Monday, May 22, 2017

Restoration: Part 4

Once the watchmaker is happy with the the cleaning process he starts the assembly of the movement.  First the front plate of the movement is positioned in a movement holder to support the assembly procedure and then he begins the assembly of the gear train, gear by gear.  Once the train is in place (in the front plate), he positions and aligns the back plate and then he checks the freedom of movement of the gear train by apply a small force with his tweezers to the main wheel.  If the train moves freely he can proceed to the next step of installing the mainspring and its barrel. The mainspring is first inspected for wear and loss of strength and, if found wanting, is replaced with a new original specification spring. The spring is then lubricated over its entire length and installed in the barrel bottom. Now the mainspring arbor is installed with attention to the proper positioning of the hook and engagement of the arbor. Then the barrel lid is positioned and closed tight.  The mainspring, in its barrel, is now ready for installation into the movement.  Once the barrel has been installed the watch maker's attention is on the assembly and proper adjustment of the escapement. Then the entire movement is properly oiled and wound.

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