Movement Markings

[Sjk4x4]

The arm towards the bottom on this balance has three scratches in a row. I’ve seen this on multiple occasions on different movement parts.

any idea what they were for?

[ifibrin]

Sometimes people make marks on the bottom of the balance cock to increase end shake. Some people call them chicken tracks, or pig ears, and it is now considered very bad practice to increase end shakes by this method. This is normally done when a new balance staff that is too long has been installed, and rather than shortening the end pivots, the end shake was increased by making a small protrusion at the bottom of the balance cock.

today, if you are unable to increase end shake by moving the jewel setting on the main plate, or shortening the pivots in the balance staff in a lathe, the recommended way to increase end shake by a thin shim of aluminium foil…

[Sjk4x4]

22 minutes ago, ifibrin said:

Sometimes people make marks on the bottom of the balance cock to increase end shake. Some people call them chicken tracks, or pig ears, and it is now considered very bad practice to increase end shakes by this method. This is normally done when a new balance staff that is too long has been installed, and rather than shortening the end pivots, the end shake was increased by making a small protrusion at the bottom of the balance cock.

today, if you are unable to increase end shake by moving the jewel setting on the main plate, or shortening the pivots in the balance staff in a lathe, the recommended way to increase end shake by a thin shim of aluminium foil…

Ah, right. I see what you are referring to, the divots left by a punch. Yes, I have seen that in various forms as well and thank you for the info on the fix.

what about the three lines on the actual balance wheel, above the hairspring? 

[ifibrin]

Hmm… Someone might have removed material on the balance wheel by scratching it out? To poise the balance wheel perhaps? You would normally do it either the screws but…

[KarlvonKoln]

There seems to be quite a story behind this one.  Can you tell us what watch this is from?  The balance cock resembles those I see in a Hebdomas, but the balance wheel does not look like one of theirs. And some of the balance screws seem to have lost their heads (on purpose maybe, since they are opposite each other).

I do also think the punched indents were made to increase end shake.  There has been so much work done on this balance.  But I have not seen scratches like those before, so I cannot speculate. 

Edited October 21, 2021 by KarlvonKoln

[Marc]

I have seen similar marks on various watch parts in the past, some of which suggest that a watchmaker has cleaned parts from several different watches in the same basket at the same time and has marked the parts to show which parts belong to which watch. Either many of the parts from the same watch that I have been working on have the same mark (1, 2, or 3 lines, or a v) or the calibre has been scratched onto a part. I have even seen the marks duplicated on the case.

It is just speculation on my part that this is the rationale behind these marks, and if I'm correct then it has to be acknowleged as being a pretty poor practise if not out and out vandalism, but the marks always seem to me to have been made as part of a service procedure, they don't look like they were marked up during manufacture or assembly.

[nickelsilver]

I think marc is close, but it goes further back.

 

Here you frequently see old wooden boxes with 5 compartments, and several smaller compartments in those, which were used to hold movement kits that were being finished. The finisher would mark the parts to keep order among the 5. If you pay attention you'll see IV, or II, or V etc. on different compartments. Sometimes it's little dots. There was a lot of hand work on old Swiss stuff.

[Sjk4x4]

I HAVE seen other amounts of marks and also as a pattern of dots on different movements! I couldnt ever find a repeating pattern to figure out what was going on on my own. Thank you for the info and satisfying my curiosity on this one.

[Sjk4x4]

7 hours ago, KarlvonKoln said:

There seems to be quite a story behind this one.  Can you tell us what watch this is from?  The balance cock resembles those I see in a Hebdomas, but the balance wheel does not look like one of theirs. And some of the balance screws seem to have lost their heads (on purpose maybe, since they are opposite each other).

I do also think the punched indents were made to increase end shake.  There has been so much work done on this balance.  But I have not seen scratches like those before, so I cannot speculate. 

You are correct, Hebdomas. I dont know if its the original balance or not but as you mentkoned, it has had screw heads nipped off for poising. I had to repivot the top pivot so I dont need all of the clearance now. I think they even domed the bridge slightly. Its a pin movement so 1900-1910 era. It was shipped to me from back east and the shipper melted wax on the escape to secure it. I thought that was a pretty good idea.

[JohnR725]

14 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

The finisher would mark the parts to keep order among the 5. If you pay attention you'll see IV, or II, or V etc. on different compartments.

it's why if you look at an American pocket watch the serial number is visible on the back side. All the rest of the plates will have a partial serial numbers so all the parts will come back together if they get separated. typically the balance wheel has the serial number scribed on it.