Discussion:
Why do watches have an odd number of jewels?
(too old to reply)
Mike
2003-11-03 03:50:31 UTC
Permalink
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels are used
as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.

What's the leftover jewel used for?

-- Mike --
Kim
2003-11-03 03:51:28 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels
are used as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
Maybe those are the family jewels.
--
Kim

*I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. So I beat
the living snot out of him because I'm lack-toes intolerant. (Lil Owens)*
Mike
2003-11-03 05:10:50 UTC
Permalink
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels
are used as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
Maybe those are the family jewels.
You know, I never thought I was special, but for me that would take a damn
big watch.

-- Mike (and, where am I supposed to get the other 15?) --
James Gifford
2003-11-03 06:34:18 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
What's the leftover jewel used for?
Maybe those are the family jewels.
You know, I never thought I was special, but for me that would take a damn
big watch.
Piker. I have a bay watch.
--
| James Gifford * FIX SPAMTRAP TO REPLY |
| So... your philosophy fits in a sig, does it? |
| Heinlein stuff at: www.nitrosyncretic.com/rah |
Greg Goss
2003-11-03 10:06:48 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels
are used as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
The back end of the winding stem?
Kim
2003-11-03 11:37:33 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels
are used as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
Maybe those are the family jewels.
You know, I never thought I was special, but for me that would take a
damn big watch.
Yeah, but is there a face and hands on it?
--
Kim

*I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. So I beat
the living snot out of him because I'm lack-toes intolerant. (Lil Owens)*
c***@thelast.mile
2003-11-03 18:46:21 UTC
Permalink
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels
are used as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
Maybe those are the family jewels.
You know, I never thought I was special, but for me that would take a
damn big watch.
Yeah, but is there a face and hands on it?
Will you be doing the honors?

candeh
Kim
2003-11-03 22:36:25 UTC
Permalink
Post by c***@thelast.mile
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels
are used as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
Maybe those are the family jewels.
You know, I never thought I was special, but for me that would take
a damn big watch.
Yeah, but is there a face and hands on it?
Will you be doing the honors?
Probably not. I haven't met a man yet who could make me forget my husband.
--
Kim

*I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet. So I beat
the living snot out of him because I'm lack-toes intolerant. (Lil Owens)*
Mike
2003-11-04 16:15:43 UTC
Permalink
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels
are used as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
Maybe those are the family jewels.
You know, I never thought I was special, but for me that would take a
damn big watch.
Yeah, but is there a face and hands on it?
Yikes! The thought of it staring back at me is too much...

-- Mike (an argument, of course, would be completely unacceptable) --
Estron
2003-11-06 02:46:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by Kim
Post by Mike
Post by Kim
Maybe those are the family jewels.
You know, I never thought I was special, but for me that would take a
damn big watch.
Yeah, but is there a face and hands on it?
For some reason, this reminds me of the old joke that ends up with: "Okay,
Doctor, but when you take that thing out, there damn well better be numbers
on it!"
--
All opinions expressed herein are only that, and are my own.
Pax vobiscum.
***@tfs.net
Sugar Creek (really close to Kansas City), Missouri
Jeff Wisnia
2003-11-03 04:05:53 UTC
Permalink
I believe it is called the "roller jewel" and is mounted on on the balance
wheel or its staff. That jewel provides a bearing surface flicked back and
forth by the end of the "pallet fork".

There are also a pair of jewels which are not "bearings" in the sense you used
the term. They are mounted on the ends of the tines of the pallet fork and
release the teeth of the escapement wheel. I believe that pair are called
"pallet jewels".

Jeff

--

Jeff Wisnia (W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)

"If you can smile when things are going wrong, you've thought of someone to
blame it on."
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels are used
as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
-- Mike --
Lalbert1
2003-11-03 04:25:12 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels are used
as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
I think the jewel that causes the number to be odd is probably the roller
jewel. For a description with illustrations of the location of the watch
jewels go to:

http://elginwatches.org/help/watch_jewels.html wherein it says:

"The jewels are located throughout the watch at key spots. The following are
typical locations for the jewels, as shown on the following diagram:
The basic 7 jewels are part of the escapement and balance and are found on all
Elgin watches. They include cap and hole jewels for both the top and the bottom
of the balance wheel (total of 4), the two pallet jewels and the roller jewel.
The next 8, making 15 jewels, are hole jewels for the fast moving part of the
gear train.
The next 2, making 17 jewels, are jewels on the center wheel.
The next 2-4, making 19-21 jewels, are cap jewels on the escape wheel and the
pallet fork."

As you say, they seem to come in pairs, with the roller jewel being the single
common jewel for all jewelled watches.

Les
Mike
2003-11-03 04:57:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by Lalbert1
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels are used
as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
I think the jewel that causes the number to be odd is probably the roller
jewel. For a description with illustrations of the location of the watch
"The jewels are located throughout the watch at key spots. The following are
The basic 7 jewels are part of the escapement and balance and are found on all
Elgin watches. They include cap and hole jewels for both the top and the bottom
of the balance wheel (total of 4), the two pallet jewels and the roller jewel.
The next 8, making 15 jewels, are hole jewels for the fast moving part of the
gear train.
The next 2, making 17 jewels, are jewels on the center wheel.
The next 2-4, making 19-21 jewels, are cap jewels on the escape wheel and the
pallet fork."
As you say, they seem to come in pairs, with the roller jewel being the single
common jewel for all jewelled watches.
Les
That's an interesting page, and one of the links provided there,

http://www.timezone.com/article.aspx?id=workbench&articleId=workbench0025

provides a detailed discussion of how watch makers have been less than
scrupulous in jeweling their watches, often adding non-functional jewels to
the movements at less cost than adding functional jewels, then being able
to label the watch 17, 19, or 21 jewels... The article starts off
discussing the Waltham 100 jewel movement, achieved with 83 jewels added to
the edge of the rotor in an automatic watch movement. Underneath that was a
conventional 17 jewel movement...

-- Mike --
Pixel Dent
2003-11-03 12:42:17 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels are used
as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
-- Mike --
If you want an authoritative answer to this, there are some very
knowledgeable watchmakers in alt.horology
Tank
2003-11-03 16:35:22 UTC
Permalink
Post by Mike
Mechanical watches always have an odd number of jewels. The jewels are used
as bearings for the gears, so they should be in pairs.
What's the leftover jewel used for?
-- Mike --
Perhaps the same reason urinals have an
odd number of drain holes.

--
Tank

This Space To Let
Mike
2003-11-04 16:13:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by Tank
Perhaps the same reason urinals have an
odd number of drain holes.
The coriolis effect?

-- Mike --
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