page = bartosz ciechanowski
url = https://ciechanow.ski
Once the pallet fork unlocks the escape wheel , that wheel has to start spinning very quickly. This is why gears in the gear train have holes in them – it reduces their moment of inertia so that the barrel can accelerate them more quickly.
The teal components can freely slide on the hairspring , but they reduce or increase its effective length as they prevent the tail section of the hairspring from oscillating freely. By adjusting position of these teal components we can modify the duration of a single beat and make the watch run slightly faster or slower. That speed regulation can also be fine-tuned using the screw in the top part – its head is not centered, so when turned it will gently rotate the little teal fork .
Personally, I think this entire mechanism known as the keyless works is a real mechanical marvel. The intricate interactions are so well balanced and each part serves many different roles. Older pocket watches were wound by a separate key, with the crown being used only to set the time, but modern watches get away with not having a winding key, which explains the keyless name. With just a few carefully shaped pieces and a single crown, we can control various settings of the watch. Before we move on, let’s secure the remaining pieces with the minute train bridge :