Collet closing tool (Bergeon 3007)

[LittleWatchShop]

Has anyone used the knockoff of the Bergeon collet closer?  Thoughts.  I am tired of using my staking set for this. To imprecise, and a little scary sometimes.

 

[LittleWatchShop]

Second question:  Does you use a tool like this for closing hairspring collets?  If not, do you use a staking set of something else?

[JohnR725]

5 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Has anyone used the knockoff of the Bergeon collet closer? 

is that the picture of the knockoff tool?

Then the original works fine for closing hairspring collets for the most part. to understand the good and the bad of the tool I found pictures they'll make more sense. So typically will flash hairspring the hairspring will be in the middle of the collet like in the image. This gives you lots of room for the tool to grab and squeeze

but for over coil hairsprings you can end up with something like this where in order to get the caller hairspring in they hairspring is P end lower down in the collet. Sometimes it's very low and that presents a challenge for squeezing without squeezing the hairspring which is undesirable

then where did you see the clone tool?

 

[LittleWatchShop]

Here is the clone.

Yes, the breguet is as you have shown  the second figure.  My plan was (if I had the tool) to flip the hairspring over to get maximum grab for the closer.  Of course, one must be careful not to get the actual hairspring caught in the closer.  Everything at this level of work requires the greatest of finesse as you well know.  There is no tool where I drop the hairspring into the input and it comes out on the other side just like I want it...lol.  I have been using a concave punch.  I cringe every time I take a whack at the stake. I want something more controlled.

From the pictures, the clone looks like it would do the job...not a complex tool.  Notice the phillips head screw versus the slotted one on the Bergeon.  Maybe the tools are made by the same source and Bergeon made them differentiate with the screw type.  Who knows.

[mikepilk]

On 8/9/2023 at 7:36 PM, LittleWatchShop said:

I have been using a concave punch.  I cringe every time I take a whack at the stake. I want something more controlled.

 It's the gentlest of taps, rather than a whack! But I agree, it's a stressful procedure.

It's such a simple tool. Isn't there some other tool which will do the job?

I just put an old hairspring on bench block and closed the collet with some simple nail clippers. Working under the microscope it's quite controllable.  

[pent]

On 8/9/2023 at 2:36 PM, LittleWatchShop said:

 

From the pictures, the clone looks like it would do the job...not a complex tool.  Notice the phillips head screw versus the slotted one on the Bergeon.  Maybe the tools are made by the same source and Bergeon made them differentiate with the screw type.  Who knows.

 

I have a feeling that many of Bergeon tools are also made off brand.  For instance, I bought a Cousins bezel/case back remover that is 95% identical to the Bergeon 9820, the only exception being the spindle handle (I need to post pix sometime).  We know that Star manufactures certain things for Berg, so why wouldn't they make something of similar quality but slightly different in some way for Cousins or others?  I would wager if you put the clone next to the Berg, you'd be hard pressed to find any meaningful difference, assuming the clone is "Swiss made" and not Chinese.

[LittleWatchShop]

2 hours ago, pent said:

I have a feeling that many of Bergeon tools are also made off brand.  For instance, I bought a Cousins bezel/case back remover that is 95% identical to the Bergeon 9820, the only exception being the spindle handle (I need to post pix sometime).  We know that Star manufactures certain things for Berg, so why wouldn't they make something of similar quality but slightly different in some way for Cousins or others?  I would wager if you put the clone next to the Berg, you'd be hard pressed to find any meaningful difference, assuming the clone is "Swiss made" and not Chinese.

I did an experiment recently with a set of pin vises.  The knockoff was not high quality.  I did not buy the Berg to compare, but pretty sure would have been better.

 

[pent]

5 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I did an experiment recently with a set of pin vises.  The knockoff was not high quality.  I did not buy the Berg to compare, but pretty sure would have been better.

 

Did the pin vises declare they were swiss made out of curiosity?  I would expect anything from China/India to not be comparable.

[LittleWatchShop]

3 hours ago, pent said:

Did the pin vises declare they were swiss made out of curiosity?  I would expect anything from China/India to not be comparable.

No. There was a discussion somewhere about them they looked nearly identical, so we speculated that berg and they were from the same source. I was curious, so I bought them. Nope.