What Factors Will Affect The Timing Precision of Mechanical Watches

Mechanical precision of the watch travel time by many factors, in general , primarily the following eight factors:


1, external influences

Is the impact from various external clock , depending on clock work environment. Often used measures are: shock design , waterproof design, magnetically shielded design, additional protection shell. Precision navigation is often used on the bell joint, so that navigation can be maintained in the clock in the rough level .

2, Friction

Friction usually have both positive and negative effects , it has the positive side , such as the points of friction wheel , automatic watch springs and friction between the article box , screw locking , etc.; the other hand, the friction will lead to lower transmission efficiency And wear parts , thus affecting the timing . Common solution: to improve lubrication conditions , according to different requirements , use of different lubricants ; with stones bearing or gasket ; improvement of the tooth surface conditions, including the use of scientific and increase the conjugate tooth surface finish , etc. , but in general Tooth surface without lubrication (in this case, the lubricant viscosity may be higher than the resistance generated by friction ) .

3, speed needle

Speed when the needle is an easy- economic structure of school , but the theory and practice has proved that it will affect the system , etc. , which also may have potential difference , the relatively large random timing error , can not compensate for or offset . Solution are: minimizing the distance between internal and external speed needle ; but the best way is to not speed needle , by adjusting the balance wheel 's inertia to adjust the speed , such as Rolex 's Mircro stella -conditioning system .

4 , escapement

Escapement body of an energy transfer process mainly on balance wheel hairspring system impact Bailun springs system Zhi Youzai free vibration situation, Caineng Weichiguding oscillation frequency , Xianran , capture vertical organization will affect the energy transfer Oscillation frequency . Theory that the process of close to balance transfer balance , this effect will be reduced . Solutions are: using precise escapement , such as claw -type escapement , the energy transfer process which occurs at the equilibrium point , the angle of impulse transmission is very small , impact is small, but it 's a one-way transmission impulse to Balance spring system has more freedom to shocks space ( on this point , the relative error can be reduced by half !) . Of course, the Swiss lever escapement with style and good technique , easy to adjust the merit of the mainstream of the international mechanical watch escapement , but the design should minimize the angle impulse transmission . Swiss Omega company reduce the escapement on the basis of time , introduced the coaxial escapement , this is the invention of the United Kingdom , Dr. George Daniel , but the principle point of view, it is leveraged escapement and claws Mixture of type escapement .

5, temperature

The major impact of temperature in two ways : First , temperature changes will work gossamer length , while changing the inertia wheel pendulum can directly affect the timing accuracy; Secondly, the temperature change will affect the oil 's viscosity, affect the transmission efficiency Thus affecting the timing . This can take the following approach : using open bi-metallic balance wheel hairspring temperature compensation system ; the use of special alloy materials and the balance hairspring so that the temperature in the work area (8 ° -38 °) have a certain temperature compensation ; use mobile speed Needle temperature compensation . Standard lubricants , for extreme temperature conditions , such as Omega 's moon watch , with no lubrication or solid lubricant .

6, magnetic field

The most influential gossamer magnetic field can change the modulus of elasticity, also gossamer effect of the magnetic field deformation , resulting in additional stress , serious , the magnetic field can lead to gossamer adhesions , serious impact on travel time . The solution is : The anti-magnetic materials .

7, gossamer balance

General swing box springs , its center of gravity with the balance wheel swing angle change, the force of gravity , it will produce position error . The solution is : The Breguet hairspring , central contraction, the focus does not change with the tilt angle ; the end of the curve by Philip cylindrical hairspring and use of upper and lower symmetry ; using linear springs ; history that someone has used ball springs , superior performance , but the technology is poor Few practical applications .

8 balance
Balance components directly affect the balance bit poor balance components of static balance is a basic requirement .

If the above factors are ideal , Shiyou go watch more stable , through the watches of the dynamic balance can be integrated to improve walking performance . There is a very special way : principle is that when the balance wheel swings up to 220 degrees , all passed to balance the momentum of the frequency of no effect , it has been used to install in the balance wheel escapement force agencies to control the pendulum Increase to 220 in the vicinity , which was an idea.