Wholly Bridgeplate Batman!

October 24, 2005, 19:29

Tref Young

Can anyone tell me what the purpose of this hole might be on my pendant set 992? I see no such hole on any of my lever set 992s, and this is the first pendant set I have owned.

Thanks,

Tref

October 24, 2005, 20:16

Bruce Byrd

Tref,

Good question. I have a 974 that has the identical hole and have always wondered what it was for..

October 24, 2005, 20:39

Lindell V. Riddle

Tref and Bruce,

There should be the slotted head of a screw in that hole. At the other end a polished clevis that looks like a claw. When complete and in working order that becomes a pendant-set lockout for bench-winding during service. Pendant-set movements when removed from the case will not wind without the device I described, so this makes service far more convenient. Ironically this device is often left out during service by the very person it was designed to benefit.

If there is a hole but no slotted screw in it you'll both need one of these from a parts movement. The person who removes the part from the donor movement will probably be willing to install it in yours. In the image below you'll see the slot on the head of the screw on a 972 pendant-set movement. The glare you see is from the crystal, it's in a display case. By the way here is an explanation of the same arrangement for South-Bend pendant-set 16-size movements...

Click these words for "South Bend Model 219 16size Question"

Hope this is of help in getting you started.

Lindell

See the dark slotted lock-out screw between 5 and 3 below...

October 24, 2005, 20:44

Tref Young

Now that's what I call an answer! With visual aids to boot!

Thanks Lindell.

There we have it Bruce

Anybody out there have these for a 992 and/or a 974? If one size fits both you've got the makings for a ready-made auction....

Best regards,

Tref

October 24, 2005, 20:59

Jim Hanie

Tref,

That is a great question. If I had an extra screw (blue at that) on my movement I would be wondering too.

As Lindell explained, it is a service screw for servicing the watch. The screw has a hook on the bottom that will lock out the setting mechanism. This way the watch can only be wound and not set when servicing it.

This screw is also found on some lever sets and doesn't serve any purpose that I can see.

The 992B has a similar screw on the plate that holds the setting lever on the dial plate.

October 24, 2005, 21:17

Tref Young

Maybe the "same screw on some lever sets" could be an indication that they used a bridge plate that was intended for a pendant set and they just put the screw there to plug the hole.

Regards,

Tref