It is a pleasure to see that watch making is advancing into the 21st century. Rodger Smith is standing on the shoulders of a giant. He has demonstrated that even Mr. Daniels' design could be improved. That is no small achievement. Roger Smith is the one to follow through his most ingenious career.
On the question at the end about the relationship between spring stiffness, moment of inertia, and period: that is a property of the balance independent of the escapement, so the relationship is exactly the same no matter what escapement you choose. To the extent that the escapement affects the period, it is a deficiency of the escapement.
While not a watchmaker, I enjoy your method of presentation, and especially enjoy your pursuit of precision and craftsmanship. I'll most likely never be able to own a R.W. Smith watch, but through your videos I can enjoy them.
I'm so excited to see a new video on this channel after 2 years! I'd love to see some more videos showing how you finish the components of your movements (black polishing, bevel polishing, sand blasting for the matte finish, blueing screws, etc)!
Roger - I'm really glad you (finally) posted a video, and also very disappointed there aren't more views or comments. Your videos were what originally piqued my interest in watchmaking, and while you're not the world's best public speaker (I don't mean to offend) it's been wonderful listening to you explain your quest for a better escapement. I wish I could have been present, I'm not far from NY myself. I really enjoy the content here, and hope you keep it up when you get back home. PS Great to see the tiny Triskelion on your Mk2 movement, nice touch!
Having made a model of the co-axial escapement, may I suggest that the diagram which is shown at 35:00 needs to be modified. When the escapement wheel is unlocked, the escapement wheel lags behind the pallet and so at point A the escapement wheel would not be touching the pallet, but it would start pushing action closer to B where the escapement wheel catches up with the pallet. Hence this would account for a single sliding action from B to C and not twice from A to B and then from B to C. It is not possible for the co-axial escapement to start the pushing action exactly at the same time as the unlocking is done in both cases!
Here is my explanation for having said what I did. Out of the four pallets existing in this escapement, their roles are as follows. Look at the nearest diagram at 50:42 in this video. There are two pallets whose role is destined for the locking mechanism of the escapement larger outer wheel and there are two other pallets whose role is destined to impulse the periodic rotation to the oscillating unit. Let us name the pallets as 1, 2, 3, 4 starting from the left to right. 1. The two locking pallets are 2 and 4 both of which engage alternately on the larger escapement wheel which is always going clockwise. 2. The two impulse pallets are 1 and 3. Impulse Pallet 1, (anticlockwise) on the oscillating/rotating sprung unit, engages with the large escapement wheel (clockwise) and goes with it circumferentially AFTER pallet 2 unlocks it radially. The longer Impulse Pallet 3 (anticlockwise) engages with the central wheel (clockwise) and goes with it circumferentially AFTER pallet 4 unlocks the larger escapement wheel radially. There is a time duration beteen the radial unlocking and the circumferentail touch to push. That is basically it. I do not agree that there is no surface friction on these pallets as there is a slight radial sliding friction on all four of them especially WHEN THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DISENGAGEMENT. When they engage, there is much less sliding friction as there would be a time delay between the unlocking and relevant pushcing action Note that while the large escapement wheel has an instant impulsive STOP, a rotary arresting locked action on pallet 2 and 4, the pushing action on both pallet 1 and 3 is a gentle delayed engagement on the move as they pass the batton in a relay race!! Note that if this escapement is made with more teeth on the escapement wheel, it would not work, as when impulse pallet 1 is moving anticlockwise it would hit the tips of the large escapement wheel. George Daniels had no choice in this, as the angle of engagement of the radius of pallet 1 and the radius of the large engagement wheel is very critical for this co-axial escapement to work. I believe that pallet 1 engaging on the escapement wheel was an untidy afterthought but still, with eight teeth or seven teeth pallet one could engage and flies back disengaged without hitting the large escapement wheel. This co-axial escapement works, but I do consider pallet 1 as an untidy and unelegant mechanical arrangement which makes the co-axial escapement very UNSYMMETRICAL in its operation. The power transfer in each of the two pushing actions is not equal. It works, it does have less sliding action but rather mechanically unsymmetrical and untidy and needs great precision to make it work. I wonder if it can be made in a symmetrical manner without using the two escapement wheels as shown at 31:08!
Take a listen to this podcast: ruclips.net/video/waI1WnIgcho/видео.html. I've put the link at the right place, have a listen to the next 2 minutes. It seems the Omega Coaxials are really very good time keepers. Given that that was Daniel's entire aim, I suspect he'd be at least slightly content!
Very interesting stuff, always enjoy your videos (even if I don't fully understand them!). Thank you sir! A likely unrealizable dream would be to own one of your watches one day.
F3udF1st Could it be the case that the tooth isn’t applying any pressure in point A (that it is only at point B where the actual stopping force is applied), and that the picture is just misleading?
Nobody will be able to service the watches he makes in 50 years when he is gone. He needs to bring down the level of finishings, as well as bring down the price tag and increase manufacturing capability
He designs the movements in such a way that they are much easier to service than others. eg. You'll notice on the colour photo one of the jewel housings is held in place with three screws rather than press fitted for this very reason.
It is a pleasure to see that watch making is advancing into the 21st century. Rodger Smith is standing on the shoulders of a giant. He has demonstrated that even Mr. Daniels' design could be improved. That is no small achievement. Roger Smith is the one to follow through his most ingenious career.
agreed, i would like to see more videos. love this guy
Fascinating! Once you enter the horology rabbiit warren, there’s no escape(ment).
On the question at the end about the relationship between spring stiffness, moment of inertia, and period: that is a property of the balance independent of the escapement, so the relationship is exactly the same no matter what escapement you choose. To the extent that the escapement affects the period, it is a deficiency of the escapement.
While not a watchmaker, I enjoy your method of presentation, and especially enjoy your pursuit of precision and craftsmanship. I'll most likely never be able to own a R.W. Smith watch, but through your videos I can enjoy them.
Thank you for recording and sharing this content
I'm so excited to see a new video on this channel after 2 years! I'd love to see some more videos showing how you finish the components of your movements (black polishing, bevel polishing, sand blasting for the matte finish, blueing screws, etc)!
Incredible presentation, I can't wait to start watchmaking school in September; you're a great inspiration to me.
Excellent stuff. Hopefully more or your videos to come...
Very interesting lecture Roger. Thanks keep up the GREAT work you do.
This was interesting to see how Roger's development process was mainly driven by an engineers feel rather than academic .
Roger - I'm really glad you (finally) posted a video, and also very disappointed there aren't more views or comments. Your videos were what originally piqued my interest in watchmaking, and while you're not the world's best public speaker (I don't mean to offend) it's been wonderful listening to you explain your quest for a better escapement. I wish I could have been present, I'm not far from NY myself.
I really enjoy the content here, and hope you keep it up when you get back home.
PS Great to see the tiny Triskelion on your Mk2 movement, nice touch!
Ha, no offence and I am glad that you enjoyed it
Having made a model of the co-axial escapement, may I suggest that the diagram which is shown at 35:00 needs to be modified.
When the escapement wheel is unlocked, the escapement wheel lags behind the pallet and so at point A the escapement wheel would not be touching the pallet, but it would start pushing action closer to B where the escapement wheel catches up with the pallet. Hence this would account for a single sliding action from B to C and not twice from A to B and then from B to C.
It is not possible for the co-axial escapement to start the pushing action exactly at the same time as the unlocking is done in both cases!
Here is my explanation for having said what I did. Out of the four pallets existing in this escapement, their roles are as follows. Look at the nearest diagram at 50:42 in this video.
There are two pallets whose role is destined for the locking mechanism of the escapement larger outer wheel and there are two other pallets whose role is destined to impulse the periodic rotation to the oscillating unit. Let us name the pallets as 1, 2, 3, 4 starting from the left to right.
1. The two locking pallets are 2 and 4 both of which engage alternately on the larger escapement wheel which is always going clockwise.
2. The two impulse pallets are 1 and 3. Impulse Pallet 1, (anticlockwise) on the oscillating/rotating sprung unit, engages with the large escapement wheel (clockwise) and goes with it circumferentially AFTER pallet 2 unlocks it radially. The longer Impulse Pallet 3 (anticlockwise) engages with the central wheel (clockwise) and goes with it circumferentially AFTER pallet 4 unlocks the larger escapement wheel radially.
There is a time duration beteen the radial unlocking and the circumferentail touch to push.
That is basically it. I do not agree that there is no surface friction on these pallets as there is a slight radial sliding friction on all four of them especially WHEN THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DISENGAGEMENT. When they engage, there is much less sliding friction as there would be a time delay between the unlocking and relevant pushcing action
Note that while the large escapement wheel has an instant impulsive STOP, a rotary arresting locked action on pallet 2 and 4, the pushing action on both pallet 1 and 3 is a gentle delayed engagement on the move as they pass the batton in a relay race!!
Note that if this escapement is made with more teeth on the escapement wheel, it would not work, as when impulse pallet 1 is moving anticlockwise it would hit the tips of the large escapement wheel. George Daniels had no choice in this, as the angle of engagement of the radius of pallet 1 and the radius of the large engagement wheel is very critical for this co-axial escapement to work. I believe that pallet 1 engaging on the escapement wheel was an untidy afterthought but still, with eight teeth or seven teeth pallet one could engage and flies back disengaged without hitting the large escapement wheel.
This co-axial escapement works, but I do consider pallet 1 as an untidy and unelegant mechanical arrangement which makes the co-axial escapement very UNSYMMETRICAL in its operation. The power transfer in each of the two pushing actions is not equal. It works, it does have less sliding action but rather mechanically unsymmetrical and untidy and needs great precision to make it work. I wonder if it can be made in a symmetrical manner without using the two escapement wheels as shown at 31:08!
Thank you for sharing this!
Really enjoyed that .
I would be gratefully for your opinion on the omega coaxial and how they have intergrated it . Thank you
Take a listen to this podcast: ruclips.net/video/waI1WnIgcho/видео.html. I've put the link at the right place, have a listen to the next 2 minutes.
It seems the Omega Coaxials are really very good time keepers. Given that that was Daniel's entire aim, I suspect he'd be at least slightly content!
Thank you for this upload. Wonderful.
Fascinating! and informative.
Fantastic presentation.
Very interesting stuff, always enjoy your videos (even if I don't fully understand them!). Thank you sir! A likely unrealizable dream would be to own one of your watches one day.
The slide @ 35:00 is wrong, the sliding action in the co-ax will be twice the length since it travels both back and forth.
I'm not seeing your point.
The sliding friction is on unlocking. I don't think its required for locking.
F3udF1st what are you referring to? I am pretty sure Smith would know the escapement.
A S in the figure, from A to B to C, the distance in highlighted in red is traversed twice. Thus twice that distance
F3udF1st Could it be the case that the tooth isn’t applying any pressure in point A (that it is only at point B where the actual stopping force is applied), and that the picture is just misleading?
Just fast forward to 5:00. The rest is boring club introduction.
Still signed Daniels London!
Хороший у вас контент. Не понимаю почему под другими видео нет комни лайков
Weeknumber complication on watches please 😋
Did anyone else get here from american dad clips? I’m staying cuz it’s fascinating I just really wish I wasn’t the only one.
Cant believe im watching watch theory fascinating
Fantastic presentation. The guy asking the first question was terribly pedantic though
MACHINE ETA HIGHTEC ESCAPMENT 80 HOURs JOBs, BRASIL OK.
Nobody will be able to service the watches he makes in 50 years when he is gone. He needs to bring down the level of finishings, as well as bring down the price tag and increase manufacturing capability
The whole point of his watches is to avoid this process.. hes not trying to make money. Money is worthless, he is trying to make a watch with purpose.
easy to service a watch ..... what are u smoking
He designs the movements in such a way that they are much easier to service than others. eg. You'll notice on the colour photo one of the jewel housings is held in place with three screws rather than press fitted for this very reason.