Escapement Wheel Inspection
Each tooth of the escapement wheel is inspected with a watchmaker's loupe, checking symmetry and the absence of burrs. A deformed tooth can cause a loss of several seconds per day.
Step 1 – Visual and Tactile CheckMastery and Manual Precision
Each tooth of the escapement wheel is inspected with a watchmaker's loupe, checking symmetry and the absence of burrs. A deformed tooth can cause a loss of several seconds per day.
Step 1 – Visual and Tactile CheckThe balance wheel is the heart of the clock. We adjust the length of the hairspring and the position of the balance weights to achieve a constant oscillation, essential for long-term precision.
Step 2 – Amplitude AdjustmentWe apply special, natural-origin oils in microscopic quantities to the balance pivots and the escapement wheel axle. Any excess is removed with filter paper.
Step 3 – Fine LubricationDust inside the wooden case is removed with a soft squirrel hair brush. We use a slightly alkaline solution of natural soap, followed by slow drying at room temperature.
Step 4 – Case MaintenanceAll gears are checked for wear and play. A gear with worn teeth or an ovalized axle can jam the mechanism. We replace parts only with hand-cast replicas.
Step 5 – Kinematic Chain TestingAfter assembly, the clock is left to run for 48 hours, measuring deviations with a precision timer. A fine adjustment of the balance wheel corrects any differences.
Step 6 – Function ValidationWe started with a single workbench and a French wall clock from 1890. After three months studying the escape wheel, we managed to correct a seven-minute-per-day advance by finely filing a single tooth. That first victory showed us that precision is not about tools, but about the eye and patience.
After hundreds of hours of testing, we adopted a blend of pure olive oil and horse bone oil, applied with a watchmaker's needle to the balance pivots. The result: an 18% reduction in friction compared to synthetic lubricants available on the market. This choice became the workshop standard for all mechanisms prior to 1950.
A Bavarian wall clock from 1875 arrived with a cracked barrel and the mainspring fractured in three places. We remade each coil by hand, from cold-drawn carbon steel, and reassembled the balance with a new ruby pivot. After six months of work, the mechanism ran with a deviation of only 12 seconds per week.
We opened a workshop-school where apprentices learn to read tooth wear by the sound of the escape wheel and adjust the axial play of axles with 0.05 mm brass washers. By 2020, seven of the graduates had opened their own workshops in Romania, keeping the tradition of manual calibration alive.
We created a collection of 24 gear wheels cast in phosphor bronze, each with geometry documented after 19th-century originals. These parts are used exclusively for replacing worn components in Romanian and Austrian wall clocks, without compromising the authenticity of the mechanism.
Each step was recorded in the workshop journal — an archive that today numbers over 1,200 technical notes on balance adjustments, lubrication, and wooden case repairs.
Articles and practical guides for enthusiasts of mechanical wall clocks, from gears to axle lubrication.
A detailed analysis of the escape wheel and its interaction with the balance wheel. Each tooth must be perfectly symmetrical and hand-polished to transform spring energy into regular impulses.
Read the technical analysisA step-by-step guide for applying special oils to the critical points of the mechanism. Learn how to place each drop with a watchmaker's needle, avoiding excess that attracts dust.
View the practical guideSafe methods for removing dust and old dirt from precious wooden cases. Learn how to use a soft squirrel hair brush and a slightly alkaline solution of natural soap.
Discover the maintenance methods