How a Mechanical Watch Works

I'm Jake O'Neill, motion graphics creator, and this is how a

mechanical

watch

works

. The

watch

es have no microchip or battery circuits. Watch parts are machined to near perfection to microscopic sizes and tolerances and can produce an accuracy of two to three seconds per day. Take a high-level view before diving into specific parts. Energy is stored in the mainspring and released in reliable increments through the escapement assembly. The gears connecting the mainspring and escapement rotate at various speeds, allowing the watch to tell time. Now let's look at each section. in depth the crown the crown is pulled out to set the time and pushed in to wind the watch the adjustment bridge has notches to keep the crown mechanism locked in place each mode activates different sets of gears when the crown is pushed crown inward to wind the sliding pinion meshes with a set of gears connected to the mainspring the crown is pulled out to set the time when the crown is pulled out the adjusting lever clicks into the second notch on the adjusting bridge rigid at the same time this adjustment lever presses against the spring loaded yoke the yoke moves the sliding pinion in connection with the timing adjustment gears let's look at that transition a few more times the main spring the main spring is a thin strip of almost a foot long of hardened metal wound on a spring and contained by the mainspring cylinder to which is connected the winding pinion at one end and the mainspring cylinder at the other the winding pinion moves independently of the cylinder a ratchet wheel connected and a click assembly allows the pinions to rotate in a single direction preventing the spring from unwinding and ensuring that the spring energy can only exit through the cylinder the wheel train the wheel train drives the timing hands and the Associated wheels The central wheel is driven by the mainspring cylinder and rotates once an hour It holds the minute hand and its 60-minute journey is often divided into minute markings on the clock face The third wheel flows energy through the fourth wheel the fourth wheel rotates once a minute in incremental ticks and holds the second hand again.

Markings on the clock face can make it easier to see how many seconds have passed within a full minute of shaft revolution. of each wheel rests on a synthetic jewel that carries the jewels with almost no friction can keep the internal mechanics of the watch running smoothly for decades the movement

works

the movement works allows the watch hands to rotate freely to set the time and also performs a reduction of speed from twelve to one for the hour hand since the center wheel and minute hand rotate once per hour, the hour hand needs to make a much slower journey completing a full rotation once every 12 hours as it passes our markings On the watch face, this speed reduction is achieved as power flows from the barrel pinion through the minute wheel to the hour wheel.

The barrel pinion and our wheel are press fit to the pinions that hold them up, this means that with enough force they can be moved to set the time without disturbing the underlying rigid train of wheels that otherwise drives them. escapement and balance wheel the balance wheel oscillates at a precise rate by tapping the fork back and forth allowing the escapement wheel to move, which releases the energy of the mainspring in small measured increments the balance wheel the balance wheel is the most fragile part of the watch upon which is supported a shock-absorbing mounting system complete with a jewel bearing and keystone that protects the sensitive parts from impact, for example, if the watch is dropped, the balance is driven in part by the hair spring, the escapement, the paddle fork and the escapement wheel formed the escapement, a clever exchange of power that forms the heart of the

mechanical

watch's operation driven by the hair spring.

The flywheel drive pin hits one side of the paddle fork releasing the opposite paddle jewel from its locked position against a tooth on the escape wheel just as the paddle jewel slides freely. The specially shaped escape wheel tooth delivers some impulse power from the main spring through the paddle fork which in turn pushes the impulse pin launching the balance wheel into another movement and so the process repeats itself as the watch is powered by the mainspring the hairspring has regulator pins to adjust the active length of the spring, this alters the speed of oscillation of the balance and as such the speed of the entire watch.

This is what is meant by regulating a clock that keeps time too fast or too slow. The characteristic ticking sound of the watch is produced by paddle jewels as they catch the teeth of the escapement wheel. Each incremental rotation of the escapement wheel is called a beat. The beating frequency of a common watch is 20 1600 beats per hour, which is six beats per second supporting structure several specially shaped metal plates support the internal parts of the clock the main plate serves as the base the cylinder bridge supports the mainspring cylinder and associated parts the train wheel bridge supports the wheel train the paddle bridge supports the paddle fork and the balance bridge supports the steering wheel and governor assembly