A
Acceleration
This term in horology is applied to the steady gaining in the rate of a time-keeper, particularly to be observed in new movements. It is…
Acids and Salts
Acids and salts of various kinds are employed by the watchmaker and jeweler, but he should never keep them in proximity to his tools or…
Adhesion
Adhesion is the mutual attraction which two bodies have for one another, as attraction between the liquid and the substance of the vessel…
Adjustment
The manipulation of the balance, its spring and staff, for the purpose of improving the time keeping qualities of a watch. Three…
Adjustment Heater
The Simpson heater, shown in Fig. 2, will be found invaluable when adjusting movements to temperature. The variation of temperature in this…
Alarm
The mechanism attached to a timepiece by which at any desired time a hammer strikes rapidly on a bell for several seconds. Generally a…
Alcohol or Benzine Cup
The watchmaker should keep the alcohol and benzine on his bench in a glass cup having a tight fitting cover to prevent evaporation and…
Alcohol Lamp
The Clark patent simplicity lamp shown in Fig. 4 is a favorite one with American watchmakers. It has nine facets on the font that it may…
All or Nothing Piece
That part of a repeating watch that keeps the quarter rack off the snail until the slide in the band of the case is pushed around. The…
Alloy
A compound of two or more metals. It is usual to melt the less fusible metal first and add the more fusible. Alloys for Compensation…
Aluminium Alloys
Aluminium is alloyed with many metals, but the most important are those with copper. Lange & Sons have obtained a patent in the United…
Aluminium Bronze
This alloy contains from 6 to 10 per cent. of aluminium, and is prepared by fusing chemically-pure copper with aluminium. The standard…
Aluminium Silver
Aluminium and silver are easily alloyed and these alloys are more easily worked than silver although harder. An alloy of ninety seven parts…
Aluminium Gold
One part of aluminium to 99 of gold gives a metal the color of green gold, very hard but not ductile. An alloy of 5 parts of aluminium to…
Alloys Resembling Silver
The following alloys have a close resemblance to silver: Minargent is composed of 100 parts copper; 70 nickel; 1 aluminium and 5 of…
Aluminium Zinc
Alloys of aluminium and zinc are very hard and take a beautiful polish. An alloy of 97 parts of aluminium and 3 of zinc gives a result that…
Artificial Gold
A metallic alloy, at present very extensively used in France as a substitute for gold is composed of: Pure copper, 100 parts; zinc, or…
Aluminium
Aluminium, or aluminium, is an extremely light, ductile and malleable metal, which is rapidly coming into favor for many purposes since the…
Amplitude
The full extent or breadth. As applied to pendulums, the amplitude of a simple oscillation or vibration; properly the distance from the…
Anchor Escapement
This form of escapement is mostly used in clocks, although in the older watches a variety of lever escapement was also known as the anchor…
Angular Velocity
The angle through which an arm turning on its axis is displaced in a unit of time. It is entirely independent of the length of this arm…
Annealing
The process of heating metals and then manipulating them in order to increase their ductility. Gold, silver, copper and brass are annealed…
Annular Gear
A gear wheel in which the teeth are on the inside of an annulus or ring, while its pinion works within its pitch circle, turning in the…
Arcograph
An instrument sometimes used by watchmakers for drawing a circular arc without the use of a central point. ARNOLD, JOHN. Born in Cornwall…
Adjustable Case Springs
The Harstrom Adjustable Case Spring shown in Fig. 49 is easily fitted and is said to be a very excellent spring. The holder should be…
Acid-Proof Cement
A cement that resists acid is made by melting one part India rubber with two parts linseed oil; add sufficient white bolus for consistency…
Alabaster Cement
1. Finely powdered plaster of Paris made into a paste with water. 2. Melt rosin, or equal parts of yellow rosin and beeswax, then stir in…
Amber Cement
For cementing amber and meerschaum, make a thick cream of finely powdered quicklime and white of egg, apply with a camel's hair brush, dry…
Acid Proof Cement
Form a paste of powdered glass and a concentrated solution of silicate of soda. Cement for Thin Metal Sheets. Cut isinglass into small…
Action of the Escapement
In Fig. 61 the tooth c is at rest upon the locking stone d. The dotted circle e represents the unlocking roller which is mounted upon the…
Adjustable Chuck
The Hopkins patent adjustable chuck, shown in Fig. 66 is designed to grip and hold firmly and accurately any size of work from the smallest…
Arbor Chuck
A screw chuck on the end of which is a threaded arbor for the reception of saws, laps, etc., which are clamped in position firmly by means…
Astronomical Clock
A clock having twenty-four hours shown on the dial and a pendulum of such length as to show stellar time, which is three minutes, fifty-six…
Antique Green
An imitation of antique bronze can be applied to new articles by the following process: Dissolve 3 parts of common salt, 1 part of…
A' X
This line will also pass through the center of the crescent. At the point of intersection of A' b with the safety roller we have one of the…
A Lever Escapement Fault
This is what is called mismatched pallets and escape wheel. In the club tooth this error is very fatal to good rate and is about as…
Aluminium Solder
The following alloys are recommended for the purpose: 1. Melt twenty parts of aluminium in a suitable crucible, and when in fusion add 80…
Absolute Time
Time irrespective of local standards or epochs; time reckoned for all places from some one common epoch; as all spectators see a lunar…
Abbey – Apparent Time
To him or his assistant, Graham, is attributed the invention of the cylinder escapement. The distance or space between the pitch line of a…
Astronomical Time
Mean solar time, reckoned by counting the hours continuously up to twenty-four from one noon up to the next. Civil Time, The reckoning of…