Restoration
of a Miniature Patek Philippe
Page
4
It
was then necessary to
temper (soften) the ends of the hardened steel cylinder because
small plugs must be pressed into the ends to form the pivots. Leaving
the cylinder hard where the escape wheel teeth make contact is the
trick. The photo shows the color changes that took place as
a result of the heat that was applied during the tempering process
This was done by heating the wire, first one side then the other,
and watching the color change travel down the wire until it affected
only the desired portion of the cylinder.
Finally
the part was lapped and polished to finished size inside and out.
The finished part is shown in the photo below.
I
am constantly amazed at the achievements of the very talented craftsmen
who refined the Art of Watchmaking. I have a deep
respect for those who have gone before. It has
been my privilege to restore wonderful creations made long ago,
often prior to the machine age. Many of
them were made with hand and foot powered tools using natural lighting
or oil burning lamps.
Early watches were not designed with the help of advanced engineering concepts but more by trial and error. Many years of seeing what worked and trying a better idea lead to a better and better product. The miracle will continue.
