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Hermle clock problems with chime train


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Hi. The modern day clocks are built from different levels of brass and steel in order to cut costs and increase the profit margin , I have said before  the buying public are wowed by the look of it  aka fashion watches selling at 100 s of pounds all swish and nice powered by a Hattori plastic movement costing a few quid at most. Modern clocks are no better. You could put the best movement possible in a crappy case and it wouldn’t sell well.  Unfortunately it is the modern way, don’t like it but we have to accept it .

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18 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I think I am going to hit it with a little heat unless someone objects

Try manually running a narrow strip of thin paper or aluminium foil though between the wheel and the vane pinion & see how deep and sharp the impression is?

How sharp (or not) it corrugates the strip should hopefully allow the actual meshing depth to be seen?

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Which model Hermle movement is it?  I've just grabbed some pics below from a couple of 340/341 movements I had lying around.  The strike side fly pinion is distinctly different from the chime side.  Can't say I've noticed before, as I think the shape of the fly blades prevents them from being interchangeable.

Please ignore the filthy pinions, these are spare movements that I havent touched yet :-).  

The first two pics are strike-side flys with a shorter, stubbier pinion. The second two are the chime flys, with longer, slender pinions. 

WhatsAppImage2025-03-24at09_53.28_c4c7646e.thumb.jpg.5e6f031ccc69ad61b5829040664f7070.jpgWhatsAppImage2025-03-24at09_53.29_560e1ac7.thumb.jpg.bcbf4c7faaea27e46b556635e2a96743.jpgWhatsAppImage2025-03-24at09_53.29_e59737b8.thumb.jpg.228761bdd1a7728783ba85fac59c608d.jpgWhatsAppImage2025-03-24at09_53.29_ad0f2bf4.thumb.jpg.1d6f32b467d2749f3b1b5054a2d909d3.jpg

14 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Back in my other shop with all the parts of this clock. Look at the difference in the chime and strike pinions.opinions.

Manufacturing flaw??

20250323_145806.jpg

So this picture from @LittleWatchShop shows the chime fly fitted to the plates, and the strike-pinion loose for comparison.  They look the same as the movements I have, with the exception that the teeth on this fly pinion don't look finished all the way to the end.  Not that it would affect the running of the clock as the wheel meshes at a point where the teeth look good.

Edited by MikeEll
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2 hours ago, Dell said:

If you look the pin wheel & fly pinion are different from chime side  to strike side have you got them mixed up ?

Dell

IMG_3560.thumb.jpeg.42bb8f76ffb454163a84859c95b3a2a0.jpeg

Good point Dell that is why always use tubs to keep the parts separate. 

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Here is a closeup of the chime fly pinion. Notice the shape of the pinion left to right. Starting on the left with a larger outside diameter and then growing smaller as you move to the right.

If the pinion were consistent the left diameter, it would probably work.

I do not know which model this is because it is branded Seth Thomas on the plate.

20250324_103000.jpg

20250324_103431.jpg

6 hours ago, Dell said:

If you look the pin wheel & fly pinion are different from chime side  to strike side have you got them mixed up ?

Dell

IMG_3560.thumb.jpeg.42bb8f76ffb454163a84859c95b3a2a0.jpeg

I will check.

6 hours ago, Dell said:

If you look the pin wheel & fly pinion are different from chime side  to strike side have you got them mixed up ?

Dell

IMG_3560.thumb.jpeg.42bb8f76ffb454163a84859c95b3a2a0.jpeg

I will check.

Dell wins the day!

When I disassembled the clock, I intentionally kept the chime and strike side separate as I always do. I must have screwed up along the way and the warning wheels got switched.

The problem was compounded by me taking only part of the clock with me to my other location, limiting my ability to make comparisons.

At any rate, it is a screwup, no way to sugar coat it.

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1 hour ago, LittleWatchShop said:

 

20250324_103000.jpg

 

The pivot mounting lug looks well chewed up in this picture.  I suspect the pivot hole isn't at the correct position for the gears to engage properly, and needs to be reset to the correct depth with a depthing tool/manual adjustment.  From my pics above, this looks like a chime fly pinion and looks to be in the correct position (strike or chime) in your earlier comparison pic.  

@LittleWatchShop can you share a picture showing the full rear of the movement, please?

Edited by MikeEll
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