Here the watch is ready to be disassembled.
I will be taking apart the balance ensemble in order to measure the balance staff.
The balance staff with the wheel, hair spring, collet, and on the reverse the impulse jewel and roller.
This is the escapement, escape leer and escape wheel. I took this off now to check the motion of the gears for any possible problems.
It is important to record where the position of the impulse jewel and hair spring stud are in order to have the watch beating correctly.
The balance staff end jewels. You can see the crack in the bottom jewel.
Here the crack in the first jewel is more evident.
The end-cap jewel is fine, the break in the jewel occurred when the watch feel at some point in its past history. A new jewel will need to be sourced.
The balance staff. Not visible here, but the hairspring collet is not flush against the balance there is a space. This means the balance staff was previously repaired poorly (as the collet needs to sit on the balance wheel.
Another view of the balance staff top.
Another view.
Bottom of the balance staff. Not visible here, the balance seat is made of brass, meaning that it is not the original balance staff.
Balance hairspring and impulse jewel and roller disassembled.
The top pivot is the one that is broken, this is visible here as it is visibly shorter than the bottom pivot.
A view of the balance without the roller table from the bottom.
Instruments to measure the diameter of the balance staff pivots. The top is a 1880s gauge, the bottom from the 1960s.
Balance staff measurements in order to turn a new replacement by hand.
The balance staff is riveted to the wheel, a punch is used to extract it.
The poor quality of the replacement staff which is of two parts (instead of solid steel) is visible here, as the seat remained on the balance wheel.
The brass bushing.
The top of the brash bushing was already fragmented, and here it is marred by the punch when I removed the balance.
The balance staff is started. Here is a pivot caliper with the original measurements.
A raw piece of hardened and tempered steel is used.
Starting the balance wheel seat.
The hairspring collet seat was turned. And the bottom also.
Burneshing the top pivot to measure.
A view of the pivot in the burnishing tool.
Turning the bottom pivot before parting.
I've left the bottom pivot exaggerated in order to fine tune the end shake on the new balance staff.
Checking the diameter of the bottom pivot with a traditional 19th century pivot gauge.
Burnishing. While burnishing, I pushed slightly too hard on the long pivot and damaged it.
First balance was scrapped. This is not uncommon.
Moving to a second balance staff.
Creating the top pivot.
Moving to the bottom area where the roller jewel goes.
Rough balance staff finished.
Placing the balance on the staking tool, to rivet the balance on the staff.
Balance to be riveted.
Action completed, and balance and staff are wedded.
Checking the balance staff for correct, and true seating with a balance staff caliper.
Checking the balance seating on the movement.
The balance sits OK, but the original pivot must have been longer than expected as there is just .3mm of clearance.
I will create a new balance so that there is more clearance between the escapement bridge and balance wheel.
The tools as I work on the balance.
The new balance staff halfway done.
