Evening star., 1915-02-28

no you know how to handle. carry
II " and wind your watch properly"
Do you know at what time of the
day you should wind it, the pocket in
which it is best to carry it. and the po-
sition in which you should leave your
watch at night or when it is not in
use?
These are some questions which IN
Gle Sam has undertaken to answer for
his 100, 900, 900 nieces and nephews, or
such of them that are the possessors
of pocket watch.
Instruction as to the use and care
of watches are given in a publication
recently issued by the bureau of stand
ards. They are based on conclusions
reached by scientists after careful tests
and on the practical experience of some
of the leading watch manufacturers of
the land.
watch carefully and of winding it reg
ularly is known to almost every one
But rules for the proper treatment OF
watches always have Varled greatly'
and it is for this reason that the bu-
reau of standards has investigated the
matter and has prepared standard in.
structions which 1t advises owners OF
watches to follow.
The bureau, in it's set of rules, first
cautions against allowing watch 10
fall or receive a severe jar, either OIL
which are liable to injure the mechan-
ism. especially in the bending OF
pivot or the breaking of jewel. The
mere fall of a watch to the end OF its
chain or the jar it may receive when
the article of clothing in. which 1t is
being carried is thrown down or
dropped may cause serious injury TO
the movement. Even the sudden mo
tions or Jar of jumping of or on
street car may injure it seriously.
Likewise care should be taken to keep
a watch from becoming magnetized ny
nroximity to electrical apparatus, al
though the trouble from this cause Is
being reduced by the present type VI
construction of dynamos ana motor
The watch case should be opened as SCI
places where there is little chance OF
dust getting into the movement.
broken watch crystal should De
placed promptly, even II the Watcn mas
Ia hunting case. a.
Concerning the Importance of Wild
ing watch regularly, the bureau oi
standards states:
Even the delay of an hour in the
time of winding may cause consioeia-
BILE variation in the rate in some u
done jerkily, but steadily, and not too
RAPIDLY. and its conclusion should pc
approached carefully to avoid Injury
to the spring or winding mechanism.
.It is generally regarded as siigntly
better to wind the watch in the morn
ing than at night, as the large Varla.
tions of the balance under the tlgne
spring will perhaps give more uhiIor ~ N
results with the movements ana !ar od
the watch during the day than if the
balance wheel were subjected to the
lesser tension twelve hours after Wlnd-
ing. The difference is, however, not
so important as the regular wlnolng
of the watch, and if circumstances are
such that one Is more apt to forget
to wind 1t in the morning than IN tne
evening, the latter time OF Winning
should be adopted. If one has an op-
portanity to compare are ms & wasen ss,,rcs oai1s ~
standard time, as with the time as sent
out by telegraph or by wireless sig
nails or. by regular comparison WIN WIN
some accurate clock, as one daliy
Il would be well to establish the habit
| Of winding the watch at that time, as
| it is better to have such daily COM
| parisons made at the time the Watcn
| is wound, and more regular winding
will usually ensue.
The pocket in which one carries his
| watch, the size of the pocket and the
| kind of watch chain or fob used have
| more important effect on the unifor-
| nifty of a watch's rate than is gen.
| orally realized. The temperature of
| the watch in different pockets will
vary considerably and the amount of
| motion or jar to which the watch would
| be subjected would differ. For instance.
| a watch carried in the upper coat
pocket would generally be at lower
temperature and would be more fire.
| quently disturbed as well as being
held in various positions more lrregu-
larly. than in other pockets.
In large pocket the watch is apt to
turn to the right or left by various
amounts, giving irregular rates, un-
| less one adopts some method of holding
it upright. Perhaps the best method
| to prevent a watch turning in this
way, other than actually pinning it in
place, is to keep the watch in a chamois
| or kid watch bag, such as may be OBJ
| tanned from jewelers. in correct size to
fit ones pocket. The watch can not