# Diamond Pallet Stones



## Itsawindup (May 20, 2009)

Hi Guys,

Unfortunately I don't own many "high-end" watches, but I have looked at many photos of movements and most of the time I see the typical use of rubies in the pallet entry and exits, plus a ruby bearing on the pallet staff.

Taking a peek inside my Ulysse Nardin Marine Chronometer which dates from 1920 and I see diamonds in the tips of the pallet and also a diamond bearing on the pallet staff. All the rest seem to be rubies. This was originally used as a pocket watch in a marine application but has been professionally converted to a wrist watch with a glass cover on the back.

I am wondering which other watch makers used diamonds instead of rubies in the pallet. I can't see what difference it would make to the accuracy or longevity of the watch because rubies are the second hardest gem, so its not like its going to wear out overnight.

They are difficult to photograph with my camera....I have macro but can't seem to get close enough to show them properly, but they can be seem in the photos.

So, who else has diamonds in their tickers?

Links

http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/Itsawindup/media/Ulysse%20Nardin/UlysseNardin4_zpse4dbae57.jpg.html?sort=6&o=0#/user/Itsawindup/media/Ulysse%20Nardin/UlysseNardin4_zpse4dbae57.jpg.html?sort=6&o=0&_suid=1379058714828025357383217812085

http://s1288.photobucket.com/user/Itsawindup/media/Ulysse%20Nardin/UlysseNardin1_zps63dbcf4e.jpg.html?sort=6&o=3#/user/Itsawindup/media/Ulysse%20Nardin/UlysseNardin1_zps63dbcf4e.jpg.html?sort=6&o=3&_suid=1379059355247047657166697100506


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Hi there "Itsawindup" and welcome to the fourm :welcome:

An interesting watch you have there, hopefully i can make a few comments which are constructive in nature 

I have seen quite a few different watches and whilst your Ulysse Nardin looks very nice i would not personally put it in the "Marine Chronometer" bracket for a few reasons..........

The centre wheel is not jewelled so having a steel pivot would not reduce friction of the centre wheel as you would have in a jewelled pivot, for the best time keepers you need as much power from the mainspring to be delivered as efficiently as possibly to the escapement. The balance wheel is quite small and chronometers invariably had much larger balance wheels back then with large gold timing screws, it also is a lever escapement rather than a free sprung escapement which is more accurate, also it should have the words "chronometer" or "Observatory" on the dial and possibly a Kew rating stamp on the movement.

If the pallet lever did have a diamond endstone then so also would the balance staff as well, some high end American pocket watches have these, but along with this they also have the gears made of gold, called a gold train to reduce sliding friction from the wheels and pinions when transmitting the power from the mainspring, the mainspring too would have a jewelled barrel to further improve performance

The impulse pallets, entry and exit, appear to be clear sapphire and may be a replacement as these do wear over time and without oil it will wear away the pallet stones as the impulse given is not instant ( like the Omega Co-axial ) but a *sliding* impulse which uses up a lot of power due to friction and also the pressure exerted can really be high when no oil is used, some carriage clocks can literally burn away their pallet stones without oil due to the weight of the wheelwork stopping and going, the same happens in a large pocket watch over a long period over time without correct lubrication

There are some benefits to using clear sapphire as you can see much more quickly the action when operating if it is correct or not and correct amount of oil on there.

Hope this helps :yes: Should be a few others on here with some helpful info


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## Itsawindup (May 20, 2009)

Thanks harryblakes7 for the expert opinion.

Perhaps the watch was one of those designated as a â€œdeck watchâ€ used to carry the time from the main chronometer to the place where readings would be taken on deck, rather than risk moving the boxed chronometer around.

I have sent a message to Ulysse Nardinâ€™s head office in the hope they can shed some light on it. I am beginning to realise that they could be clear sapphires. If I get any further info from UN Iâ€™ll post it here.


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## Shiner (Mar 2, 2011)

This is a type of American pocket watch that Harry was referring to. I have two Riverside Maximus, one open face and one hunter. This is the hunter.


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## Shiner (Mar 2, 2011)

A close up of the diamond endstones.


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## Shiner (Mar 2, 2011)

A Waltham description of the movement. The movement was produced in 1903.


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## Itsawindup (May 20, 2009)

Thanks Shiner....that is really nice. So I'm assuming those are clear sapphire pallet stones, which my UN probably has!

Those Walthams are better than I imagined! I can see why they are so collectible, they are nice engines!

The corrosion on mine is hardly visible with the naked eye but using macro on the camera really brings out the detail and makes it look like the thing is rotting away! I guess that is probably due to usage in marine environments. Still, it keeps reasonably good time and I don't use it ever day as a means of knowing what time it is. Its just a piece of history and nice to wear once a week, although not when I'm planning anything strenuous. I know that they are somewhat more delicate than modern "shockproof" watches.

Do the Waltham pocket watches ever get converted to wristwatches?


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## Shiner (Mar 2, 2011)

Quite a few of the smaller sized Walthams and Elgins etc., were converted to wristwatches by fitting a couple of loops to the cases and attaching a strap in the early years of the 20th century. You can sometimes see the odd 'Trench' watch that has had the original movement replaced (through damage?) by an '8' size hunter movement. They were ideal as a hunter movement winds at the 3 o'clock position which is ideal for a wristwatch. Most of these smaller sized hunter watches were worn by ladies as a piece of jewellery rather than a timepiece. They were usually a basic 7 jewelled movement in a solid gold case, and the majority have now been scrapped for their gold cases. There are still some nice 15 jewelled pendant watches in their original cases and even fewer 17 jewelled pendant watches such as this one that I have in a gold demi hunter case.


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## harryblakes7 (Oct 1, 2010)

Superb watch there Shiner! The Riverside Maximus looks like it has a vibrating hairspring stud, along with a breguet overcoil hairspring and whiplash regulator with fine adjustment

Here is an old deck watch of mine, it is quite large at 63mm and would have been accurate for the time it took to walk from the main ships timepiece to take a measurement outside, although probably not good enough to be a "main" chronometer

An interesting point to make regarding ships chronometers is that it is the rate which is critical, not the time keeping, so the chronometer may gain 10 seconds a day, but it is consistent in gaining 10 seconds a day, so the captain can work out the exact time by subtracting 10 seconds from the time displayed each day, and then 20 seconds the following day, hope i'm making sense


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