Strange finding

[Waggy]

I was starting a new watch and found a second hidden bridge, this is the watch in question:

And here is the movement:

I removed the screws on the bridge to discover........

A second bridge hidden under the first.... This is a new one on me, has anyone ever come across this before?

 

[RichardHarris123]

I haven't seen it before, is it just a  cover plate to rebrand the movement and increase the jewel count?

[Waggy]

That's what I assumed, but the jewel count would go from 17 to 19 not 21.... Very strange????

[watchweasol]

Hi. The bridge in question appears to carry the end cap jewels for the third and fourth wheels

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, Waggy said:

I was starting a new watch and found a second hidden bridge, this is the watch in question:

And here is the movement:

I removed the screws on the bridge to discover........

A second bridge hidden under the first.... This is a new one on me, has anyone ever come across this before?

 

Could anyone have added this for no reason ? Different watch company, Different jewel count. The second bridge has chanfered edges so why obscure that detail. Why have cap jewels over the center wheel and third wheel bearings. Are there cap jewels on the opposite side ?

[watchweasol]

Hi It seems an expensive way to have fitted for no reason as they have to manufacture th bridge fit the cap jewels etc, probably found it cheaper than fitting settings with cap jewels but again that seems a bit odd as  reaming out the plate and fitting the setting in a manufacturing environment would be easy enough. The only way to find out if the other plate is the same is to have a look.  they maybe had an ednshake problem and that was the decided remedy other than re doing the origional bridgr.

[RichardHarris123]

Some decent theories but none explain the change of name. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

13 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Some decent theories but none explain the change of name. 

Maybe we missing something here but i think WW's theory is very plausible.  It has a patent on its design, so it was designed for a reason so what or where else could it actually be used if not here. So another company designed this part to overcome an issue, the two companies may also be connected in some way. It also may have been designed for a 19 jewel version of the movement which could explain the addition of the two jewel count. Cars gets recalls and revisions.

[RichardHarris123]

What movement is it?

[mikepilk]

Looks like an AS movement

[Razz]

I believe Traditions were sold by Sears. So your dial would have said Tradition at the top.

[spectre6000]

The part that has me thinking is the 17 + 2 != 21 piece. It's missing pieces in that first movement photo; is there another faux bridge that's gone AWOL with the other 2 jewels? Is there another faux bridge on the dial side? This is fascinating!

[Endeavor]

21 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

The part that has me thinking is the 17 + 2 != 21 piece. It's missing pieces in that first movement photo; is there another faux bridge that's gone AWOL with the other 2 jewels? Is there another faux bridge on the dial side?

Interesting indeed, but would these additional cap-jewels add to the quality / performance, or just be an US(?) jewels-count sales trick

[mikepilk]

The jewels on the 17 jewel bridge look just like normal jewels, so the cap jewels aren't actually doing anything. I agree @Endeavor, looks like a sales trick.

[RichardHarris123]

27 minutes ago, Endeavor said:

Interesting indeed, but would these additional cap-jewels add to the quality / performance, or just be an US(?) jewels-count sales trick

I can't see how the cap jewels would add to performance as the pivots aren't through the jewels. 

2 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

The jewels on the 17 jewel bridge look just like normal jewels, so the cap jewels aren't actually doing anything. I agree @Endeavor, looks like a sales trick.

We were texting at the same time. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, mikepilk said:

The jewels on the 17 jewel bridge look just like normal jewels, so the cap jewels aren't actually doing anything. I agree @Endeavor, looks like a sales trick.

Seems like a lot of effort to bump a jewel count, more so considering the patent registration. Nice if we could trace the patent to explain its design.

6 hours ago, Waggy said:

I was starting a new watch and found a second hidden bridge, this is the watch in question:

And here is the movement:

I removed the screws on the bridge to discover........

A second bridge hidden under the first.... This is a new one on me, has anyone ever come across this before?

 

Is the height with the 2nd bridge installed flush or above thd barrel bridge. 

[mikepilk]

15 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Seems like a lot of effort to bump a jewel count, more so considering the patent registration. Nice if we could trace the patent to explain its design.

On the contrary, they may not even be real jewels, just bits of plastic or coloured glass pressed it to a cheap bridge. An easy way to bump up the price. I'm pretty sure it's an AS 1430 family, which does come in 17 or 21 Jewels ...

But the 21 jewel version looks like this, with caps on the gear train (but still not clear how it has 21J )

Hence this looks like a scam 

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by mikepilk

[Neverenoughwatches]

17 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

On the contrary, they may not even be real jewels, just bits of plastic or coloured glass pressed it to a cheap bridge. An easy way to bump up the price. I'm pretty sure it's an AS 1430 family, which does come in 17 or 21 Jewels ...

But the 21 jewel version looks like this, with caps on the gear train (but still not clear how it has 21J )

Hence this looks like a scam 

 

Still seems like a lot of effort and curious as to how the patent was passed without a legitimate reason for a required design. Considering that the caliber was manufactured and used elsewhere with no modification. Money talks and Sears were the biggest department store in the world at one time.