I took on a job for a friend to get her husband's Grandfather's Bunn Special working. It had a broken staff. After I got into it I saw it also had broken balance jewels (lower shattered, upper cracked). I replaced the staff and found jewels and replaced them but the pallet stones were both loose. In the process of my first attempt ever I managed to get one in backwards. The watch doesn't run with a backward jewel! Finally I took it back out, turned it around and the watch still didn't run. I was really bummed out. After trying all sorts of things I reheated the pallet fork on the warmer and repositioned the stones. IT WORKS! For a guy with all thumbs, no mechanical ability and little faith I am thrilled. I do not have a photo of the watch but it is a model 9 variety 6 like my watch, but this one has a very cool Montgomery, Gothic, Straight Illinois signature.
Posts: 3112 | Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon in the USA | Registered: October 13, 2007
Mike, way to go, it feels great when you get one all back together, especially when you're fussing with pallet or roller jewels, give it a couple winds and it starts to run. Gary
Posts: 1012 | Location: Western Pennsylvania in the USA | Registered: February 17, 2007
That is very cool. I wish I could do that. But I would probably burn my self catch my bench on fire and lose the pallet jewel and brake the pallet fork or the earth would stop rotating.
Posts: 131 | Location: Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas in the USA | Registered: May 11, 2013
Thanks guys. What makes this so special to me is that I worked on the watch for several weeks. Needed balance jewels, needed staff, mainspring, crystal, etc. When the thing wouldn't run I was very unhappy because I was doing it for someone else and it is a family heirloom. Sure wasn't an overnight success, but it was worth the effort for the satisfaction.
Posts: 3112 | Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon in the USA | Registered: October 13, 2007
Nice one, by the way does anyone know somewhere which can offer a good explanation of the technique, either on-line or a book, I'd like to look at learning myself but having trouble finding someone to show me here. Thanks, -Joe
Posts: 78 | Location: Nottingham in the United Kingdom | Registered: March 30, 2013
Joe, Henry Fried's book "The Watch Repairers Manual" has a whole chapter on replacing pallet jewels. Here is a link to a previous thread about the book.
