Disassembly of movement.
Suitable jewel in its brass bushing (chaton).
Turning the bushing down to size for the Gowland brothers top plate.
Further turning.
Initial light polishing.
Ready to be fit.
Milling out the retainer screw recesses.
First fit onto top plate.
Checking motion of gears.
Top balance pivot bent out, will need to turn new pivot.
Bottom pivot is dirty, and short.
Bottom of balance, impulse ruby placed at 45 degree angle, in relation to a non-free sprung balance.
Top of balance to record placement of hairspring.
Pushing the balance out of the wheel.
Balance staff and wheel. The top pivot of the old staff broken during extraction due to rust.
Measurements for the new balance staff.
Old balance staff with steel wire which will be turned.
Old top balance, broken and needing replacement.
Sizing the brass bushing (or chaton) of a new top balance jewel on a brass chuck, cemented by shellac.
Finished sizing and polishing of bushing.
Starting to turn a new balance staff.
Sizing the balance wheel seat.
Turning now hairspring seat.
Sizing hairspring collet onto the seat.
Fitted hairspring collet.
Checking again balance wheel sitting after further turning.
Upper balance staff.
Checking size of pivot.
Turning lower portion of balance staff.
Balance staff almost finished.
Balance staff parted, and now sizing the roller table.
Finished balance staff, pivots will be polished on Jacot tool.
Staff on the stake to take wheel.
Staking.
Staking continued. The balance was checked for trueness (not pictured here).
Initial check of balance on the movement.
Adding the roller table/impulse jewel.
Checking for clearance and contact with the roller table.
Testing with hairspring and gear train in place.
Cleaning of movement. Mainspring barrel and safety work.
Dried oil in the mainspring barrel.
Dried oil on mainplate. At least it keeps rust from forming....
Caked mainspring arbor.
The original screw on the ratchet wheel holding plate was badly mangled and didn't seat properly.
I chose to use vintage screws as they have the right threading, which I don't have access to with today's dies. Here the screw head is placed in the chuck to be given the correct shape.
This is how the back of the screw head is shaped.
The screw sits properly, however it has a 'flat' face which is incorrect for this watch, and it will be made 'bombe'.
Reducing the length of the the screw with a file, the screw is .65mm long with the head included.
End of screw is rounded and polished.
This is what the bottom of the ratchet wheel looks like with the screw in place.
Screw with correct shape installed.
The original screws I chose for the 4th wheel jewel were not holding very well, so I chose another set
They don't sit very well as the head is thicker, so the bushing needs to be adjusted.
I deepen the groove with a hand graver.
The jewel is returned and the action is checked.
The top of the bushing is polished on a zinc block.
The holder has to be perfectly flat so that it doesn't distor the jewel bushing.
Polishing the bushing.
The bushing polished.
