Hi all, I've stripped, cleaned, oiled and reassembled a 19j Elgin grade 455 16s open face pocket watch but it's not running too well. Has a new mainspring.

Beat is a bit off, but the timing is all over the place, like +30sec/day for a while and then -300sec/day for a little while, then back again. Amplitude is not great at about 140 deg, but it's a bit up and down too.

I'll be stripping it again but I thought I would post a link to the strange noises it is making so maybe someone can give me a pointer as what to look for. Pretty distinctive racket going on so I'm hoping someone may be able to pinpoint the issue.

Anyway, here's a link to a recording I've made:

https://docs.google.com/file/d...MTQ/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Peter

I'm an amateur at this, but I suggest checking the balance hole jewels. I've heard that kind of racket from the roller jewel hitting the pallet fork.

Can't see your graph, it does not show on your link. Does it look like a snow storm?
I had a unit do that to me and it was a loose pallet stone. I fixed that and it was much better but still kind of snowy. Re inspection and replacement of the upper bal jewel fixed it all up to a nice straight line. I didn't notice it at first as the jewel was not cracked or broken, it was just too large a hole allowing wobble in the staff,

Thanks for the replies gents.

I'll definitely be checking the side shake on the balance - I assume this will pick up if the clearance is too large.

Douglas, did you mean the fork hitting the roller table?

Patrick, not a snow storm so much as a roller coaster. Trace is OK for a while with a beat error of 1.5ms and losing 30s/d, and then just dives to losing 300s/d. Then back to 30s/d...

I'll try and do a video a bit later and add a link.

Regards

Peter

Actually, no, I meant that the roller jewel hits the back of the pallet fork due to the excessive wobble. Obviously, I can't prove it, it's just what I imagine is happening when I hear that "knocking" sound.

Hi Douglas, makes sense.

I too am not too experienced, and not yet able to diagnose by ear. So much going on inside a movement, hard enough to know what the sounds are when all is going well!

Regards

Peter in Oz

As a post script to this I pulled down the balance assembly and had a close look at the lever, balance and hairspring.

To me it looked like the hairspring stud wasn't vertical any more, meaning I had to raise it in the cock to stop the hairspring from rubbing. This meant that although the spring no longer rubbed that it wasn't flat. This may have caused the noise as the balance may have been moving up and down instead of just around and around.

So, uprighted the stud and polished the inside of the curb pins and it's going pretty well now - still slows down 20sec over 24 hours but better than 300...

I think the stud may have got out of whack when the balance was removed from the movement, not sure if by me. Seemed like the spring stud pinning may have moved.

I seem to be having a lot of hairspring issues lately - but getting better at fixing them, fingers crossed.

Anyway, all good now.

Regards

Peter