Where have all the mainsprings gone...long time passing...

[LittleWatchShop]

Some of you will get it.

Pretty sure nobody is making mainsprings for vintage watches.  So, what happens when NOS is gone.  Sad to think about.

[RichardHarris123]

Make/ modify but yes, sad. It's not just mainsprings, all parts are getting rare . In the future, the only option will be to make your own. 

[LittleWatchShop]

25 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Make/ modify but yes, sad. It's not just mainsprings, all parts are getting rare . In the future, the only option will be to make your own. 

Method for making some things is well established (staffs, wheels...) but I know of no established method for making a mainspring.

[HectorLooi]

You swap out the movement and put in a $2 quartz module.

[JohnR725]

2 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Pretty sure nobody is making mainsprings for vintage watches

you need to define vintage watch?

one of the interesting problems of mainsprings would be is look at the GR catalog in the back of the mainsprings listed by size. You go through each of the pages counting how many mainsprings are listed you find that at one time there were a heck of a lot of mainsprings. the problem is if you stocked all those mainsprings how fast would it take to go through them?

Then of course the Swiss have changed the manufacturing to only manufacturer for what they currently need. mainsprings were probably be like hairsprings no longer made in a generic fashion but only made for the specific consumer because I don't want to stock stuff that's not going to turn over instantly.

But that doesn't mean you can't get mainsprings. Many years ago there is a crisis over American pocket watch springs from the Swiss and what happened the material houses pooled their resources to place orders big enough that the manufacturer did manufacture  American pocket watch Springs. Unfortunately they did not purchase a lifetime supply of those Springs.

then I'm assuming if the demand is high enough like for instance Rolex somebody will manufacture a mainspring which is why we have aftermarket mainsprings.

But you really don't have to worry anymore if your vintage mainspring is blued steel no problem it can be? I'm going to give you an image from the discussion found at the link below apparently there's a procedure for blued steel Springs to bring them back to life so as long as is not broken no need to ever change the mainspring? although if it's not a blued steel spring I guess you're out of luck.

https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/new-to-pocket-watches-new-main-spring-question.216027/

2 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Method for making some things is well established (staffs, wheels...) but I know of no established method for making a mainspring.

because you need heavy equipment. if you are making individual spring is you need a way of rolling out the wire so you need a rolling mill then you'd need a method of a controlled furnace and of course the right steel. It seems like there should be something in one of the vintage books I know I have books and talk about how to make a new hairspring it seems like the principal should be similar just bigger?

[Kalanag]

See here:

Making Hairsprings

I‘s a big one, made in a so called „home shop“. The procedure should be applicable for main springs.

Edited March 30 by Kalanag

[LittleWatchShop]

46 minutes ago, Kalanag said:

See here:

Making Hairsprings

I‘s a big one, made in a so called „home shop“. The procedure should be applicable for main springs.

Impressive! I think you are right.

7 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

I'm going to give you an image from the discussion found at the link below

Yeah, I read that on NAWCC the other day.  Perhaps that is what got my mind to ponder the topic.