ADJUSTMENT
Adjustment refers to the set of actions carried out on the regulating organ and escapement to optimise the operation and, most importantly, the precision of the movement and the watch. There exist various adjustment methods, usually related to the design of the movement. It is said that a “watch is well-adjusted” when it is precise.
ESCAPEMENT ADJUSTING
Normally, refers to all the operations needed to complete a component or a manufacturing process. Over time, the term has become specifically used to refer to all the adjustment operations of the various functions of the escapement.
THE TIMING
In watchmaking, the term timing — as used and presented in this chapter — encompasses all the operations involved in assembling and regulating the watch’s regulating organ. The proper functioning and, above all, the precision of the timepiece depend on the perfect mastery of each of these steps. It is important to note that timing applies only to hairsprings made of steel alloys. Silicon hairsprings, on the other hand, are pre-adjusted during manufacture and cannot be subjected to any further manipulation.
ADJUSTMENT BY MODIFICATION OF THE ACTIVE LENGTH OF THE BALANCE SPRING
The method used to adjust the timekeeping of the watch is defined during the design of the movement. One of these methods involves modifying the active length of the balance spring. Increasing it reduces the frequency of the balance wheel’s oscillations, which creates a delay in timekeeping. Reducing it increases the frequency of the balance wheel’s oscillations, creating an advance in the running of a watch.
ADJUSTMENT BY MODIFICATION OF THE BALANCE WHEEL’S MOMENT OF INERTIA
This adjustment method (formerly anecdotal) is becoming more and more widespread, particularly in high-end watchmaking. Although its correction range is generally less extensive than the method by modifying the length of the hairspring, it allows more precise results to be obtained and is not likely to be altered during use, particularly by shocks.
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