Need new pallet fork — what do the Bestfit codes mean?

[Levine98]

Morning,

I’m working on a Felsa 690 movement and discovered it has a broken pallet fork pinion. 

Before I purchase a replacement, was just curious if anyone knows what the Bestfit codes mean in the pallet arbor column in the Bestfit cross reference catalog? Reason I’m asking is I have a pallet fork from another salvage movement that appears to be the same size, but is not from the same caliber or even manufacture and according to the best fit catalog, has a different pallet arbor code.

Thanks in advance—Jay (Levine98)

[Neverenoughwatches]

6 hours ago, Levine98 said:

Morning,

I’m working on a Felsa 690 movement and discovered it has a broken pallet fork pinion. 

Before I purchase a replacement, was just curious if anyone knows what the Bestfit codes mean in the pallet arbor column in the Bestfit cross reference catalog? Reason I’m asking is I have a pallet fork from another salvage movement that appears to be the same size, but is not from the same caliber or even manufacture and according to the best fit catalog, has a different pallet arbor code.

Thanks in advance—Jay (Levine98)

Check out the variation list matey. Page 509.

[JohnR725]

12 hours ago, Levine98 said:

was just curious if anyone knows what the Bestfit codes mean in the pallet arbor column in the Bestfit cross reference catalog?

The number is just the pallet fork arbor number? As your image was trimmed off I have a more complete image you appear to have only one pallet fork arbor.

Now where I have a confusion is not the Arbor itself because there's only one of those but there does appear to be two separate pallet forks?

Then another website confirming the same thing Two separate pallet forks and only one Pallet arbor.

http://cgi.julesborel.com/cgi-bin/matcgi2?ref=FEL_690

http://cgi.julesborel.com/cgi-bin/matcgi2?ref=[^}DXDXe

Normally arbors would have confusions over the pivots themselves in other words they come in straight shoulders or conical and combinations of those this is common for the pallet fork and the escape wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

[Levine98]

6 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

The number is just the pallet fork arbor number? As your image was trimmed off I have a more complete image you appear to have only one pallet fork arbor.

Now where I have a confusion is not the Arbor itself because there's only one of those but there does appear to be two separate pallet forks?

Then another website confirming the same thing Two separate pallet forks and only one Pallet arbor.

http://cgi.julesborel.com/cgi-bin/matcgi2?ref=FEL_690

http://cgi.julesborel.com/cgi-bin/matcgi2?ref=[^}DXDXe

Normally arbors would have confusions over the pivots themselves in other words they come in straight shoulders or conical and combinations of those this is common for the pallet fork and the escape wheel.

 

 

 

 

 

Bests me. Seems like interpreting codes in these cross reference catalogs for many vintage parts is part art, part science, part luck.  
 

I ended up purchasing a whole NOS pallet fork since arbors are not readily available from what I can see. I only paid $20 for it so probably cheaper then purchasing a single arbor plus shipping even if I could find one.

 

Thanks for the responses—I’ll post the watch in the completed projects section when done.

 

jay

[JohnR725]

8 hours ago, Levine98 said:

since arbors are not readily available from what I can see

The julesborel.com Basically has two sections the website the parts we can look up the part numbers and the other part where you can look up to see if the parts available. So if we had a pallet fork arbor number for instance we could go to the link below and yes it's available. Of course have the price comparison with the pallet fork that you purchased pallet fork was a better deal and of course you need to have the tools to put. But just remember you have to take the part numbers to the other side to see if the parts are available.

http://www.julesborel.com/s.nl/it.A/id.26968/.f

 

 

[Levine98]

28 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

…..Of course have the price comparison with the pallet fork that you purchased pallet fork was a better deal and of course you need to have the tools to put.…

 

 

I have a Horia knock off jeweling tool, so I guess I could have attempted to fix the original. But this way I know it will work and the cost is about break even when you factor in shipping for the Jules Borel order. 

[JohnR725]

It used to be they would actually have pallet arbor assortments. Because of you look at the pallet arbor cross-references you find out that there probably aren't that many pallet arbors in existence compared to other things. Where the arbor is cross reference with lots and lots and lots of watches so that one time there were assortments.

But getting replacement pallet fork without having to play with the arbor and just putting it in does solve a lot of problems.

[CYCLOPS]

if you look on page 497 of the Bestfit book it will show other makes/models from various companies that use the same pallet arbor [not the fork necessarily], you might have one of these other movements in your junk/spares draw, but you would have to be able to remove and insert....

[Levine98]

3 hours ago, CYCLOPS said:

if you look on page 497 of the Bestfit book it will show other makes/models from various companies that use the same pallet arbor [not the fork necessarily], you might have one of these other movements in your junk/spares draw, but you would have to be able to remove and insert....

Thanks, I ended up buying a NOS piece specific to the movement.  Watch is being tested as I type.