only. If I understand it corectly, then I want to wind the mainspring using the blue dot (left-hand / counterclockwise) winding arbor?

Thanks in advance for any help that can be provided.

Your spring will only wind one way for obvious reasons, but it could be installed upside down in the wrong handed winder. Looking in the winder at the spring it will be the reverse of how it was in the barrel. To  simplify things imagine looking at the spring through the top of the winder, this will be the same orientation it was in the barrel. Good to take pictures or make a drawing showing which way the spring spirals in the barrel before removing. Not the end of the world if you dont as the arbor hook wil point you in the right direction also depending on the type of spring tail a barrel wall ledge will indicate spring direction.

[ManSkirtBrew]

This is considered a right-hand wound spring because looking at it in the barrel, the spring coils to the right, or clockwise.

I originally thought the same way as you--if the arbor winds counter-clockwise, it must be a left-hand spring. This Esslinger blog post finally clarified it for me (emphasis mine):

Quote

Before you begin winding your mainspring you first need to tell if it needs to be wound clockwise or counter-clockwise. Most mainsprings are wound clockwise (spirals from the center to the right) – you can see this when you open the barrel and look down into the mainspring while it’s still in the barrel. There are some mainsprings that are wound counter-clockwise and this is why Bergeon makes “right” and “left” handed winding arbors. They are specified by a red (right-hand) or blue (left-hand) dot.

 

[mcoulton]

Thanks very much for the help. 

Neverenoughwatches - I did your trick and looked down the winder from the plunger end - not the arbor winding end - and that naturally orientates the hook with the hook on the arbor that came out of the barrel.

ManSkirtBrew - Thanks for the Esslinger article. I'll make a note of it and add in my comments. 

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

6 hours ago, mcoulton said:

Thanks very much for the help. 

Neverenoughwatches - I did your trick and looked down the winder from the plunger end - not the arbor winding end - and that naturally orientates the hook with the hook on the arbor that came out of the barrel.

ManSkirtBrew - Thanks for the Esslinger article. I'll make a note of it and add in my comments. 

 

This way just saves having to figure things in reverse. You see it or rather imagine it as is. Without both handed winders the spring can be released into a spring holder that new ones arrive in, and then just spun over to be popped into the barrel. 

[JohnR725]

8 hours ago, mcoulton said:

If I understand it corectly, then I want to wind the mainspring using the blue dot (left-hand / counterclockwise) winding arbor?

which watch does this mainspring barrel come from

the majority of watches will use a right-handed handle and they will wind in a clockwise direction. Some watches though are left-handed like Seiko watches. Or typically 18 size American pocket watches are left-hand.

 

 

[mcoulton]

Hello

The mainspring is from a Seagull ST 19 / Venus 175.