Balance staff change.

[Neverenoughwatches]

Eyup watch peeps, i hope you are all well. This is my first attempt at swapping a non riveted balance staff ( friction fitted ) . The movement in question is an AHS 43 (Lord) , the staff top pivot is broken so time to get the staking set out, the staff and double roller also seem to be in one piece with a seperate steel impulse pin fitted to the balance wheel. .  My experience from memory is only 5 staff replacements which seemed to go ok but obviously practice make perfect or at least better . Any advice on this one is much appreciated, I have it in my mind that this should be easier than riveting a staff.

[oldhippy]

Yes they are easy. When it is fitted do as you would with a riveted one and rotate the staking punch as you tap it home this will make sure the balance wheel is seated ever all the way round. As it is easy don't rush it. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

19 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Yes they are easy. When it is fitted do as you would with a riveted one and rotate the staking punch as you tap it home this will make sure the balance wheel is seated ever all the way round. As it is easy don't rush it. 

As OH says they are easy, it separated very easily from the balance wheel. The problem is a new staff is like horse poop, nothing on ebay and nothing in the main Uk suppliers. Best fits lists very few calibres and balancestaff.com have little more than a handful. It seems my only option is to try to repivot the staff, I imagine this is going to be good fun

[JohnR725]

On 5/12/2023 at 9:31 AM, Neverenoughwatches said:

AHS 43

not many references to that movement number first link hints the parts may be available the second his staff number

 

99https://www.watchsparesparts.com/watch-parts-branded/ahs-calibre-movement-and-spare-parts/ahs-43/

https://boley.de/en/caliber/watchmovements/ahs/13768.43

 

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

not many references to that movement number first link hints the parts may be available the second his staff number

 

99https://www.watchsparesparts.com/watch-parts-branded/ahs-calibre-movement-and-spare-parts/ahs-43/

https://boley.de/en/caliber/watchmovements/ahs/13768.43

 

 

Thanks John i had already emailed Boley on that staff as they were the closest to me. The first link is in India. I have slowly been building my own stock of staffs and have quite a few Lord but unfortunately not a 43 calibre. The staff and double roller look to be as one piece.

Edited May 14, 2023 by Neverenoughwatches

[JohnR725]

48 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

The first link is in India.

I wasn't paying attention that makes me nervous now that you told me.

49 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Lord

now is that the name of who made the watch? Because you have the number with some initials up above. Which I can find that description but other places have nothing on the outer wall. Did find a reference to the Lord somewhere but not that number.

Then I've seen staffs like this before basically a creatively made staff for a pin lever watch.

[Neverenoughwatches]

34 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

now is that the name of who made the watch? Because you have the number with some initials up above. Which I can find that description but other places have nothing on the outer wall. Did find a reference to the Lord somewhere but not that number.

Lord seems to be another name used and compatible with AHS ( Alfred Hirsch Schwenningen ) listed in the Bestfit Books and also a few places on the internet but i assume their information came from Bestfit anyway. I found some names on dials that AHS used but not Lord and haven't found any information as yet as to why the name Lord is also used for this maker. An unusual design maybe why I'm struggling to find one, the impulse pin is set into the balance wheel. My search will continue for one as I'm not exactly confident about repivoting this one. 

Edited May 14, 2023 by Neverenoughwatches

[JohnR725]

53 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Lord seems to be another name used and compatible with AHS

okay that was the information I needed. What has looking in the bestfit book it was vintage but then you have the Lord and as being confused looks like we get a bestfit staff number.

okay it looks like the balanced staff of 43 interchanges with a 41.

then I suppose a good bad news link now that we have a bestfit number we can look and it does exist well it did exist it's out of stock. But the fact that it did exist means that it probably exists somewhere in the planet. As opposed to we can't find it at all which means it probably doesn't exist at all

http://www.julesborel.com/s.nl/it.A/id.150145/.f

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

41 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

okay that was the information I needed. What has looking in the bestfit book it was vintage but then you have the Lord and as being confused looks like we get a bestfit staff number.

okay it looks like the balanced staff of 43 interchanges with a 41.

then I suppose a good bad news link now that we have a bestfit number we can look and it does exist well it did exist it's out of stock. But the fact that it did exist means that it probably exists somewhere in the planet. As opposed to we can't find it at all which means it probably doesn't exist at all

http://www.julesborel.com/s.nl/it.A/id.150145/.f

 

Thanks John. It exist, balancestaff.com have the 43 on stock. I just have to bring myself to part with 25 Euros for a tiney tiny piece of metal. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

How lucky was i ? While sorting out storage for the balance staff stock i noticed a staff container with around 50 of the AHS 43 staffs i had been looking everywhere for on the net,  yey staff stock comes in to play . This was my first go at replacing a friction fit staff, easy peasy. The hardest part was lining up exactly the roller cresent with the impulse pin. This was done from both sides of the staff, firstly free hand from underneath by loosely staking the staff down on to the balance wheel so as to line things up. Then to flip over to tap the balance wheel down. Fitting the hairspring back on and to install the balance assembly left to do, fingers crossed I've made a fair job .

Edited May 15, 2023 by Neverenoughwatches