Automatic movements and G overload

[kravaff]

I'm wondering how high G overloads affect automatic movements. Could it affect oscillations and the hairspring?

Thanks for your insights!

[kravaff]

I meant g-force of course.

[slickdick]

Sure it will affect the balance. Depending on the position your watch will run either fast or slow.

Hence the smart heads came up with something to level this out, its called the Tourbillon.

Gravity has a direct effect on the most delicate parts of the escapement, namely pallet fork, balance wheel and hairspring. Most notably the hairspring, which functions as a regulator for the escapement and is thus the most sensitive part to any exterior effects, such as magnetism, shocks, temperature, and inner effects such as pinning positions (inner collet), terminal curve and heavy points on the balance wheel.

More

Does it live its promise? in short: No. If you want acuracy atomic sync'ed 3 usd quartz performes best. Unfortunalty a quartz movement has no soul.

[Nanuq]

From personal experience, I know this:

Rough use of a gen 1030 movement can get a loop of the hairspring over a curb pin and make it run CRAZY fast. You fix it by smacking the watch hard into your open palm, face down.

Rough use of an ETA movement in a rep Sea Dweller (an hour of slap shots in hockey practice) will rotate the minutes hand anticlockwise on the cannon pinion by 90 degrees. Other than that, so damage. I shoot left handed so if you shoot right, it may rotate the minutes hand clockwise 90 degrees. Dunno.

Other than that the only effects/damage I've seen with automatic movements is the rotor coming in contact with the plates and grinding off the shiny plating. I've never had a staff break, or a rotor shaft, or anything.

I DID have a staff break on a vintage V72c chrono, but the one that broke wasn't anti-shock protected.

[FxrAndy]

I found that chopping wood can cause a unitas to overbank, golf is supposed to be not great for mecanical movements but it is a stuupid game any way

[kravaff]

I guess I will have to test it. Im concerned about a high vertical G for a short period of time. Say 5+

[Nanuq]

I guess I will have to test it. Im concerned about a high vertical G for a short period of time. Say 5+

You're probably okay. I don't know how many Gs this was, but it was a 2-story drop onto concrete and the watch kept running.

[Ronin]

Ball and Doxa watches with their ETA based movements are rated OVER 5000 G's...

I know many people who play Tennis, Racketball with Rolex's without issue.

I have done ADV Motorcycle riding and off road dirt-bike rides with Seiko, Sector, and Vostok without incident. I have also Mountain Biked with numerous 21J and ETA REPS.

[upland]

Then you should get this one ,while ago on Bay about 100 bucks

http://www.strizhi.ru/2003/media/achs1++.gif

BTW it Is pilots forum and you can download nice screensaver of this famous clock (pure automatic and can survive more than 5G)

http://www.strizhi.ru/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1049441681

Edited June 24, 2011 by upland

[kravaff]

BTW it Is pilots forum and you can download nice screensaver of this famous watches ( pure automatic and can survive more than 5G)

Too bad I cant take it flying

As for tennis i was thinking something more in the direction of

Time will show. Ill do some experiments and post results. I saw pilots around the forum before and was hooping someone tried this out before.

[Nanuq]

I have done ADV Motorcycle riding and off road dirt-bike rides with Seiko, Sector, and Vostok without incident. I have also Mountain Biked with numerous 21J and ETA REPS.

Roger that! The only downside I've found is that a big, heavy Sea Dweller will beat your wrist to death offroad on a mtn bike.

[frankt]

Back in '65 I took a ride in the back seat of an F4 wearing my Rolex Ex1....It was an orientation run to familiarize me with the environment aboard the aircraft that I was "CAP assisting" from the carrier I was a radar man aboard off the coast on "Nam"...

The pilot was a buddy of mine, and he decided to really bust my cahones by really "wringing it out"....I'm not sure how many G's a Mach 2+ aircraft can generate when really pushed and gyrated, but my Rolex survived the ordeal way better than my stomach!!

I later found out that the "driver" had a bet with his squadron mates that I'd puke all over the flight deck as soon as I deplaned.....He won!!

But my trusty Rolex emulated a Timex!!..(took a lickin and kept on tickin)!! ;)

Edited June 26, 2011 by frankt