Performance of Some Timekeepers. 181 



variation of nearly four minutes a clay for a common watch, 

 and shows how utterly useless all such refinements as finish, 

 jewelled holes, &c, are to the timekeeping qualities of a 

 watch if it is not provided with a compensation balance. 

 One objection I have heard urged against the compensated 

 balance is that, necessarily being heavy to get sufficient 

 change of inertia, it is not suited for riding or other violent 

 exercise. If this objection has a real foundation, it may be 

 met by reverting to the old compensation curb, when the 

 balance might be made as light as possible. It would also 

 have the advantage of not being put out of poise by the 

 alteration of the compensating weights. Decided objections 

 might be raised to this in the case of the highest class 

 watches, where the spring is firmly fixed to the collet and 

 stud, and has no curb pins; but where a lever and curb 

 pins are already fixed, as in most watches, I do not see why 

 they should not be moved automatically as well as by hand. 

 A marine chronometer, properly adjusted for temperature 

 as above, ought now to be in a condition to perform very 

 well, as it is only kept in one position, except during the 

 few seconds while it is being wound. A pocket watch, 

 however, which is expected to go equally well in any 

 position, needs very delicate adjustment in the poising of the 

 balance and the regulation of the friction of the pivots. It 

 will, I expect, surprise many persons when they know the 

 high ratio the adjusting of a watch bears to its first cost. 

 From an official return I find that the average price of the 

 English watches sent to Australia is £5 8s. Of the foreign 

 ones that come here via England the average price of the 

 gold ones is £8 15s., and the silver ones 27s. Now, I am 

 informed that in Geneva, where labour is not at all highly 

 paid, an adjuster at the factories gets 25 francs, equal to £1 

 for each watch, and I see, from a discussion in the English 

 Mechanic, that the principal London makers charge from 

 50s. to 60s. for adjusting a watch in temperature and 

 position. To show the large errors even expensive watches 

 are sometimes afflicted with, I append the following table, 

 and I may state that I have only selected new watches for 

 this purpose : — 



