Mechanical watches are loved by watch collectors, horologists, and watchmakers. The difference between a mechanical watch and other modern watches is that the watch will run without the use of electricity or batteries. Mechanical watches operate entirely through a carefully engineered system of springs, gears, and levers. One of the first things you need to know to understand watches is that the mainspring in the center of the watch stores the energy needed to run your watch.
All modern mechanical watches use a mainspring to power the watch. The mainspring in your watch is tightly coiled and when the watch is wound up, the energy goes into the mainspring. The watch will then unwind and release that energy into the rest of the watch. Your gear train will move around at a certain rate and the energy is used to regulate the time.
All modern mechanical watches have a gear train. This is a very complex system that powers your watch from the mainspring. Without the gear train, the energy that goes into your watch is too great. If you could wind your watch and it runs away from you, that is the kind of energy that you would have.
In a mechanical watch, you also have an escapement which is one of the coolest aspects of a watch movement. The escapement is a very complex part of your watch. It is the mechanism inside the watch that allows your watch to “tick.” In your mechanical watch the escapement works in tandem with the rest of the movement to slow down and measure the rate at which your mainspring unwinds.
You also have your balance wheel. This part is similar to the pendulum in a grandfather clock and it is what keeps time for you in your mechanical watch. The balance wheel swings back and forth at a fixed frequency, determining the rate at which time is measured. You can regulate the accuracy of your watch by adjusting the balance.
Your mechanical watch has lubricants used to reduce friction and wear. This is actually a very big part of your watch and it can be hard to understand at first. There is a very fine line between lubricating your watch and over-lubricating it! Over time lubricants in your watch can become sticky and you will actually want your watch lubricated. A watchmaker is required to take your watch apart, lubricate your watch, put it back together and then put it into testing.
Another thing that makes a watch really special is the quality of your parts. When you’re making parts for a mechanical watch there is a lot of precision that is required when you are making your parts. Many times, you will see the parts for high-end watches are all individually made by hand, and in high-end timepieces, many parts are decorated by hand using traditional finishing techniques that combine functionality with artistry. This is one thing that you want to check for as you begin collecting vintage watches because you want to make sure that the parts are authentic and high-quality to keep your watch in good condition.
Even though they aren’t quite as accurate, mechanical watches have stood the test of time. There are some things that can go wrong with your watch but it’s not as common as in the past. If your watch breaks, then you need to bring it in and get it serviced. Mechanical watches are still an incredible piece of history and the way to see it is with a mechanical watch on your wrist.
For the first year of my Watchmaking classes, you will spend a lot of time learning about these mechanisms. As you go through your classes you will learn more and more. As you learn about these you will also have to test and diagnose and adjust a movement in a watch. There are also other functions that will require more than just a basic movement like a chronograph or a perpetual calendar. However, the same things that you learned about a simple movement will be present in more complex movements.