Guide to Mechanical Watch Faults After a Fall
When a mechanical watch takes a tumble, the consequences can be dire. Here’s a breakdown of potential faults, focusing on internal and external damages.
External Damages:
– **Scratches** and dents on the case
– **Misalignment** of the crown or **cracked crystals**
Internal Damages – The Fragile Heart:
– The **balance wheel** and **hair spring (Hairspring)** are especially susceptible to damage. The balance wheel, with its delicate axle about **0.10mm** thick, supports the entire mass of the wheel. Thankfully, modern watches are equipped with shock absorbers to protect the balance wheel axle from impact damage.
– The **hair spring**, a tiny spiral spring crucial for maintaining the balance wheel’s oscillation, is made from a complex nickel-based material. It’s the installation, adjustment, and shape of the hair spring that dictates a watch’s precision.
Common Issues Post-Impact:
– **”Hooking”** of the hair spring, where the spring’s inner coils catch on external posts or the regulator pin, causing the watch to stop or significantly gain time.
– **Deformation** of the hair spring, leading to an uneven or non-circular shape. This usually results in the watch stopping intermittently or gaining time dramatically, depending on the extent of the deformation.
– Modern watches, with their higher oscillation rates (typically **28,800** vibrations per hour), tend to experience hair spring deformation rather than hooking. The deformation often occurs horizontally, causing the hair spring to become concentric.
Diagnosis and Repair:
– If your watch has experienced a shock and now stops or gains time significantly, the hair spring likely has deformed. While other components might also be affected, the hair spring is often the primary victim.
– Repair involves careful realignment of the hair spring to ensure concentricity and even spacing of the coils. This precision adjustment is crucial for restoring accurate timekeeping.
Impact of Modern Watch Trends:
– With modern trends favoring larger watch diameters and heavier builds, especially in men’s watches approaching **40mm** and weights around **120 grams** with solid stainless steel bracelets, the potential for damage from falls increases. The additional mass can exacerbate the impact on the watch’s delicate internal mechanisms.
Conclusion:
Should your watch suffer from a fall, it’s essential to assess both the visible and the internal damages. Promptly addressing these issues with a professional can save your timepiece from lasting harm, ensuring it continues to keep time accurately for years to come.
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