page_title: Mainspring gauge
section_title: European gauges
hierarchical_section_title: Mainspring gauge / European gauges
caption_attribution_description: English: Front and back views of a watch mainspring gauge made by Martin (France)
context_page_description: Mainspring gauges were used to measure the sizes of watch mainsprings so that replacement springs could be ordered from a supply house.
  Mainsprings are characterised by their strength and height.
context_section_description: They were made by several European companies and are all similar to the gauge in Figure 1, being brass plates with notches on both edges and round sinks on both sides.
  The height of a spring is measured by finding the smallest notch on the edge of the gauge into which it will fit. The strength is determined by finding the smallest round sink into which the mainspring barrel (horology) will fit. (The diameter of the barrel is related to the mainspring length and strength, but this method for determining strength only works for springs of standard lengths.)
  Each manufacturer used a different arbitrary scale to describe mainspring sizes, but these sizes are usually based on the French inch.
  A better method for measuring strength is to use a slit gauge, Figure 2, with which the thickness of the mainspring is measured directly. This gauge uses a scale of sizes running from 21 (0.05 mm) to 5/0 (0.30 mm).
  Scales used in watchmaking generally do not use negative numbers. Instead, after size 0 there is 2/0 or 00, 3/0 or 000, and so on.
caption: Figure 1: Martin mainspring gauge (front and back views). Actual size 181 x 30 mm.
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