Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Technicalities Involved In A Mechanical Watch

By John P Stevens

Watches are of different types depending upon their style, and the system through which they operate. With the passage of time, and innovation in technology, new types are being invented every day, but despite of new variety, the old ones have their own importance, like that of a mechanical wristwatch.

Mechanical watch is one of the types independent of the electric batteries, or cells. The main concern that strikes the mind is that how can it continue to function if it has no batteries in it.

These watches have a wheel-like pendulum called the balance wheel, which moves back and forth with a constant speed, making the "Ticking sound of the watch". These were designed in Europe in 1600s, and were modelled against the spring-powered clocks of the--00s.

Even though, modern quartz watches are generally more appropriate and accurate for measuring time, mechanical watches are usually more expensive. The reason why they are purchased, and are much appreciated is not their time keeping ability, but their attributes about their aesthetic aspect, and their quality to be worn as a jewellery piece.

All mechanical watches must have the following components. For serving the purpose of supplying power to the watch, a mainspring is used to conserve mechanical energy. The watch also contains a gear train, which is often referred to as a running train. This serves two purposes; the first one is to broadcast the force of the mainspring to the balance wheel, and the second to increase the swings of the balance wheel to ensure proper work of occupying seconds, minutes, and hours units.

Mechanical watches have a spring to conserve energy, which has been supplied through a key. They contain a gear train to transfer the spring energy to the wheel, and to increase the time of the wheel to swing here and forth, so that it always takes same time interval for seconds, minutes, and hours.

With the help of the gear, the balance wheel takes same amount of time to finish one oscillation; the time measurer of the watch. Another mechanism in the watch is called escapement, which produces vibration in the balance wheel by pushing it in each round, contributing to the gear of the clock to move at the same amount of distance in each round.

The last component that a mechanical watch must have is an indicating dial, where time will be displayed. It is usually like a conventional clock face, and is equipped with rotating hands, so that you can conveniently read the time. It is a fact an attribute of mechanical clocks that if they are maintained properly, they can work for decades.

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