Self-winding device (on)

Mechanical watch winding kinetic energy storage, but the barrel space is limited, how to maintain a steady stream of energy without having to manually on the chain, since the pocket watch era is already watchmaker wants to solve the problem, not to mention through Automatic winding can always keep the spring in a stable state of kinetic energy, is also very helpful for the precision of the time. 1770 Switzerland's Abraham-Louis Perrelet invented the self-winding pocket watch, which was designed to rotate the 360-degree rotation of the self-drive sprocket system, close to today's common design, but the pocket watch is in the pocket, unlike Watch can often with the action of the hands of the transformation point of view on the chain, and when the design is not perfect, even after a few years Breguet modified into a pendulum-type automatic disc, did not popularize.

It was not until the 1920s that the watch's self-winding device was once again valued. The British watchmaker John Harwood invented the hammer-type self-winding system in 1924. After the 1930s, various designs that seemed so novel now One after another, the best of them are the Rolex designs that auto-rotate 360-degree rotation and are now the most common type of self-winding.

After a few decades, one after another new invention, but most are not practical, there are a few brands in use and the results are good, the best known is IWC's "Woodpecker", Seiko's "magic lever" and treasure in recent years Ring self-winding device used by Zeillie. The principle of similar self-winding will not be much worse, but there are many changes in a variety of movement, this article first describes the basic principle of modern self-winding and more common steering device, next to introduce the hook on the Chains and other rare antiques and modern designs.

â–² Perrelet automatic pocket watch

Basic operation and power source

We first ET A2451 (2824 predecessor) as a reference to explain the terms of the self-winding components, as shown in the figure: 1 automatic disc, 2 automatic wheel, 3 and 4 form a number of automatic wheel (auxiliary steering wheel), 5 and 6 composed of automatic two rounds (steering wheel), 7 automatic three rounds (deceleration wheel), and 8 automatic four round (on the sprocket), 9 large drum, 10 barrel. 3-6 can also be collectively referred to as the steering wheel, the role is that the automatic disc clockwise, counterclockwise rotation of the opposite force into the same direction for winding action.

Although the automatic plate is heavy, but usually more torque torsion, not easy to directly on the chain, and the deceleration wheel and the upper part of the sprocket also has a layer of pinion, so you can adjust the gear ratio, so that the rapid rotation of the gear output Larger torque for smooth winding. The fixed way of automatic disc basically has the ball-type and axial-type bearings as shown in the figure, the ball-type is more flexible in general, but the Rolex axis type also received a high rating, the structure of the final or to the machine The overall design of the core may be. In the above structure, the steering wheel design is more complex and interesting, the following for everyone to introduce two common steering structure.

â–² ETA 2451 self-winding diagram

â–² ETA2451 two-way winding steering wheel group

Axial bearings

â–² ball bearings

Ratchet steering wheel

Ratchet structure refers to the control gear can only do one-way design, so as to allow automatic disk side idling, while the other side of the chain. Take the unidirectional winding ETA 7750 as an example, the steering wheel B can be divided into upper gear, ratchet, lower gear and axis pinion from top to bottom, and can be rotated in the reverse direction with the upper gear, Therefore, it is only transmitted to the reduction gear C if the automatic disk (dismounted, the shaft is in the A position) is rotated in the up-chain direction. In the case of two-way winding, the same as the ETA 2451, plus an auxiliary steering wheel.

The brand of ratchet structure is slightly different, but the principle remains the same, through Rolex's design to understand; Red wheel has a ratchet and two sets of internal pawl, ratchet and shaft pinion, and pawl and red wheel When the red wheel rotates counterclockwise, the ratchet pawls the ratchet wheel and the ratchet wheel slides in the opposite direction. Therefore, no matter how the auto disc rotates, the pinion shaft that drives the reduction wheel can only rotate anticlockwise to wind up the chain. Two red wheels side by side, it will achieve the effect of two-way winding. Omega's 1045 caliber is a simpler method, with only one-way energy-reducible wheels.

â–² ETA 7750 one-way winding steering wheel

â–² OMEGA 1045 one-way winding movement

â–² Rolex ratchet structure

Rolex two-way self-winding wheel system