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Hairspring Vibrating Tool - Has Anyone Ever Done This?

klinej54

By klinej54
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frenchie Distinguished Member

frenchie

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If I could afford one, I'd get it just for the cool factor :)

My guess : these days, most people just replace the balance spring with a matching one, so vibrating the new spring is not necessary ?

Also, I don't recall seeing one in Mark's shop tour.

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JohnR725 Distinguished Member

JohnR725

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The problem with that particular video is it's showing the final product of hours of work.

 

Then is your vibrating tool is missing the base? I wonder if it came this way? If you look at the video there's a a heavy base with a lever that you push to get the thing to rotate.

 

Then there is a major problem with using the tool today the supply of hairsprings. August 2007 the British horological journal has a article "Anthony Randall FBHI gives a brief history of Balance Springs". So the article gives a history talks about hairsprings and explains briefly about the CGS numbering system. The other reason for the article is there are no more generic hairsprings being produced by the Swiss. So in the early days multiple companies producing generic hairsprings purchased by watch manufacturers who vibrated them for their own watches. So today there's only one swiss hairspring company producing hairsprings for specific calibers only no more generic Springs. Or the watch companies themselves produce their own Springs for their specific watches.

 

Then to understand hairspring vibrating start to finish I have a link below to an article written by a student in a school learning watch repair. the amusing aspect of the article written 2003 is the remark made about endless supply of hairsprings. in the same school today I can't quite remember the details but I think they only do one balance and very limited number Springs to learn with or they just don't do it. Conceivably at some point in time there will be no more vibrating  Springs taught at the schools as a have nothing to vibrate.

http://www.tp178.com/jd/watch-school/6/article.html

 

Then a must-have book for hairspring vibrating as it explains in detail about the CGS numbering system how you use it to pick your hairspring vibrating precision timing all those helpful things to make use your tool.

 

Watch Adjustment by Hans Jendritzki
ISBN-10:     2883800294     
ISBN-13:     9782883800298
Format     Hardcover
Author     Hans Jendritzki
Publisher     Antoine Simonin, 2006
Pages     107

 

 

 

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klinej54 Watch Enthusiast

klinej54

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John

 

Thanks for all the info.  I have several hairspring "how to" treatise, but not the one you listed.  That being said, the best I can say I've done with hairsprings is clean them.  The rest is just magic to me.  I've looked for suppliers before, as I work with pretty old watches (most are in the 1860s to 1890's) and  replacement parts are rarer than hen's teeth.  I've dreamed of making my own hairsprings, but based on your info, I was born about 50 years too late.

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agoldflam Member

agoldflam

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As I'm finishing up school, I've vibrated countless hairsprings for 18,000 and even for balance wheels that I manufactured and the process is exciting really enjoyable but everything John said is true. Even at school we're limited to cgs 7.1 and 7.5 mostly. I particularly enjoy the Le Roy adjustment though I've never seen a rate benefit to it. Thanks for bringing this up I really like the topic!

Through watchmaking I restore connections in people's lives!

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klinej54 Watch Enthusiast

klinej54

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Agoldflam

 

Lucky you to have the opportunity to do such a very cool thing!  I'm envious. So to show my total ignorance, what stops someone from making the spring from raw materials (other than a-heck-of-a-lot of work)? From what I've read, the wire is raped on a arbor, then it may or may not be heat treated.  I know its outside of the scope of a hack like me, but for someone who was going to specialize in vintage restoration, would this be an option?  At some point, parts watches will no longer be around.

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agoldflam Member

agoldflam

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Coming from a production stand point, in my opinion manufacturing hairsprings is not practical for production/time. I have spoken to my teacher and other watchmakers about this but I have not done it myself. Also, in servicing vintage watches I have found the Internet to provide enough parts. Granted I'm sure there are always exceptions.

Perhaps someone else who has drawn steel to make a hairspring can share their experience, but remember it is still just steel which as we know now is not the ideal material for a hairspring.

Through watchmaking I restore connections in people's lives!

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JohnR725 Distinguished Member

JohnR725

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So for making hairsprings from scratch the first video shows the separation after heat treatment. The second video shows how the wire comes into existence although this is exotic wire and there are some steps skipped though. Third video shows one of the reasons we can't find hairspring wire. Then last link running down the page category number 217 some raw hairsprings.

 

If you look at eBay from time to time hairsprings will show up there.

 

then there older books that do cover how to make a hairspring. A more modern book George Daniels in his watchmaking book has a section on balance Springs. Talks a little about forming the hairspring highly recommends an oxygen free furnace. In the older books they don't have an oxygen free furnace and there's some additional steps which probably results of a lot of discarded hairsprings.

 

Separating the Hairsprings after Heat Treatment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogexaeqACks

Rolex Hair Spring
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddv4hUNAJKA

OMEGA Silicon Balance Spring Si14
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZ9j-MYDs9Y

Category 217 - Selected blank Hairsprings
http://www.dashto.org/newlists/selectedothermaterials.htm

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