Hairspring for Swiss fake

[Greg Davis]

I'm not sure I understand the issue. Granted, getting a branded replacement for such a watch is impossible (since the brand is blurred by fakery).

But so what? What you really want is a spring of the same length, thickness, type and strength. The physical dimensions can easily be measured on the current rusty spring and the type easily discerned with a visual inspection. That just leaves one factor as a variable, and there shouldn't be too many possible values to test as that variable.

Or am I missing something?

- Greg

[rrwatch]

You might want to try: http://www.watchmaker.net/hairsprings.html
They are the only U S source I am aware of that advertises vibrating replacement hairsprings. Please note; I have never used their services so I cannot comment on their work.
Good luck.

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Ed Ueberall
NAWCC #49688

[Greg Crockett]

New hairsprings are not easy to get since pocket watch size hairspring wire is not being made anymore. If you can't get a new hairspring, I have two suggestions:

One: Watch ebay for watches with the same name as yours. If you find one with a movement which is the same as yours, buy it and switch hairsprings. I have tried this and it works. Swiss fake makers often registered the American sounding names they used on their products to keep the other Swiss fake makers from using them.

Two: Considering that hairsprings are adjusted to balances. Get a Swiss watch of about the same size, with a similar size balance wheel. It should also have the same power mainspring. Switch the balance wheel and hairspring from the donor watch to your watch as a set. Since the staff and roller are unlikely to be similar enough, mount the new wheel and hairspring upon the original or a new made balance staff. Re-use the original roller. It may be necessary to re-use the hairspring stud if the donor stud is not the same configuration. I did this once with a Swiss presentation watch and it worked quite well. However, it took quite a-bit of time to get everything adjusted properly. I suggest this last alternative only because your watch is a family hairloom.

[Tom Huber]

Please don't think I am sounding negative, but please remember that this is a Swiss Fake. The watch may have not been a better timekeeper when it was new. They weren't made to be fantastic timekeepers and five minutes a day may be the best you can get, even with a new hairspring. You may want to think about the money spent and the time put in. Would it really improve the timekeeping ability of this watch. Maybe, maybe not.

Tom

[Tom McIntyre]

Whoever told you a weak hairspring would make a watch stop is mistaken. A weak hairspring will keep it from beating at the right frequency and it will run slowly and lose time. If the watch is stopping, there is some other problem. If there is a lot of rust on the hairspring, it is conceivable that the hairspring could catch the coils together and stop but that is very improbable.

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Tom McIntyre
NAWCC 2nd VP Candidate
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)