Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-30
A SPRING IN A WATCH
AN IMPORTANT BIT OF STEEL THAT
FREQUENTLY BREAKS.

watchhhAkor. Say That sudden Changes |
OF Weather Arc Dangerous TO These |
Uncertain Pieces of Moehani.m-,iain. |
springs In Expcnsive Watches.
"Alninsprings arc very much like poo.
pie" said a Broadway matchmaker tho
other day. "Thoy are us susceptible to
extreme degrees OF heat aud cold rs
human beings. When tho Thermometer
Is lowering around the freezing point or
dancing awaNup In the nineties the lit
tie matnsprinR will give up in disgust
and uncoil itself and die, just rs men
succumb to freezing or sunstroko."
This uncertain piece Of mechanism Is
supposed TO 10 adjusted to meet tho
various degrees of temperature, but
when tho change Is very great and
comes with short notice there Is nothing
that can prevent them from swapping.
They are made In Switzerland OF tho
very finest quality of steel. absolutely
tlawless. Very often the matchmaker
can detect u bad spring before putting
IL in the watch, either by its color or
the softness Of it's spring. These have
been too highly tempered In the making,
and instead OF being subjected to merely
u red heat the iiro has been brought to
white heat. thus weakening the strength
OF the metal. Tho finest watches that are
handled by reliable dealers are put
through cooking and freezing" proc
ess before they are sold, for tho purpose
OF testing their reliability in all temper
aturcs.
Tho watch Is first placed In little
metal box, which Is made alright.
Then n strong gas flame is turned on
the under surface Of the box and is kept
there for two or three hours, 80 that the
watch is no hot at the end Of that time
that 1t could not be touched with the
bare hand. From this 1t Is immedi-
ntely taken and put into another mo
tallic box which Ia buried In ice. There
the costly watch Is allowed TO freeze
for an equal length OF time, when its
torture ceases and the examination IL
nude. II during this excessive test the
watch appears TO have licked merrily
on without deviating fractional part
of n second u Is placed back In the case
nnd marked guaranteed for two years q"
Tho handspring Is the first piece Of
mechanism that succumbs TO the test
lift survives nothing else need be feared.
Mainsprings are, however, about tho
only part OF watch that the jewclor
cannot successfully diagnose. They can
guarantee any OF the numbcgless little
wheels or pivots or balances that 10 to
mako mp the anatomy OF the watch hut
the handspring has rs yet hallled the
most skilled makers Of watches of all
countries. II is not 80 much the severe
extremes OF the weather that prove fatal
TO the spring as 1t is the process OF
changing from hot to cold or vice versa
Like the human frame, II the ribbonlik,
little coil OF steel can withstand the Of
fects ofthis change it may be considorel
proof against breaking when the chang,
to normal weather comes.
Many pyople who have been possessor
Of new watches but short time cont
into the dealers with blood In their eyes
declaring that they have paid an onor
nous price for tho timepiece and tn
handspring has broken after only
weeks use.
Tint is nothing" remarked the jewel
er. "Wo have them snap in our cas-
before tho watch has ever been show
for sale" Others imagine that the
might have wound tho watch too tight
but this does not hnrin 1t. 1t is rattle
the jcrky, hurried winding that vii
eventually tell on the temper of tn
metal. Every good stem winder has
stop placed in tho stem, which prevent
the winding too tight.
Damp weather has an III effect o
mainspiings, and in England they
aot rs a rulc last as long as in this coul
ny, A severe thunder aud lightnin
itorm also frequently proves disastror
% the durability of the spring, Adeal,