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 Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 08:27 am
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e.avery
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Most watch jewels are made of man made stones most common is synthetic garnet.  Ruby, sapphire, and diamond are also used to reduce to friction of metal to metal contact.  In most modern watches hardened glass, also more commonly known as mineral glass is used.  It is called mineral glass because it has a crystalline structure similar to that found in minerals.  The term ruby jewels may be a bit over used in order to give the appearance of more intrinsic value to the movement then may actually be there.  Just a thought.

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 Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 09:52 am
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yamahaki
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use spell checkyossam1.gifaveryokdude.gif

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 Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 09:58 am
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KenC
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Almost all of the jewels used are sapphires as they are second in hardness only to diamonds and are easily "grown"!  Most think of sapphires as blue, but rubies are, in fact, nothing more than red sapphires (which actually come in a plethora of colors).

http://www.sapphiremining.com/ABSapphires.html

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 Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 10:04 am
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e.avery
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Most ETA movements use Mineral Glass.

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 Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 10:31 am
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pacifichrono
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e.avery wrote: Most ETA movements use Mineral Glass.

I think the movement in my Alpha is made of plexiglas.

 

 

 

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 Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 12:31 pm
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e.avery
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There are 5 basic types of jewels

1. hole jewel - this is one that the pinion passes throug like a wheel

2. Cap jewel - this is the jewel that covers a hole jewel

3. Roller jewel - this jewel is mounted in the roller table

4. Pallet stone jewel - these are the jewels that are mounted in the pallet

5. Shock jewel - also known as an Inca or Kif jewel

21 jewel watches gen. have upper and lower balance jewels, upper and lower balance  cap jewels, a roller jewel,  2 pallet jewels, a hole jewel at each end of the escape wheel, a jewel at each end of the pallet arbor, one hole jewel at each end of the fourth-wheel pinion, one hole jewel at each end of the center wheel pinion, an hole jewel at each end of the center wheel pinion, one cap jewel at each end of the pallet arbor and one cap jewel at each end of the escape wheel pinion.

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 Posted: Tue Sep 19th, 2006 01:00 pm
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KenC
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e.avery wrote: Most ETA movements use Mineral Glass.
Sorry......my bad (as they say).....since I did not consider mineral crystal a jewel/gem, I guess I should re-word my comment.  Most gem stones used as "jewel" bearing points are sapphire........mostly grown in laboratories.  Rubies are, in fact, red sapphires.

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 Posted: Sat Jun 30th, 2007 08:44 pm
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Eeeb
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The ability to make synthetic jewels must be post WWII technology.  Were pre-WWII movements utilizing naturally occuring sapphires?  Were these pivot points hand made?  .... no wonder 17 jeweled movements were 'high class' :-)

I notice a number of the cheaper movements have few jewels if any.  I take it these are using the mineral glass?  Or is it metal on metal?

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 Posted: Sat Jun 30th, 2007 09:09 pm
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Skipdawg
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Metal on metal would be a very poor made movement. For over time a little metal dust would start slowly building up and hose things up. Jewels even synthetic are what keeps this friction down preventing the dust.

Even many of the China movements have come a long way with this over the past 3 to 4 years.

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 Posted: Sat Jun 30th, 2007 09:23 pm
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Eeeb
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Yes, metal on metal wouldn't be good.... but, given the low or no jewel count on some movements, it must be being done.... or are these glass pivot points?

Last edited on Sat Jun 30th, 2007 09:23 pm by Eeeb

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 Posted: Sun Jul 1st, 2007 08:43 am
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IW
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the only movements I've seen "sans-jewels" are large clock movements where the spring energy is immense enough to overcome friction.

Every watch movement I've seen has at least 17 jewels.

Where have you seen watch movements with little or none? (besides quartz mistake.gif)

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 Posted: Sun Jul 1st, 2007 08:46 am
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oagaspar
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Alpha watches use 1-7 jewels...at least the only 1 I have left does:D

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