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No overwind protection click on PO8500

  1. rahul718 Jul 27, 2016

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    Hello, I have 2 PO8500s and I'm a bit curious about one of them. It doesn't seem to have that clicking noise which is indicative that it's fully wound as you continue to turn the crown. The other PO does make that clicking noise and it seems from what I've read that the clicking noise is common trait. So I'm a little curious why the other one doesn't seem to click, even after 100 or so turns of the crown. It keeps good time and has a power reserve over the 60 hour spec.

    Why would these two similar watches behave differently?

    Any ideas?

    Thanks
     
  2. Nobel Prize Spell Master! Jul 27, 2016

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    Sounds like a question for @Archer
     
  3. WatchVaultNYC Jul 27, 2016

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    Should there be a click? The only automatics I've had that clicked after winding had a broken mainspring
     
  4. Syed117 Jul 27, 2016

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    I don't have a 8500 movement watch, but my 9300 speedmaster definitely clicks and it is obvious when it has been fully wound.
     
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  5. WatchVaultNYC Jul 27, 2016

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    Either that or I don't wind my autos enough.

    Edit:
    Intrigued, I went and would one of my 2500 Aqua Terras. Maybe there was clicking? But I had my ear to it, winding slowly, and I'm still not sure I'm hearing it.
     
  6. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Jul 27, 2016

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    I answered your other thread on WUS, but I'll answer it again here. The title of this thread is incorrect - there is overwind protection on the 8500. Why can you hear it on one watch and not another - it just happens like that sometimes. It's nothing to worry about, so once again I suggest forgetting about these "problems" and just enjoy your watch.

    Cheers, Al
     
  7. Archer Omega Qualified Watchmaker Jul 27, 2016

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    Maybe - it depends on the watch. Many modern watches use a mainspring barrel that has notches on the inner wall of the barrel, like this one:

    [​IMG]

    These notches retain the free end of the mainspring (the bridle) and act along with the braking grease to control the slipping of the free end of the spring. This allows the spring to build enough tension to keep the watch running properly with adequate power and running time, and also allow the spring to slip when the watch is fully wound, and continues to be wound.

    When a watch like say a Cal. 2500 is wound, you can hear faint clicking that is constant and corresponds in speed and frequency to how the crown is turned - this is the click spring running over the teeth of one wheel. Once it reaches full wind, that sound continues, but if you listen carefully you can sometimes hear less frequent and more random clicking of a different kind - this is the bridle slipping in these notches.

    A number of things can affect if this extra clicking can be heard or not, such as case material, case thickness, if the notches are slightly worn, the amount of breaking grease used, etc. as long as the watch is performing well, it doesn't matter if you hear the extra clicks or not.

    Note that not all manufacturers use the notches, and some just use a smooth inner barrel wall and rely only on grease and bridle tension.

    Cheers, Al
     
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  8. WatchVaultNYC Jul 27, 2016

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    That could be what I was hearing with my 2500. But it's really, really faint and almost impossible to hear unless I was winding very slowly, and my ear was on the case.

    The broken mainspring watches I've handled, they were more like "poink.. poink.. poink" quite audible and sometimes a mild recoil on the crown
     
  9. rahul718 Jul 27, 2016

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    Thanks, that answers it. I was just curious since I've read many times that the clicking noise comes when the watch is fully wound. Since this watch wasn't clicking, I was wondering if something was wrong. This PO8500 is 3 years older than my other PO8500, so maybe it does have something to do with being older and more worn in