Watch jewels are significant for the accuracy of your watch. You might feel that more jewels will make a better watch, and that is not necessarily the case. These miniature artificial rubies minimize friction, ensuring the smooth operation of your watch. Understanding the mechanism of watch jewels will enable you to invest in quality, not just numbers.
History of watch jewels
The watch industry began hundreds of years ago. Early watchmakers utilized natural rubies and sapphires because they were hard enough to withstand wear. These jewels made watches last longer.
There were high costs and uneven natural stones. Synthetic rubies gained popularity in the 1900s. They were ideal in shape, smooth, and very cheap. The synthetic jewels have since assumed the market in watchmaking.
Synthetic rubies are almost all the watch jewels today. They are more efficient and cheaper, which makes them suitable for contemporary timepieces.
What Are Watch Jewels?
Watch jewels are miniature rubies found in your watch. They aid the smooth movement of moving parts rather than rubbing against each other. They reduce friction to ensure your gears are not worn and your timepiece is also accurate.
Every jewel is positioned at a point of contact with essential parts that are spinning or moving. These are practical rubies and not the pretty ones. They keep your watch ticking along all day long.
Why Watchmakers Use Jewels in Movements
Watchmakers utilize jewels to make watches last. With each tick of the watch, there is metal that is moving against metal. Strain and abrasion are the results of that over time. Watch jewels serve as some mini cushions that alleviate this stress.
A reduction in the friction translates to a reduction in movement. It also implies that your watch is more accurate in terms of timekeeping. The jewels are used to ensure the energy flows evenly over the gears, giving your watch a consistent beat. This is why they are needed to ensure a good performance.
Types of Watch Jewels and Their Roles
All jewels in a watch have a purpose. Now, we will see the principal kinds you have in a quality movement.
1. Hole Jewels
The rotating shafts are supported by holes filled with jewels called pivots. The shaft bores through the centre of the jewel, making it spin freely. This minimizes the wear at the point of the gear and pivot.
2. Cap Jewels
The jewels of the cap are above the jewels of the holes. They inhibit vertical movement, which is called end-shake. These assist in the stability of balance wheels and precision.
3. Pallet Jewels
The escapement has pallet jewels. They regulate the transmission of energy between the gear train and the balance wheel. Their exact points of contact provide easy delivery of impulses.
4. Impulse Jewels
The balance wheel has impulse jewels attached to it. They are fueled by the pallet fork, which helps with timekeeping. A watch could not beat regularly without this jewel.
Here’s a simple comparison table
Types of Jewel | Function | Location |
Hole Jewel | Helps support the pivots and reduces friction. | Gera tain |
Cap Jewel | Prevents vertical play | Balance assembly |
Pallet Jewel | Controls energy flow | Escapement |
Impulse Jewel | Transfers power to balance | Balance wheel |
All jewels facilitate easy movement, reduce wear, and increase longevity. The two of them create a frictionless network to ensure your watch does not stop.
How Many Watch Jewels Do You Really Need?
On your watch, you will find the number 17 or 21 Jewels printed. The figure indicates the quantity of jewels within the movement. However, bigger is not necessarily better.
A simple mechanical watch will operate with 17 jewels. These include the key areas of friction. With additional elements such as date or automatic winding, they will require more jewels, commonly 25 or 27.
Other watches will have a list of 30 or more jewels, though most of them are purely ornamental. They do not bring real value or performance. The placement of the watch jewels is what counts the most, and not the quantity of jewels.
A well-constructed watch with 17 jewels can perform better than a 30-jewel watch that has been constructed without care. Quality engineering is often superior to quantity.
Common Myths About Watch Jewels
Myth 1: The More Watch Jewels, The Better the Quality.
That's not true. A watch of any kind should have just sufficient jewels to minimize friction. Anything further does not affect its performance.
Myth 2: Jewels can be used to make a watch more posh.
The jewels in watches are not actual decorative jewels. They are posing with performance artificial gems. They are not making your watch look fancy; their job is to ensure that it runs smoothly.
Myth 3: Jewels increase the accuracy of watches.
Jewels minimize the friction, but other components of the clockwork, such as the balance wheel and the escapement design, are important to accuracy. The jewels merely assist such parts to perform their duties well.
These facts will help you focus on what is truly important in purchasing a watch: design, build and accuracy.
How to Check the Number of Jewels in Your Watch
You can have no trouble counting the jewels on your watch. It is commonly stamped on the dial, on the back case, or on the movement. Search for terms such as 17 Jewels and 25 Jewels.
In a case that you have an automatic watch, then it most probably contains more jewels than a manual one. The reason is that it has additional moving components such as a rotor. But you must bear in mind that the number of jewels does not reflect the quality; this is only a measure of how the piece of work was to turn out.
Do Luxury Watches Have More Jewels?
Not always. Most luxury watches have equal jewels to the mid-range models. Their peculiarity is precision engineering and finishing.
Certain complicated watches consist of additional components such as chronographs or tourbillons and incorporate more jewels. But every one of those jewels is a true purpose. Even higher-end brands are concerned with intelligent design, not about adding more rubies in the necklace.
Therefore, by purchasing a luxury watch, you are not paying for the number of jewels but for the artistry.
Synthetic vs Natural Watch Jewels
Contemporary watches are all synthetic rubies. They are prepared in laboratories through flame fusion. This makes them absolutely hard and firm.
Artificial jewels are smoother and more trustworthy in comparison with natural. They do not have impurities, and it is simpler to produce them in vast quantities. These artificial rubies are similar to natural gems except that they are much cheaper.
This is why all the fine watches in the modern world utilize synthetic watch jewels. They are also accurate and consistent at a lower cost compared to the real stones.
How watch Jewels Affect Longevity and Maintenance
Watch jewels and watch protectors safeguard your watch. They prevent the grinding of metals to get your motion correct over many years.
You still need to service your watch, even though it has jewels. The movement may be slowed down, and its buildup can be due to oil and dust. Having your watch serviced every few years helps the jewels to be clean and lubricated.
Consider the jewels as the safeguards in the long term. They do not make your watch wear less, but it is much stronger and more stable in the long run.
Are More Watch Jewels Always Better?
Jewels are not necessarily more of a good thing. When all friction points are covered, additional jewels are of no use. Balance is the key, the correct amount of jewels, in the correct locations.
Even a plain 17-jewel movement can be as precise as a 25-jewel one when well made. The size does not necessarily mean accuracy. The important thing is the efficiency of energy transfer during movement.
The next time you buy a watch, consider not just the numbers, but also the artistry. It is something like a well-made motion, keeping perfect time.
Key Takeaways:
- Watch jewels cut down friction and wear within your watch.
- The majority of watches require some 17-21 jewels to move smoothly.
- Additional jewels are not necessarily valuable.
- Accuracy and durability are utilized with synthetic rubies.
- The finest watches are concerned with intelligent engineering, rather than the number of jewels.
Conclusion
Jewels in watches are essential for precision and longevity. They reduce friction and allow you to move smoothly. However, the more jewels a watch may have, the more it is not necessarily a better watch. The most important aspect is thoughtful design and moderate engineering, which will ensure sustainability in performance.
We are also precise and not prolific at Leitzeit. Our watches feature the appropriate number of watch jewels to ensure the movement and design are balanced. Visit our brand today and experience classic performance crafted with a high purpose. Select the real art that is more than the figures.