The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-07
WATCHES AND STORMS.
Effects of the Equinoctial Season Upon Time
Keepers-What the Watch Makers Say.

Philadelphia Times,
The season of the autumnal equinox have been
gala days for the watch repairing establish
ments About the 2lst of March and Septem-
Der, or as soon thereafter or before the sun
crosses the line. watch springs begin to break in
great numbers This fact is automatic and is
discounted by watch makers. Promises of speedy
repairing are not made so readily then as at
other times. Electrical disturbances of the at
mosphere" is the cause assigned for this phenom-
ena, but just why electricity in or out of the at
mosphere should have this effect none of the
craft can explain. Neither can they give con-
elusive evidence of the fact All the testimony
is circumstantial in its character, but all clock
and watch-repairers assert and vigorously main
tain the theory
I'VE sometimes have" said Chestnut street
jeweler yesterday, such pile of watches come
in upon us when the equinoctial storms make
their appearance that we are compelled to send
around to the smaller shops and pay premiums
and big premiums, at that-for journeyman
or so for couple of days 1t only takes about
forty eight hours to do the business
And 1t is not the equinoctial storm alone that
plays havoc with the delicate spring mechanism
of clocks and Watches" said he Il have
ticed that nOrtheasters at all seasons of the year
will have the same devastating effect. Some
times, also. in April, when thunder showers
frequent and when lightning is peculiarly vivid.
watch main-springs break; but this sort is of
rarer occurrence than the other two. On Mon
day and Tuesday | took in more broken springs
than, | guess, during the balance of September
But the most remarkable, and, at the same
time most uneXplainable part of the phenomena
is yet to come. large percentage of watch
springs that break during the prevalence of an
equinoctial storm do not fall in two pieGes, but
sustain clean-cut fracture across the entire
barrel of the spring, dividing the spring into
many fragments as there are concentrics in the
coil And, more remarkable still, if that were
possible, the line of the fracture cut is per-
fectly straight and, as nearly as can be aseer-
tanned, passes directly through the point which
would be the centre of the spring coil.
Mr.. Frank Sutton, prominent Camden
dealer. who was in the Chestnut street estab-
lshment at the time, said: II had wonderful
Illustration of that character year or ago,
and caused mechanical artist to photograph J.
Ii a break occurs in a watch spring it instantly
uncoils of course. 1t would be impossible with
the finest adjusted tools to strike blow that
would cut watch spring into twenty or thirty
fragments leaving no rough edges to indicate
the manner of fracture; yet in this photograph
the ends as sharp and as clearly defined
though made by razor edge, and when the
skilful mechanic had placed the tiny pieces Of
steel in order the line of fracture was found to
be straight and cutting the centre.
Il always" continued Mr.. Sutton. "expect
great deal of main spring work about the time of
an equnoctial storm and prepare accordingly.
Monday night SAID to my journeyman John,
1t is about time for broken main springs; the
is crossing the line and as l spoke in came a
new Elgin stem winder and setter While ex-
aiming the watch in came another, both hav-
ing recently broken main-springs and having the
equinoctial trade mark of a straight cut
the centre"
This experience is common. Mr.. Valentine,
with MuhPs establishment, declares that the
electrical disturbances that occur on the 21st of
March and September invaribly produce huge
crop of broken main-springs His experience,
contrary to that of several Others among whom
inquiries were made, was that this year not
up to the average or, at least, if there had been
many, he had not received his usual share. He
corroborated the statement of the peculiar
breakage across the spring coil and said he Lad
seen many illustrations of the peculiar phenom-
ena. Il cannot explain it" said he, but by re-
course to the hackneyed reason assigned by
watch makers all over the country, which is
electricity in the atmosphere / once heard an
electrician to whom the subject was referred,
explain that the polarity of the metal was uni
hed-whatever that means-but how unified
polarity accomplish such work am at a
loss to understand. And why isn't the same eff
feet produced on the balance springs? 1t is sell
dom that balance springs are broken in larger
numbers during an equinox than at other times,
and never saw one with the clean cut across
the entire coil"
storms ever broke springs Mr.. Valentine said he
| had not noticed that to be the case.
Long, set in rain storms" said he, (which
are usually from the east with us near the At
! lantic seaboard fetches them, however in good
style, particularly if there is noticeable change
in the temperature of the atmosphere"
All watch movements suffer alike from this
| cause. whether American, English or Swiss
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