Tim

Ah, so it is. Good. Hard to read a photo on a phone sometimes.

I can help you early next year. I'm between things right now and won't be able to set up my bench again till after the New Year.

Well the Eterna original movement pattern has been replicated with all sorts of variation. But I took the OP at his word and assumed a 2824 with 28.8K bph. The major functional variations always had (that I know of at least) different movement numbers. Just seems like a goofy goal in one's quest! Everyone usually turns their noses up at the Chinese 21's in favor of something with 28 in the magic numbers. Here is a mod that will give you what everyone pans! If bph is an important aspect for someone seeking an accurate rep, why didn't they start with a Chinese 21? With a little extra work they can be just as durable as a 2824 and much more accurate than this mod.

Like I said a small flat spot at the tip does wonders. This is something every watchmaker does when getting new dip oilers. Like a grain of wheat with the pointy end removed. File it a little, dip it, and then watch how the oil drop forms. If you feel like fiddling around a bit before committing your actual oilers, get a paper clip and some needle files and experiment. Playing around like this is helpful because you also develop a feel for how the oil acts and flows.

I just have one question fraggle42. Has Simon ever named his cat? You're quite right! Unless you're well practiced, slow and steady is the best approach for touching up your case metal.

I can help you with your service early next year. I'm between things right now and need to set up my bench again.

Scotchbrite pad is a better solution than steel wool or sandpaper. Or use a fiberglass pen. A fiberglass pen is more accurate and you can easily work on a single link with one. Steel wool is usually carbon steel and you generally don't wnat to embed carbon steel particles into stainless steel. Sand paper will leave grit that can hasten the demise of your bracelet.

Adjusting bph with a new balance wheel. Hummmm. I haven't been keeping up with mods that much but has this mod been checked out? You generally have to vibrate a hairspring to the correct bph matched to the balance wheel. Without vibrating the hairspring +/- "something wild" is about as good as you are going to get. It sounds like a hack job mod that I can't quite figure out why you'd want to do it??? You can attempt to approximate vibrating a hairspring with a timing machine, but results from a timing machine are averaged and not nearly sensitive enough to give an accurate solution. The only proper way to do it is with a Luthy tool and it is considered an archaic art that is rarely done today.

The purple one adjusts your beat and you can only get the right setting for it with a timing machine.

I can help you early next year if you can wait that long. I'm in the middle of things right now and need to get my shop setup again.

What kind of metal flaws are you trying to remove? A high power machine is generally a bad idea unless you are very skilled. You can remove all of the routine metal flaws with a rotary tool and sanding disks at VERY low speed. The trick is to remove as little metal as necessary as slowly as possible.

Once you get the autowinder off and are at the mainplate, it's best to start at the balance wheel and remove the entire escapement first before getting to the train of wheels. Don't start with the barrel bridge. That way if you forget to relieve the mainspring all you get is a run away gear train but no damage done. For your flat click spring and keyless works spring, the plastic bag trick works but is cumbersome. Learn to pin the apex of the flat springs with a piece of peg wood and that is usually all you need do either putting it in or taking it out. Modify your oilers by filing the very tip just a touch flat so that the oil drop forms on the tip as opposed to the side. Too much oil will spread and foul your pinions, creeping down the staff eventually causing a variety of problems. And of course never oil the pallet, just the front of the pallet jewels. But that will take practice.

There are a couple caveats in cleaning your hairspring. You can use a water based process but you need to never let it air dry. Your pivots will rust. If you use something solvent based you must ensure that it is shellac friendly when dealing with a balance complete. Your roller jewel is attached with shellac. Naphta is good as is xylene. Alcohol is a definite no-no. I think acetone will dissolve the shellac as well. One Dip or carbon tetrachloride is best. Blot the extra solution off with watch paper or cigarette paper (non-glued) or with watchmaker sawdust which is very cheap.

White vinigar actually works well. And you don't need to wait a week. Overnight will usually do the trick. Though check it after a few hours and it may be loose enough that you can back the stub out with tweezers. Do this frequently with bridges. If your crown is also steel you got problems though. They do make watchmaker screwdrivers that can be used to back out a broken screw. A frequent repair on vintage watches are dial feet screws which always seem to get stripped by sloppy servicing.

You were told right. Look at your pivots on the balance wheel. Usually the one under the balance bridge gets crunched. Quick test is to check end shake on the balance wheel. It should be barely perceptible on the order of microns of movement. If your balance wheel is sloppy loose you have a broken pivot and need a new staff. Not an easy job to replace even with the proper tools. And by the way Admin: Balance C o c k is not a profane word!!! <g>