JEWEL BEARINGS!

 WEEK 86

Willy, Yuriy, Alex, Michael

Origin : Singapore, Canada, Taiwan, Malaysia 

Age: n. a.

Watchmaking class: Technician & Fullskill 

Current mood: Current emoji: Day by day, task intricacy increases. This week we had most fancy and complex topic by far: gear train and bushing. All sample movements, we have to work on, must be assessed for condition of gear distribution and end shake aspects. All possible malfunctions (broken or incorrectly installed  jewels) replaced or fixed. End shake of all train elements should be set in right progression up to nominal. It took great amount efforts and time of each student. Although it was very satisfying, when in end of the week you can feel a right 0.01mm end shake by hands without microscope!

We are ready for exam. Aren't we? :o)

Pierre Aubert

Origin :Toulouse, France.

Age : 24

Watchmaking class: Fullskill

Current mood: It was time to put my cutters to the test! I made a test piece before I milled on the actual piece. I wanted to see how well they were cutting and measure the potential flex in order to gauge the real travel I’d have to make on the real piece. I have to say I didn’t want to make a mistake on the real barrel bridge as it is the most time consuming bridge to make!

And I am happy to say that machining the recesses went very smoothly! It cut like butter. I then put the winding and setting mechanism in the watch and tested it with the barrel bridge on. It worked like a charm :) No more energy, it’s the end of the week. Time to rest. Have a good weekend everyone! See you next week!

Name: Markus McDonald.
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden. 
Course: 2 years full skill course.
Current mode: This week I continued to tackle the hairspring module continuing with the assembling and adjusting and finishing with the poising of the balance. 

Out of the steps so far I have found the poising the most complicated so far as in theory it doesn’t vary much from wheel flattening however what makes it challenging is how it is far more abstract as the poising is incredibly required much more analysis but as in everything it is highly doable.

In conclusion the module is coming along well and with everything it is super rewarding.

STEP 1: JEWELS! (TECHNICIAN COURSE)

Different types of antique natural and synthetic functional jewel bearings.

Horia and Seitz jeweling tools with various pushers and anvils, the more the merrier! 

STEP 2: STATIC POISING OF THE BALANCE! (MARKUS)

Markus practicing static poising of a balance.

STEP 3: TEA CEREMONY! (MICHAEL)

Michael preparing his tea at break time.

Looking delicious!

STEP 4: MILLING! (PIERRE)

Pierre milling the sliding and winding pinion recesses to the barrel bridge with his own made cutters!

HENRIK's WORDS:

This week switched to a bit slower pace, probably due to the new subjects requiring more thinking, the technician course students learn about jewel bearings in movements and the importance of having clearance, good division and correct end-shake and side-shake for small and thin movements up to pocket watch size, obviously they also had to learn how to correctly use jeweling tools to be able to correct the faults. Markus also learn something new and exciting, the static posing of the balance. Pierre could use the cutters he made last week which was nice to see. All in all, a very pleasant week. Have a great weekend everyone!