Tools
These are some tools used to service vintage watches. Most of the work happens at a scale where fingers aren't precise enough, so each tool exists to hold, align, or press a part exactly where it needs to go.
01
Staking
A staking set is a small press for parts that have to go on or come off perfectly straight. The frame in the middle of the case holds a punch in a vertical guide, directly above a die plate, which is a hardened disc that rotates to bring holes of many sizes under the punch. This type of staking set is called an inverto, which means you can flip over a punch and use it as a stump.
The rest of the case holds the set's punches and stumps, in rows on either side and along the front. Before pressing, the chosen hole is centered and the plate is locked, so the punch comes down exactly where it should.
02
Jeweling
The pivots of a watch's wheels turn in jewels, synthetic rubies that are friction fit into the plates and bridges. The Seitz tool is a press made for setting them. The lever drives a pusher straight down through the frame, and the knurled collar on top sets how far it can travel, so a jewel can be moved in very small, repeatable steps. There are a variety of anvils to support the plate from below, reamers to open up a hole, and pushers to press on the jewel itself.
02.1
Straightener
A bent pivot can sometimes be saved rather than replaced. The straightener's disc has a ring of numbered holes in graded sizes: the pivot goes into the closest fit, and the spring arm holds the part steady while it's eased back into line.
However, many people have called these pivot breakers. The tool is somewhat unreliable, and only works in the least severe cases.
03
Jacot
A Jacot tool finishes pivots, the fine ends of the wheels. The pivot rests in a grooved bed and the wheel is turned back and forth while a burnisher is drawn across the pivot. This polishes and hardens the pivot, so it turns with the least amount of friction possible.
03.1
Scale
When polishing the end of a pivot, a lantern is used so the burnisher can reach the very end. The end of the balance staff pivot has to have a slight roundness to it so it rotates with very little friction. Lanterns come in different sizes to suit different pivot sizes. The two here are shown next to a pen for scale.