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Help Identify Mainspring Winder maker

Stagesmith

By Stagesmith
in Mainspring and Winding Tools

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Stagesmith New Member

Stagesmith

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Posted

I bought a set of 8 mainspring winders and a handle, off eBay from a fellow in the Czech Republic.

The seller had them listed as German, but I can't find any evidence of that.

From the pictures I guessed they were similar to the Bergeon winders.

They are in fact identical, but made of aluminum instead of brass.

They arrived in sad shape but after a few hours I got they all working and cleaned up.

There are no names or even size numbers anywhere on them. Only a logo stamped in all the parts.

The sizes also match the Bergeon size chart.

The makers mark is one I have never seen before and I can't find any information with Google.

I'm curious if anybody has seen this makers mark.

My guess is these were made 30 to 40 years ago.

And yes they do fit perfectly in a Bergeon handle and vice versa.

I know Bergeon didn't invent this design.

They seem to make tools based on experird patents just to keep them available.

The Bergeon Cannon Pinion tool was being made in France 100 years ago.

Again, any help is appreciated

Aluminum Winders.jpg

Aluminum Winders Logo.jpeg

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lexacat WRT Addict

lexacat

Posted
Posted

These pop up from from time to time I've seen. I believe the brand/company is GB, you'll find them listed as GB Bergeon Style or GB Federwinder (springwinder). 

I don't know if the company is still around. Still, almost definitely a better deal than the brass chinese sets you can get, and a damn sight cheaper than Bergeon.

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Stagesmith New Member

Stagesmith

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Thanks for the info.

So I guess they are German.

I will likely never use the tiny ones as I am sticking with pocket watches for now,

but I'll have them just in case.

I figured out how to make them last year when I couldn't find a #12 Bergeon anywhere.

A few weeks ago I managed to grab brand new 10, 11, and 12 Bergeons on eBay.

With these aluminum ones I now have a 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13 so I am set for mainspring winders for now.

I will probably have to fix the tiny catch pin on the wider stems, but I already figured that out from making one from scratch.

 

I was going to reverse engineer a Cannon Pinion Tool until a French company dumped some brand new ones on eBay for cheap.

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Stagesmith New Member

Stagesmith

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Here is the eBay listing for the Cannon Pinion Tool

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255178283982

Looks like they still have some for sale

I was puzzled by the listing price because the Bergeon cannon pinion tools normally went for a lot more.

It's some French watch tool supply company that simply underpriced them.

I think most people thought they were knockoffs, but mine is genuine and works fine.

 

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JohnFrum WRT Addict

JohnFrum

Posted
Posted (edited)
28 minutes ago, Stagesmith said:

Here is the eBay listing for the Cannon Pinion Tool

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255178283982

Looks like they still have some for sale

I was puzzled by the listing price because the Bergeon cannon pinion tools normally went for a lot more.

It's some French watch tool supply company that simply underpriced them.

I think most people thought they were knockoffs, but mine is genuine and works fine.

 

120 USD plus 13 USD shipping?

Cousins UK has this tool (the Bergeon 4854) for 75 USD (62 GBP).

Otto Frei has it for 96 USD.

 

Edited by JohnFrum
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valleyguy Watch Enthusiast

valleyguy

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 2/9/2023 at 7:09 AM, Stagesmith said:

I bought a set of 8 mainspring winders and a handle, off eBay from a fellow in the Czech Republic.

The seller had them listed as German, but I can't find any evidence of that.

From the pictures I guessed they were similar to the Bergeon winders.

They are in fact identical, but made of aluminum instead of brass.

They arrived in sad shape but after a few hours I got they all working and cleaned up.

There are no names or even size numbers anywhere on them. Only a logo stamped in all the parts.

The sizes also match the Bergeon size chart.

The makers mark is one I have never seen before and I can't find any information with Google.

I'm curious if anybody has seen this makers mark.

My guess is these were made 30 to 40 years ago.

And yes they do fit perfectly in a Bergeon handle and vice versa.

I know Bergeon didn't invent this design.

They seem to make tools based on experird patents just to keep them available.

The Bergeon Cannon Pinion tool was being made in France 100 years ago.

Again, any help is appreciated

Aluminum Winders.jpg

Aluminum Winders Logo.jpeg

I'm guessing here and i could be totally wrong with the initials G B stamped in them it could stand for Gustav Boley if they were sold/made by boley and originate from Germany in the 1950's, i've seen few on ebay in the UK with same stamp advertised as bought in the 1950's, the GB stamp could be there just to make you think they're made by boley.

 

Edited by valleyguy
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JohnR725 Distinguished Member

JohnR725

Posted
Posted
On 2/8/2023 at 11:09 PM, Stagesmith said:

Bergeon

just a reminder about the company history. I even have a link they been around for a very long time by only within the last 10 years or so have they really done their own manufacturing. So basically previously before the new times of CNC everything they sold was purchased from somewhere else.

The meaning of this is you'll see stuff that they sell with their name on it that others were selling like the mainspring winder set obviously manufactured by somebody else.

https://www.bergeon.swiss/company/index

then we have other problem of stuff getting cloned plus of course if nobody has an actual patent copyright whatever then you might have a lot of people manufacturing the same stuff

 

 

 

 

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valleyguy Watch Enthusiast

valleyguy

Posted
Posted
On 2/10/2023 at 1:47 AM, Stagesmith said:

I figured out how to make them last year when I couldn't find a #12 Bergeon anywhere.

I watched your video on youtube showing your homade mainspring winder, your write up gives the bergeon dimensions if anyone wants to have ago at making one or even a full set themselves. If it's ok with you i've added a link below to your flickr page.

 

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51890412256_d0f66b7f21_b.jpg

 

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