I got to conferring with a Patek NY employee the other day, and the subject of spring bars came up. He said they endeavor to fit solid gold bars to all of their watches, because stainless bars eventually deform (ovalize) the lug holes on 18K cases. Whether this is due to traction stress from the bands, or rotary abrasion, he could not say.

Anyway, I checked one of my unmolested bumpers, and the original spring bars appear to be brass. On a similar condition Centenary, they are solid gold (had them tested).

Brass I believe is softer than stainless, so this I assume would be comparable to the solid gold. But have any of you seen this lug hole deformation alleged to occur with stainless bars on solid gold cases?

Thanks,

M'Bob

 

You ain't seen nothin' yet. Just wait until the current fiat farce implodes in earnest. Hoo boy.

 

Yes, though 1971 was the critical date, when Nixon broke the final tie to gold. Since then there has, predictably, been a ridiculous amount of debt created by governments around the world. Now, time is running out. We are in an unprecedented period of economic history – the apex of the biggest credit/debt bubble ever. When it pops – which it will fairly soon – look out below. Whether forced or engineered, there will be a shocking reset, and gold will be revalued much higher.

The post linked below provides some basic insight into why another major crisis is assured. Not only have the very structural problems that caused the 2008 crisis not been reformed, but since then, 57 trillion dollars of further debt has been created around the world. That's trillion, much of which will never be repaid.

http://www.ftense.com/2015/02/a-look-behind-57-trillion-increase-in.html

Here's an excerpt from a post (linked below) that also summarizes the dire situation well:

Debt, Civic Decay & Global Disorder
The core elements propelling this Crisis – debt, civic decay, and global disorder – were obvious over a decade before the financial meltdown catalyst sparked this ongoing two decade long Crisis. With the following issues unresolved, the shadow of this crisis has only grown larger and more ominous:

Debt

• The national debt has risen by $7 trillion (64%) to $18.1 trillion since 2009 and continues to accelerate by $2.3 billion per day, on track to surpass $20 trillion before Obama leaves office and $25 trillion by 2019.

• The national debt as a percentage of GDP is currently 103% (it would be 106% if the BEA hadn’t decided to positively “adjust” GDP up by $500 billion last year). It is on course to reach 120% by 2019. Rogoff and Reinhart have documented the fact countries that surpass 90% experience economic turmoil, decline, and ultimately currency collapse and debt default.
• Despite the housing collapse and hundreds of billions in mortgage, credit card, auto, and corporate debt being written off, dumped on the backs of taxpayers and hidden on the Federal Reserve balance sheet, total credit market debt has reached a new high of $58 trillion.

• Harvard professor Laurence Kotlikoff has been a lone voice telling the truth about the true level of unfunded promises hidden in the CBO numbers. The unfunded social welfare liabilities in excess of $200 trillion for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Obamacare are nothing but a massive future tax increase on younger and unborn generations. Kotlikoff explains what would be required to pay these obligations:

“To honor these obligations we could (a) raise all federal taxes, immediately and permanently, by 57%, (b) cut all federal spending, apart from interest on the debt, by 37%, immediately and permanently, or (c) do some combination of (a) and (b).”

The level of taxation and/or Federal Reserve created inflation necessary to honor these politician promises is too large to be considered feasible. Therefore, these promises, made to get corrupt political hacks elected to public office, will be defaulted upon.

http://www.theburningplatform.com/2...the-shadow-of-crisis-has-not-passed-part-two/

 

I guess once we decent into chaos, we will only have stainless springbars?

 

Wonder if its more of an issue that people wear their watch too tight. If the gold is as soft as they claim, and some one is constantly tugging on the wrist and flexing it to get the watch in a better position I can see where they were going. I am not a materials engineer or scientist but we've seen this debate over on the rolex forums with what causes the bracelet stretch. Its wear and tear with dirt for that one. Especially for the jubilees.

 

Hard to believe that on the way to going broke I had a Vacheron 47200/1J, Day, Date Power Reserve, with 18kt. spring bars. I bought it from a collector in Canada and in addition to all the original boxes and papers, he included the long Vacheron alligator strap with an 18 kt. deployant buckle he wore with it plus the original Vacheron alligator strap and 18kt. tang buckle. Such a deal

 

Springbars in my gold Datejust. I wonder what they're made of.

 

No more VCs. Mickey's strictly a Speedmaster "Mouse"

 

SS insert in the holes would stop any wear.
Gold spring bars would be the ideal size to carry around for spending, if fiat currencies lose favour.

 

My "red gold" 1803 came with original gold bracelet and gold spring bars.

 

Yes, to address your question, the spring bars on one of my first edition Centenary models are also 18k. And yes to the second part in terms of stainless spring bars enlarging the exposed holes of some early Connies largely by rotary abrasion. Over the years I've seen some holes that have become decidedly oval after the original brass having been replaced by stainless examples.

I have seen some early examples of untouched Constellations with 18k bars, but not one after the introduction of the non exposed holes.

In respect to comments about impending global financial doom, I think it's time to move back to the farm. At least I can grown my own, and maybe even have a crack at producing food too!

 

Finally. Many thanks.