We offer a full range of repairs in our fully equipped watch workshop – from part jobs like battery replacement through to full servicing of the vast majority of brands including Omega, Tag Heuer, Breitling and Rolex.
This job was an interesting one as it involved working on a Hanhart Pioneer Chronograph which was only a few months old. As our client had purchased the watch abroad, he wanted us to take care of the repair rather than ship the watch to another country and potentially lose his watch for a number of months. It arrived in the workshop completely stopped – extremely unusual for an almost new watch! Changing the position of the watch found it to start and stop depending on the position being tested.
On opening the case the movement was identified as a Sellita SW-510 – a mechanical chronograph movement based on the 7750 – a chronograph movement we regularly work on. The problem almost immediately presented itself, as with the watch dial down, it was working, albeit with a notable issue – the top balance jewel was moving around in the Incabloc shock protection setting.
Before the introduction of shock protection, one of the most common causes of a mechanical watch stopping was an impact or shock causing the balance to break. A watch balance generally has a large diameter and mass, but in order to keep friction to an absolute minimum it rotates on fine pivots. As such, were the watch to receive a knock, this combination of factors makes the balance prime for a broken pivot.
The Incabloc system is highly effective – it provides protection against shocks from all directions. It does this by allowing the chaton – in which the jewels sit (and the balance pivot rotates in the jewel hole) – to move, rather than the shock to be absorbed directly by the pivots.
We opened the lyre-shaped Incabloc spring and removed the jewel, checking Bloc for damage. With no damage noted, everything was reseated and the spring secured. The balance now was oscillating as it should, with no lateral movement of the jewels in the Bloc. Our conclusion is that the watch received a fairly substantial knock and the Incabloc system worked – protecting the balance though compromising the correct seating of the spring itself.
Note there are numerous other shock protection systems besides Incabloc, though they tend to operate based on a similar principle. Other major systems include Kif, Novodiac, Paraflex and Duofix.
After checking the rest of the movement and testing the watch on our timegrapher, we were happy to re-fit the case back and pressure test this fantastic Hanhart watch for water resistance. Now it goes “on test” to confirm our intervention has fully corrected the fault before return to our client.
Do you have a Hanhart watch in need of repair? Here at WE Clark Watch Repairs we are experts in the repair of all makes and models of watch – from vintage pocket watches through to modern big name brands like Tag Heuer, Omega and Rolex. We offer a fully insured freepost watch repairs service to clients all around the UK. As holders of a Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award and business partners of the British Horological Institute you can be confident in the service we provide.
Yours sincerely
David Clark DGA PJDip PJGemDip CertGA
Managing Director
W.E. Clark & Son Limited