Antique watches are among the most sought after and highly prized antique collectibles. They are also often among the most cherished of family heirlooms. Many times, they have been handed down through generations and are associated with memories of a departed father or grandfather. Like most antiques, particularly ones that contain moving parts they are in need of repair. Antique watch repair is a delicate and specialized skill. If you have an antique watch that is in need of watch repair service, you may be wondering what the problem with your watch is. Before you search for a watch repair service near you, here are seven common watch problems.
1. Needs Cleaning
Dirt and grime are the enemy of moving parts. Over time they clog up the works and prevent the wheels and levers from moving smoothing. They also effect the ability of the watch to keep time correctly. An antique watch repair shop can help you by giving the watch and its delicate components a thorough cleaning and greasing it so the parts can move smoothly.
2. Mainspring Issues
The mainspring is your watch’s power source. It delivers power to the main wheel train and if it is broken or worn out the watch won’t function correctly. An important part of antique watch repair is replacing the mainspring.
3. Don’t Assume the Watch is Overwound
You notice that your antique watch is not running. You take the obvious step of winding it but notice that it still doesn’t run. You must have overwound the watch, right? Probably not. Many times, you might bring your watch to a watch repair service near you and tell them that it is overwound. They will tell you that it is actually one of a number of potential issues.
4. Positional Errors are Common
Watches are adjusted in positions. They are fine tuned to maintain a certain degree of accuracy when in certain positions. A positional error is the timing error or different rates a watch demonstrates between different positions. The experts at an antique watch repair shop can correct positional errors and get your watch keeping correct time.
5. Mainspring Barrel Cap is Loose
One common issue is when the edge of the barrel cap pops or lifts out of its seat. It drags along the bridge or pillar plates, and even might hit the center wheel. This can result in wear or scratch marks along the surface of the barrel cap. It is a tricky issue to diagnose and fix but an expert in antique watch repair will spot it and correct it.
6. Problems with the Balance Assembly
The balance assembly is made up of many delicate parts- balance wheel, balance staff, hairspring, roller, and roller jewel. If any of these parts is broken, out of alignment, or worn, your watch will not work correctly. It will require watch repair service done by an expert to fix the issue and get your watch working correctly again.
7. Problems with the Lever Escapement
The lever escapement functions like a release valve. It enables the steady release of the energy stored in the wound mainspring, which then passes through the time train, motion works, and other working parts at a set rate. If there are any issues with the lever and it needs to be replaced, an antique watch repair shop will have experts that can help you out.