Category: Product Reviews

Bergeon 6767 Spring Bar Tool Review

Bergeon 6767 Spring bar tool Review

Any watch enthusiast should have a set of tools to help maintain their watches, and at the very top of my list of suggested tools is the humble Spring Bar Tool. Designed to simply depress a spring bar, this is a tool that you might not think you need, but trust me; you do.

When working with small delicate parts it’s always best to use the correct tool for the job. I’ve seen countless watches with scratched up lugs and case-backs because somebody figured they could get away with swapping out a strap using by using their cheap eyeglasses screwdriver set. Is it possible? Sure, but why use the wrong tool and potentially damage your expensive watch when investing in a quality spring bar tool could make the process so, so much easier.

So what exactly is a Spring Bar?

[hr style=”striped”]
Spring bars are the tiny little spring loaded pins that hold watch straps in place. In most watches the bar will fit through the last link on your watch’s bracelet and snap into two corresponding holes or divots in the lugs of the watch head. There are usually two spring bars, one on each end, but some bracelets might have four or even six. Most spring bars will have little ridges or shoulders that the spring bar tool can fit into making the process easier.

Ok, so why do I need a special tool?

[hr style=”striped”]
When you are working with very small components even the most simple of mechanical tasks can become quite difficult. The Bergeon 6767 Spring bar tool is a high quality tool designed make the task of removing watch straps and bracelets as painless as possible. The forked end is large enough to bite into the shoulder of a spring bar, but also small enough to fit into the tightest bracelets. This gives you the best possible leverage in this small area, and reduces the potential for slippage so you don’t accidentally put a big scratch in your watches nice finish. On the opposite end is a stainless steel 0.80mm pointed end that is perfect for pushing out cotter pins or depressing spring bars from the side if your watch has drilled lugs. Each tip is removable and has identical threading making it easy and convenient to change or replace the tips as necessary.

How do I remove the spring bars?

[hr style=”striped”]
In order to remove a spring bar that’s fitted into a watch you need to use the wedge shaped end of the tool. Position it in between the two grooves that run round the end of the spring bar. Keeping it at a 90 degree angle, apply firm pressure and push inwards towards the center of the spring bar. This will compress it and allow you to pop it out from between the lugs on the watch head.

The Burgeon 6767 comes in two flavors: “F” and “S”

[hr style=”striped”]
Generally the “F” tip is better suited for metal bracelets. It has a smaller diameter shaft to fit into the smaller openings in metal bracelets. The “S” tip is made with leather straps in mind, and as such has blunted ends and a wedge shape shaft. The blunted ends make it less likely to gouge the leather around the spring bar, and the wedge gives you better clearance when prying against the edge of the strap.

Bergeon 6767 Spring Bar Tips – F is better for metal bracelets and S is better for leather straps

[hr style=”striped”]

[button size=”small”]Options[/button]

The Bergeon 6767 Spring Bar Tool is available in both “F” and “S” varieties. My recommendation would be to purchase the one you will use the most, and then purchase the other tip separately. You can always swap tips as needed.

[button size=”small”]Price[/button]

$26.36 Bergeon 6767 Spring Bar Tool “S” at Amazon.com
$21.99 Bergeon 6767 Spring Bar Tool “F” at Amazon.com

$11.99 Replacement 6767 “S” Tip at Amazon.com
$11.99 Replacement 6767 “F” Tip at Amazon.com

I hope you found this Bergeon 6767 Spring Bar Tool Review helpful! Did I leave something out? Have something to add? Let me know in the comments.

July 5, 2016
Ace Timegrapher Review

Ace Timegrapher Review

The more my interest in watches grew the further I felt myself falling down the rabbit hole. Simply appreciating watches for the way they looked suddenly wasn’t enough. I wanted to understand them. Accuracy, amplitude, beat error, these are all things that I needed to learn to interpret if I wanted to deepen my understanding of these beautiful little machines, and the only way to do that was to get my hands on a Timegrapher.

Enter the Ace Timer Timegrapher 1000

This is a basic unit that has all of the features I wanted and nothing else. It is quite simple in its construction and programming, which is fine by me. So that said, what does it measure?

[hr style=”striped”]

Beat Rate

This is how fast or slow the watch movement runs and is measured in seconds per day. My custom built Flieger with an ETA 6497 runs at an outstanding rate of +2 seconds a day. I couldn’t ask for better.
[hr style=”striped”]

Amplitude

Amplitude is the measure of swing in the balance wheel. The amplitude can be affected by the amount of energy in the mainspring as well as the position of the watch in space. It can be an important indication of the watches overall health.
[hr style=”striped”]

Beat Error

The amount of variation in the timing of swing from one side to the other in the oscillation of the balance wheel. Generally, beat error should not exceed 0.8ms in any single position.
[hr style=”striped”]

So now that we know what it measures, how does it work? Basically you place a watch on the clamp, it thinks for a couple of moments to figure out the train count then starts showing the beat rate. It is set to autodetect the rate by default, and does a perfectly fine job, though if you chose you can set it manually.

The only thing you’ll need to set yourself is the lift angle, which refers to the angle the balance passes through while interacting with the pallet fork. Most modern watches use a lift angle of 50 – 52 degrees, though this can vary based on your particular watch. It is important to set this correctly otherwise the amplitude reading will be incorrect.

The microphone and stand is very sturdy and appears to be well built. It is adjustable to 6 positions. You will want to measure your watch in each position to get a good feel for the performance of the piece in all possible configurations.

Overall I have been very satisfied with this timegrapher. It is a simple tool that does its job effectively. If you are a serious watch collector, or even just a hobbyist with an interest in more fully understanding your watches I can definitely recommend this gadget.

[button]Price[/button]

$185.00 at Amazon.com

I hope you found this Ace Timegrapher review helpful! Did I leave something out? Have something to add? Let me know in the comments.

April 3, 2014