What are These Runes?

[rehajm]

Okay veterans- the second time in a week I've come across these scratches on the bottom of the balance wheel arm. Others had these lines then an 'X' on the opposite arm. Anyone from this tribe that can translate the hieroglyphs? 

[Neverenoughwatches]

6 hours ago, rehajm said:

Okay veterans- the second time in a week I've come across these scratches on the bottom of the balance wheel arm. Others had these lines then an 'X' on the opposite arm. Anyone from this tribe that can translate the hieroglyphs? 

I guess some rather nasty way of poising the balance that had a heavy arm and then a correction .Only seen by another watchrepairer. Quick and effective but bodgy.

[Kalanag]

Could it be a number ( XIII = 13 ) that allows to identify a matched balance? If so you might find the same number on other movement parts.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Kalanag

[nickelsilver]

Back in the day movements were finished in batches, so certain parts would get marked to be sure they stay with their piece. A watchmaker might have a compartmented box with 5 or 10 divisions, with smaller divisions in each, for that number of movements. I've seen the markings on pieces that should be later than when things were done so artisanally, but I think in the final stages of finishing and timing in many companies they continued to work in batches. Well, many still do, but with workbenches that hold 50-100 movements on a chain drive actuated by a knee switch, that must be a nightmare job!

[JohnR725]

Typically with vintage American pocket watches you will find the serial number on all of the Plate components so that they can stay together it's also scribed on the balance wheel so that will stay with the watch. On rare occasions I've seen the hour and minute wheel will have the last two digits of the serial number but that's been very rare.  This is because when they were manufacturing things are manufactured together versus today with the components to be manufactured separately and independent of the watch and then assembled at a later time.

[oldhippy]

Some watch makers would mark the balance if the hairspring was removed, this was done so when it was replaced it would be in the same spot so there would be no need for beat setting. It is a thing that I did only on the top of the balance, but not big marks like that. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

19 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Some watch makers would mark the balance if the hairspring was removed, this was done so when it was replaced it would be in the same spot so there would be no need for beat setting. It is a thing that I did only on the top of the balance, but not big marks like that. 

Same here i mark the position of the stud, i havent seen this though.

1 hour ago, nickelsilver said:

Back in the day movements were finished in batches, so certain parts would get marked to be sure they stay with their piece. A watchmaker might have a compartmented box with 5 or 10 divisions, with smaller divisions in each, for that number of movements. I've seen the markings on pieces that should be later than when things were done so artisanally, but I think in the final stages of finishing and timing in many companies they continued to work in batches. Well, many still do, but with workbenches that hold 50-100 movements on a chain drive actuated by a knee switch, that must be a nightmare job!

Oh wow, you think they would have come up with a better way of keeping the parts together instead of defacing them. 

[rehajm]

Thanks everyone- all very interesting. I will mention these are 20s 30s Rolex 600/700 so they likely came from the same place and they have the matching numbers on the plates and cock. I could see them being marked for a batch before they were stamped. They  also have a very faint circle on the top of the wheel what looks like to mark the stud point. I relied on it a bit trying to get the ‘XIII’ in beat. It is also in the same location on the end of the left arm, too…

Edited June 16, 2023 by rehajm

[oldhippy]

Factory markings for the assembly line I would say.

[rehajm]

5 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I guess some rather nasty way of poising the balance that had a heavy arm and then a correction .Only seen by another watchrepairer. Quick and effective but bodgy.

They’re big gouges so I do wonder if they affected poise. Prolly not removing material but definitely moving some..

Edited June 16, 2023 by rehajm

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, rehajm said:

They’re big gouges so I do wonder if they affected poise. Prolly not removing material but definitely moving some..

I started to think the same but any adjustment i would expect was done after the marks were made. I'm actually gobsmacked that they would mark them in this way. As i understand from research that the Aegler watch company made movements for Rolex up until Rolex bought the company not so long ago. I wonder if it was that factory that marked them up in this way. It would be fascinating to talk to people that worked in these old factories.