Missing mainspring barrel cover - TWICE

[signcarver]

Is it common for inexpensive watch movements to NOT have a mainspring barrel cover?

This seems like a dumb question, but i'll ask it because i have now encountered it on two separate watches. I took the pictures below while i was disassembling the watches.

Both watches came from family junk drawers so i can't confirm they haven't been taken apart, but i seriously doubt it.

The first is a "Punchy" watch, a promotion for Hawaiian Punch. It is a Ronda 1213 movement, which usually has a barrel cover.

The second watch is a Ravisa costume jewelry watch. I'm not sure what the movement is, but the information on the Train of Wheel bridge is as follows: C2, 17 Jewels, Unadjusted, 4113 Swiss but it's not a 4113 movement.

 

Thank you very much!

Steve

 

[Paul80]

Don't know how common it is but I have definitely seen low cost watches with no barrel cap and was sure they where designed that way

[JohnR725]

1 hour ago, Paul80 said:

Don't know how common it is but I have definitely seen low cost watches with no barrel cap and was sure they where designed that way

The keyword here is low cost watches. Depending upon when they made them or who made them a variety of cost-cutting measures. Like some watches really are Not meant to be serviced at all as they have no screws because screws and threading the holes cost money. Having a barrel Costs money if you can get by without one saves you money. Remember these are probably assembled by machinery machinery if you ever see a video of a watch going together everything will fit perfect as opposed to a struggling with trying to put one of these back together again. This is why often times instead of having separate plates over like the barrel in the gear train the watch might just have one entire plate covering everything. They made at a cost and corners or things had to be cut like barrel lids than just a whole bunch of other stuff.

 

 

 

[signcarver]

5 hours ago, Paul80 said:

Don't know how common it is but I have definitely seen low cost watches with no barrel cap and was sure they where designed that way

@Paul80Thank you! and your spelling is perfect. I'd be in a world of hurt without spell check. 

4 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

The keyword here is low cost watches. Depending upon when they made them or who made them a variety of cost-cutting measures. Like some watches really are Not meant to be serviced at all as they have no screws because screws and threading the holes cost money. Having a barrel Costs money if you can get by without one saves you money. Remember these are probably assembled by machinery machinery if you ever see a video of a watch going together everything will fit perfect as opposed to a struggling with trying to put one of these back together again. This is why often times instead of having separate plates over like the barrel in the gear train the watch might just have one entire plate covering everything. They made at a cost and corners or things had to be cut like barrel lids than just a whole bunch of other stuff.

 

 

 

@JohnR725Aha, makes sense. I have a cheap pocket watch that has no screws and decided not to mess with it. Also, explains why i have had some trouble reassembling these, aside from being new to watchmaking. 

[signcarver]

Just to clarify, the movement of the second watch is a Ronda 4113 movement.

[signcarver]

Update that may be of interest.

I was watching a YouTube video from Chronoglide and Kalle was working on a very nice Gerald Genta watch, movement 2034. I also did NOT have a barrel cover. It was mentioned that perhaps this was to save space.

I found it interesting that a higher end movement would also be missing its barrel cover.

Live and learn!

[mikepilk]

21 minutes ago, signcarver said:

Update that may be of interest.

I was watching a YouTube video from Chronoglide and Kalle was working on a very nice Gerald Genta watch, movement 2034. I also did NOT have a barrel cover. It was mentioned that perhaps this was to save space.

I found it interesting that a higher end movement would also be missing its barrel cover.

Live and learn!

I was about to mention that video !  Not a cheap watch, £10k ?

 

[signcarver]

Thanks @mikepilk.