Month: July 2021

We cater for a huge variety of different watches in our workshop – from modern watches through to vintage pieces upwards of 100 years old. While these watches may look very different, they share many things in common, including having a spring – the mainspring – as a source of power. In this blog post we will briefly discuss the mainspring, how it works and the different types we commonly find in watches.

The mainspring itself is a thin strip of metal curled into a spiral. It’s held inside a part called the barrel. The inner part of the spring hooks onto the barrel arbor, around which the barrel is able to rotate. The outer part of the spring hooks onto the wall of the barrel. Watches with what is known as a “going barrel”, have barrels with teeth on the outside. This engages with the pinion of the centre wheel to power the watch movement.

Vintage watches may have mainsprings made from carbon steel. These springs generally need replacing as the carbon steel is prone to breaking and often found to be “set” – this is when it in effect loses its spring. Modern watch mainsprings are made from an alloy, so these are much hardier. It’s absolutely critical to have a mainspring in excellent condition if you want good results when servicing a watch. Each mainspring needs to be removed from the barrel and checked for breakages, shape and flatness. We do tend to replace mainsprings, just so we can be 100% certain that the source of power is in perfect condition.

There are a number of different types of mainsprings. The variations may include different types of fitting. For example some mainsprings hook onto the wall of the barrel, others are shaped so a section will fit into slots in the top and bottom of the barrel. There are also differences between manual wind and automatic mainsprings. A manual wind mainspring can be wound up but once it reaches a point it will stop. On the other hand, automatic mainsprings are designed to slip around the inside of the barrel once they reach a certain point of winding. This is necessary because the watch is constantly being wound via an automatic winding mechanism as it is worn.

There are a huge variety of types of mainsprings, and within the different categories there are of course many different size measurements. Mainsprings are measured by their height, length and thickness, as well as the type/size/calibre of watch they’re designed for. In the vast majority of cases, we are able to find the correct mainspring through simply knowing the movement calibre, though with older watches and pocket watches, we often still need to measure the spring.

Do you have a watch in need of repair? We are able to repair almost any type and brand of watch. From vintage manual-wind Rotary and Omega, through to modern automatic Rolex and Tag Heuer, we are able to help. If you have a watch in need of repair – do not hesitate to contact us. We offer a fully insured, freepost repairs service to clients all around the UK and our Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award is testament to the excellent service we provide to our clients.

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director

Sometimes watches we work on undergo rather dramatic transformations. One instance where this tends to occur is when dealing with water damage. Water damage occurs when, as the name would suggest, water enters the watch. Sensitive watch movements do not get on well with any moisture – this is one of the reasons why it’s important to have your watch regularly checked for water resistance. Water resistance is not a permanent characteristic. Watches rely on a series of seals and for the case to be in excellent condition. Even the smallest breach or a build-up of dirt can compromise the water resistance.

In this instance we received a rather sad looking Tag Heuer Formula 1. Water had entered the case staining the hands, inside of the glass and damaging the movement. We started by disassembling the watch, removing the movement, dial and hands before fully stripping down the case.

On inspection of the movement, it was damaged and as this model uses a non-serviceable movement made by ETA – one of the big names in watch movement production – a complete movement replacement was necessary. To deal with the damaged hands we ordered a complete new set. We have a parts account with Tag Heuer, so we are able to source almost any part we need to repair Tag Heuer watches.

All case parts were ultrasonically cleaned and the glass was carefully cleaned by hand to remove the staining. The case was then reassembled using a complete set of brand-new seals. The dial was also carefully cleaned as best possible.

Now we simply assemble everything. The dial is fitted to the new movement, before the new set of hands are fitted. When fitting the hands, we use a hand press tool made by Horotec. These tools are a great way to ensure the hands are fitted completely parallel with the dial (and each other), and that the spacing is appropriate and uniform. After these are fitted, we fit this back into the case.

Finally, the complete watch is pressure tested to ensure it passes to the full 200m water resistance using our Sigma SM-8850 pressure testing machine. This is able to test watches rated up to 300m water resistant. It tests using air pressure, so it is connected to a compressor which in turn is fitted with a booster as it requires plenty of pressure to reach 100m+. By using air pressure, we are able to test the watch complete, so with or without the movement inside.

Do you have a Tag Heuer watch in need of repair? Get in contact with us to see how we can help. We are able to repair almost any Tag Heuer watch and with our Tag Heuer parts access we offer a comprehensive service. We cater to clients all around the UK thanks to our fully insured freepost watch repairs service. As a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award accredited business, you can be confident when dealing with us.

We look forward to hearing from you soon

Yours sincerely

David Clark PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director