Fergus Forsyth

Yet another Platform

This next job is a little more challenging, this platform has seen its share of abuse and I hope to return it to some of its former glory.

It is a gilded engraved platform with the balance having what look like small cleats on the rim. It was made for the Chinese market around the 1860’s by a company Vaucher Freres.

The platform is shown below

Platform

Below is the platform in pieces ready to do some work on it, there are a number of problems with this one, the domed jewel on the top of the balance cock was missing, it had a piece of a watch end stone jammed under the bar on the balance cock, it was making the adjuster loose and looked unsightly, new jewel required, the rod in the middle of the photo is a new jewel in the making. It has a piece of sapphire stuck on the end which is partially shaped.undefinedThe escape wheel is soldered onto the pinion and arbour the flux for the solder has eroded away the surface of the escape wheel, I will be trying to replace the pinion and arbour and fit a new escape wheel. Because of the soldering work on the escape wheel the cocks for the escape wheel have been filed and abused.

The platform had been heavily oiled and was running after a fashion

Escape wheel cocks
The balance cock and escape wheel cocks
Someones “adjustment” under the escape cock
Here you can see the oil seeping out of a piece of paper packed under the bottom cock for the escape wheel
Showing the solder on the escape wheel near the pinion
The other end of the escape wheel, the flux used to solder the wheel in place has pitted the escape wheel I will check the tips for damage when I am ready to fit the new pinion.
A photo of the top escape jewel (45 x magnification) showing fractures and impurities of the natural sapphire used to make the jewels. The fractures don’t go right to the pivot hole so I will not be replacing this one
A roughly shaped jewel for the top end stone, it needs a little more polishing, very close now, then fit to the correct height
The final polished jewel on the left and the old replacement on the right
The finished jewel in place, I might have to add a new screw as well
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