Rules and practice for adjusting watches

128 Pages·2009·3.6 MB·English

RULES AND PRACTICE
FOR
Adjusting Watches
BY
WALTER KLEINLEIN
J.
AUTHOR OF "THE WATCH ADJUSTER AND HIS WORK
Copyright, 1920, byWalterJ. Kleinlein
All rightsreserved
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DEC 13 1920
CI.AC01967
PREFACE
THE
early days of horology the apprentice
IN
wastaughtthe art of making acomplete watch.
Production wasslow,veryfew duplicatewatches
were constructed, and it was necessary that extra
material be made individually by hand in the
same way that the original partwas produced. As
time passed the value of the repairer was indicated
byhisabilitytomakenewpartsand toreplacethem
so that the watch would again be in running condi-
tion. This was the prevailing situation for many
years and the repairer was judged according to his
skill in making and finishing the various parts.
A similar method of judging ability is still in
force amongsome employers, although thedevelop-
ment of the industry into machine and specialized
work hasmademany changesin regard tothe most
important duties of the repairer.
It is no longer necessary for him to know how to
make a complete watch and only on occasional in-
stances is it necessary for him to make a part.
Genuine material for modern watches is supplied
by the manufacturer at less expense than it can be
produced by the individual and in this particular
branch of the work the repairer's requirements
have been very considerably curtailed.
A more exacting and a higher standard of time-
keeping has developed, however, and in this field
the requirements of the watchmakerhave increased
to the extent that it is no longer sufficient to merely
restore a good watch to running condition. It
must keep time. This development has grown
gradually and surely andthepast twenty-five years
may be assumed as the period of greatest advance.
It has been made possible by scientific and prac-
tical refinements which permit the adjustment of
watches so that they will keep time within closely
defined allowances under varying conditions.
The larger problem of the successful repairer of
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PREFACE
today, therefore, is that of understanding the
principles governing close time and of knowing how
and where to look for the causes of variation, so
that the higher standard of timekeeping may be
restored in case of damage since the original adjust-
ment.
It is naturally essential to know when material
is correct, how to make itfit inits properplace, and
how to make and finish some of the individual
parts. It is also commendable to be skilful in all
classes of lathe work, asthis at times gains prestige
for the workman through restoring old model
watches to running condition.
It is, however, a disadvantage to develop one's
ability in making partsfor watches of a bygone age
and neglecting the training thathappens to be most
essential and of daily advantage in repairing
modern watches so that they will keep time as con-
sistently after repairs have been made as they did
when new.
The object of this book is to present the essential
points of watch adjusting in an elementary and
non-technical way that will interest the average
watchmakerandtoenablehimtohaveaconvenient
source of information, covering the necessary re-
finements that are fundamental in repairing, regu-
lating and adjusting the better class of watches.
The author trusts that the experienced successful
watchmaker will read the book with interest and
also with profit and that the novice will be enabled
to foresee that there is something more to the art of
watchmaking and repairing than that of merely as-
sembling a watch and making it "tick."
It so happens that the author has had many
years of experience in both factories and repair
shops and that a considerable part of his duties
have been devoted to instruction.
Hehasforalongtimefelttheneed of a book that
would, aboveall else, be practical in its description
ofthe rulesthatanadjusterfollowsandwhichwould
prove its value in actual experience by being per-
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PREFACE
sonal as far as permissible in the same sense that
detailed shop instruction would be.
Since writing the article entitled "The Watch
Adjusterand HisWork" severalyearsagonumerous
inquiries have been received, for this class of in-
formation and the present book is an effort to meet
this demand in a manner that can be followed
without highly technical or theoretical education.
To promote advancement and interest in every-
day practical results is the foremost consideration,
and to this end definite means are presented for
personal development and for obtaining better re-
sults from high grade watches than can possibly be
obtained without a fair knowledge of the final de-
tails which go so far toward assuring close time.
WALTER KLEINLEIN,
J.
July 21, 1920 Waltham, Mass.
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