We all like to have an accurate watch. One of the contributing factors to the accuracy of a watch is the number and quality of jewels used in it. The explanation for this is quite simple. The biggest constraint in the functioning of a watch is friction. If more friction builds up between the moving parts of a watch, then an extremely minute slowing down takes place. Although this dragging is almost imperceptible, over a period of time, it builds up into a few seconds or even minutes of difference.
Friction between moving parts can be greatly reduced by adding jeweled bearings to critical parts, thereby increasing the accuracy of the timepiece. This brings us to the second question — are sapphires Rubies emeralds better? Traditionally, mechanical watches often used natural gems to support the watch components in reducing and preventing friction. Over time, the friction caused without the jewels could offset the time by a few seconds or minutes, affecting precision timekeeping.
In light of this, the concept of jewel bearing was first introduced in At that time, watchmakers often used natural gems like diamond, sapphire, and ruby. In doing so, the cost of the watch also increased. Sourcing and processing of gems to fit into tiny watch components is no easy feat. Moreover, natural ruby, the most preferred gem, has impurities making them difficult to process as jewel bearing.
Combined with the fact that these gems are quite rare to get hands-on, paved the way for the creation of synthetic gems as a perfect substitute for natural gems in watches. Now, all modern watches and watch brands predominantly use synthetic gems to increase the efficiency of the watches without increase their cost. The synthetic jewels in themselves are not as valuable as the gems in your jewelry or accessories.
These synthetic gems, developed in a controlled environment, work as efficiently as natural gems without adding extra cost or value. Most commonly, brands now use synthetic ruby, given their hardness and resistance. Some watches also use synthetic sapphire or diamond as well. Typically, most mechanical watches come with a 17 jewel configuration.
With the advent of new technologies, automatic self-winding watches host either 21 or 25 jewels in them.
Automatic movements have more components and moving parts compared to traditional mechanical movements, warranting the use of more jewels. Besides, automatic watches are generally more prone to wear and tear. So keeping this in mind, watch manufacturers use more jewels in an automatic watch over a mechanical watch. Their use dates back to the start of the eighteenth century, in London, when the manufacturing skills were developed to fasten the jewels to the metal plate; and more importantly, how to drill a precise hole through the jewel, or into the jewel so that it is smooth and uniform.
If jewels are going to be used in watch movements to hold a pivot bearings and endstones , these were the two problems to surmount. Before gemstones the pivots ran directly into the plate. Friction was the main problem and this was solved at the time with a variety of oils with varying viscosity.
Accurate timekeeping required that at least the degree of friction be known; and that friction was consistent. But the more interesting part of the story has little to do with horology and everything to do with politics, subterfuge and human nature.
And the ultimate irony is that the widespread use of jewels was only guaranteed thanks to an effort to restrict their use. Clockmaking in London, at the beginning of the eighteenth century was recognised as a trade more akin to science than to metalworking; clockmakers were given their own company by Royal Charter, granted by King Charles 1, in Equally, London was a hive of scientific and industrial activity.
The necessity of profitable trade required a solution to the longitude problem. With increasing evidence in favour of the need for timekeeping to measure the distance from a given location on earth, there was a need to develop a clock or watch mechanism that was both accurate and consistent.
We all know it was Harrison who eventually cracked longitude, but before he set to work on his groundbreaking clocks, the basic problem of consistency needed to be addressed. Into the fervent world of real life problems and necessary solutions in mathematics walked a young mathematician from Switzerland, ironically enough: one Nicolas Fatio de Duillier. For those who may not recognise the name, de Duillier was the very close companion of one Sir Issac Newton.
He had fallen out of favour with Newton, however, and was looking for other means to make money. De Duillier proposed that jewels, with accurate and precisely drilled holes, could provide a means of holding pivots and allowing wheels to turn with less friction and more consistency.
Mounting the jewels was not the problem; it was the second problem that required a solution. To drill such small holes in gemstones required a diamond drill; in the s de Duillier had perfected a method for doing just that. Another good technical article,albeit at a basic level; perhaps a more detailed article on the Incabloc, Kif and Etachoc anti-shock systems with some of the more obscure systems included.
Nice article, thank you. Is that correct? Thank you for doing these articles. Part of the allure of watches in this digital age is that we have these fantastic mechanical machines on our wrists. There seems to be so little information on the Internet written in an approachable way about how they actually work, and I love learning more about their internal workings.
Thank you. Thank you all for your comments. Charles, absolutely, yet jewels help a great deal to improve the watch running performance. Dear Sirs; Where would I purchase jewels for a pocket watch. Please, help out with few suggestions as not to favor any one.
Kind regards Gestur. I dont know about you, but this is pretty neat to me! Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Good article keep em coming, thanks,Shrl. A very informative article. Thanks for doing this. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Hands-on The F. By Brice Goulard.
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