Do bad mainsprings exist?

[BeyondWorld]

So I gave a watch to my watchmaker, just to have the mainspring changed.

And it broke in just a day.

This has actually never happened to me before, the old blue mainsprings, sure, they break all the time. But never one of the new ones.

So I am just wondering if bad modern steel mainsprings exist or if he put the wrong type of mainspring in?

[Ishima]

Hard to imagine that mainsprings that would be 'bad' would be bad enough to break in a day without either being miss-selected or miss-fitted, or over wound by user. At a risk of suggesting the obvious, I would go have a friendly word with your watchmaker about it?

[praezis]

I am sure modern ones will not break.

But often they have their end hook spot welded to the spring. This join can break and not seldom does.

Frank

[BeyondWorld]

Just now, Ishima said:

Hard to imagine that mainsprings that would be 'bad' would be bad enough to break in a day without either being miss-selected or miss-fitted, or over wound by user. At a risk of suggesting the obvious, I would go have a friendly word with your watchmaker about it?

Yeah, I have. He didn't really know what to make of it. I asked him if he was sure if he got the right mainspring, but he says he's sure he did. It's not a problem he or I have come across before. 

The watch wasn't overwound though. It broke during the night, wound it up before I went to sleep, and in the morning it stopped. Roughly 6 - 8 hours later. Gave it a wound, and felt that the mainspring had gone.

[vinn3]

" mr. missfit"  should  re  do the installation.   the spring itself should not break,  but the ends are  the weak points.   they are often anealed so the  ends can be  shaped,  drilled or riveted.  a new factory spring is best.   "do it right the first  time.  let us know  where it broke.  vinn  

[Ishima]

Is he not going to investigate and try again?

[BeyondWorld]

Yeah, he's going to do it again, but I still have to pay for the cost of the part.

[jdm]

Which watch is that? You may learn how to change it yourself hanging out here.

[BeyondWorld]

20 minutes ago, jdm said:

Which watch is that? You may learn how to change it yourself hanging out here.

It's one of these.

I've changed mainsprings before but I'm really lazy now, the cost was only £5 + cost of part. 

I've looked up the correct mainspring for it, if he confirms it's the same as he ordered I'll see if he'll send a message to the supplier to see what they say about it.

[Ishima]

Hmn, that's suspiciously cheap. You one of his favorite customers or something? 

[BeyondWorld]

9 minutes ago, Ishima said:

Hmn, that's suspiciously cheap. You one of his favorite customers or something? 

Just trade price. I give a huge amount of watches to be repaired, so I expect a better deal on small jobs.

[oldhippy]

Every thing is not perfect that includes mainsprings. When you think of the millions produced you are going to get the odd poor one now and then. You where just unlucky, the guy should replace it free of charge.

[Ishima]

ordinarily i'd agree,old hippy, but at a labor charge of £5... you might wipe out the poor guys entire profit on the job. 

Edited October 8, 2016 by Ishima

[RyMoeller]

I've had an old blue steel mainspring break into three pieces the day after it was installed.  Never had an issue with a new one though.  Anything is possible though.

The labor charge is exceptional even given your business association.  Replacing the mainspring involves tearing down just about the entire watch.  With that much effort involved in stands to reason a complete clean and lubrication would be advised.

That is a gorgeous watch by the way.