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Balance
The balance is the
heart of the watch. Together with the hairspring, it is the component that makes
the movement keep time.
To remove the
balance you must first remove the balance cock. To do so, first remove the screw,
then place the blade of a screwdriver into the notch at the back of the
cock and, with a twisting motion, carefully pry the balance cock away from its
seat on the pillar plate. Then, to remove the balance from the cock, you
must turn the whole assembly upside down and lay it flat on the bench. Loosen the hairspring stud screw and carefully lift the balance complete off the
cock. Some movements have one regulator pin that is bent at it's end or made to
cover the hairspring and keep it from coming out of the pins. For this type, you
must turn the regulator pin away so the hairspring can be lifted out of the
regulator pins.
To remove the
hairspring from the balance, slide a small thin screwdriver blade under the
collet at the notch and carefully twist the screwdriver side to side until the
collet is free from its seat. A hairspring collet tool can also be used.
You wedge this into the notch in the collet and with a twisting motion pull the
collet up and off its seat.

Balance Staff




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