Obscure forces that adversely affect good timekeeping.

[Webwatchmaker]

In the late 1960's I attended a lecture at the Watchmaking School in Blanchardstown near Dublin. It was shortly after the Apollo moon landing and I had only been in the watch trade a few months.
The subject of the lecture was influences which adversely affect consistently accurate timekeeping in mechanical wristwatches.
The lecture threw up some unusual facts and even more bizarre questions from the audience.
At that time the Swiss mechanical watch was being scientifically examined for ways to improve its accuracy.
A film accompanied the lecture and I wonder if any forum members have ever seen it or know what happened to it.
All kinds of effects were investigated, including wind turbulence created as the balance oscillates, the change of rate in a vacuum, the roundness of wheels, pivots and jewel holes, the weight of hands and the breathing effect of a wristwatch as the movement, case and glass expand and contract with changes in temperature.
Lubricants and the shape of the balance spring were examined too. Also the consistency of mainspring pressure, positional errors... Even discussed was the possibility of magnetism and other forces induced by those who believe they can stop and start watches with their will.
This lecture was absolutely fascinating and drew me entirely into watchmaking as it did several others youngsters at the time.
Do any other forum members know or remember any details of these old investigations ?

Brendan

[flareslove]

In the late 1960's I attended a lecture at the Watchmaking School in Blanchardstown near Dublin. It was shortly after the Apollo moon landing and I had only been in the watch trade a few months.
The subject of the lecture was influences which adversely affect consistently accurate timekeeping in mechanical wristwatches.
The lecture threw up some unusual facts and even more bizarre questions from the audience.
At that time the Swiss mechanical watch was being scientifically examined for ways to improve its accuracy.
A film accompanied the lecture and I wonder if any forum members have ever seen it or know what happened to it.
All kinds of effects were investigated, including wind turbulence created as the balance oscillates, the change of rate in a vacuum, the roundness of wheels, pivots and jewel holes, the weight of hands and the breathing effect of a wristwatch as the movement, case and glass expand and contract with changes in temperature.
Lubricants and the shape of the balance spring were examined too. Also the consistency of mainspring pressure, positional errors... Even discussed was the possibility of magnetism and other forces induced by those who believe they can stop and start watches with their will.
This lecture was absolutely fascinating and drew me entirely into watchmaking as it did several others youngsters at the time.
Do any other forum members know or remember any details of these old investigations ?

Brendan

you might find this article interesting, concerning balance springs and Temperature effects in watches back in the 1600's

http://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/te...ureeffects.php

[Webwatchmaker]

you might find this article interesting, concerning balance springs and Temperature effects in watches back in the 1600's

http://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/te...ureeffects.php

Fascinating. The fusee, Youngs Modulus regarding low expansion alloys, non magnetic hairsprings....
how innovation we now take for granted has brought us to today's amazing movements.

Brendan

[RustyBin5]

you might find this article interesting, concerning balance springs and Temperature effects in watches back in the 1600's

http://www.vintagewatchstraps.com/te...ureeffects.php

Is that not why they introduced bimetallic mainsprings to reduce the variance through expansion of the metal when hot?


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[Carlton-Browne]

In the late 1960's I attended a lecture at the Watchmaking School in Blanchardstown near Dublin.

Brendan, I'm fascinated that there was a Watchmaking School in Blanchardstown; my father is from there and I went to school very nearby. Where exactly was it; I can't begin to picture where it might have been in the village? I don't imagine it was in Dunsink.

[Webwatchmaker]

Amazing !
My parents were from there too.
They had a house in Herbert Rd.
The school was next to the hospital.
My family ran the Anglers Rest in Glenmaroon. Wish I had it now !

Brendan

[Carlton-Browne]

I had a schoolfriend who lived on Mill Road which is where the watchmaking school must have been. Funnily enough his family owned Dwyer's pub on the corner.

[Webwatchmaker]

It was straight down the pub after the school. A couple of lads opened shops. One guy John Madden still has his at the Peoples Park end of Dun Laoghaire.

Brendan

[Bob Mc]

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[walkerwek1958]

Is that not why they introduced bimetallic mainsprings to reduce the variance through expansion of the metal when hot?


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Never heard of bimetallic springs, but balance whels were made with a bimetallic split rim in the distant past. As the temperature changed the balance differential expansion of the two metals prevented the balance wheel becoming fractionally larger or smaller, thuus maintaining the effective mass over a wider temperature range.

I think that's correct, if not I`m sure Brendan will be able to correct me

With the metals used since the 1950s the effect of temperature upon rate has been minimised to a point where it's barely significant.....but that wasn`t always the case.

Paul

[Webwatchmaker]

Never heard of bimetallic springs, but balance whels were made with a bimetallic split rim in the distant past. As the temperature changed the balance differential expansion of the two metals prevented the balance wheel becoming fractionally larger or smaller, thuus maintaining the effective mass over a wider temperature range.

I think that's correct, if not I`m sure Brendan will be able to correct me

With the metals used since the 1950s the effect of temperature upon rate has been minimised to a point where it's barely significant.....but that wasn`t always the case.

Paul

I guess Rustybin5 meant balance wheels. The springs and wheels are now made of metal alloy which is both non magnetic and has a very low coefficient of expansion.
American inventions I believe.

Brendan

[Carlton-Browne]

It was straight down the pub after the school. A couple of lads opened shops. One guy John Madden still has his at the Peoples Park end of Dun Laoghaire.

Brendan

I mentioned the School to my father over the break and he couldn't remember anything but we had a hospital visit to his eldest brother who remembers a Peter McMahon being a leading light at the school - does that name ring a bell, Brendan?

[Webwatchmaker]

I mentioned the School to my father over the break and he couldn't remember anything but we had a hospital visit to his eldest brother who remembers a Peter McMahon being a leading light at the school - does that name ring a bell, Brendan?

I seem to remember Paddy Mc Mahon not Peter. But it was 50 years ago !
There was Derek and Sean and a German girl but that's all the names I recall.

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[Carlton-Browne]

I seem to remember Paddy Mc Mahon not Peter. But it was 50 years ago !
There was Derek and Sean and a German girl but that's all the names I recall.

Given the 50 years I'd say there's a good chance that Paddy and Peter McMahon are the same person. I must ask if anybody remembers the German girl - I can imagine her being a bit of a local celebrity at the time (as long as she was good looking).