Rolex watches, known for their precision performance, are equipped with two inseparable components: a hairspring and a balance wheel. However, the degree of attention paid to these two critical devices differs significantly; most attention is to the hairspring. Outsiders often forget that the rhythm of this fine hairspring is constant and accurate due to the inertia effect generated by the balance wheel connected to it. Moreover, this neglected balance wheel can effectively ensure the regularity of the balance oscillation component. Hence, the importance and technicality of the balance wheel are no less than the famous fine hairspring.
Rolex engineers have carried out systematic innovations and improvements to fine-tune the inertia effect of the balance wheel, creating star-shaped micro-adjustment screws (Microstella screws), which significantly improve the accuracy of watches. Using a unique tool made by Rolex, the watchmaker gently tightens or loosens the nuts (two nuts opposite each other must be turned at the same time to maintain balance), adjusting the inertia and rhythm of the balance wheel’s rotation, thereby correcting the accuracy of the swing. The watchmaker can customize the watch to change the balance wheel according to various wearing conditions. Best replica watches.
Important components
The balance wheel and star-shaped micro-adjusting nut developed by Rolex combined the advantages of the two primary watchmaking adjustment methods at the time: the balance wheel with adjustment screws and the tool called micro-adjuster. The ingenuity of the fine-tuning nut is that it effectively improves the variable inertia of the adjusting screw and the balance wheel, allowing the watchmaker to precisely adjust the balance wheel, which is already fixed in the movement housing. The star-shaped design of the nut helps to tighten the fine-tuning in any position.
The smallest deviations
However, the technology and complexity of the Rolex balance wheel far exceed the Venus design. The ring composed of the wheel and the wheel arm is made of Glucydur, a beryllium copper alloy with paramagnetic properties and a low thermal expansion coefficient, which protects the precise operation of the balance wheel from magnetic interference. Changes in the properties of the hairspring offset the effects of metal expansion or contraction caused by temperature changes. In the Bienne watch factory, the balance wheel is machined from solid rod material to ensure that the balance wheel is perfectly balanced when mounted in the center of the movement. Its manufacturing deviation is +/-2 microns or two-thousandths of a millimeter. Rolex quality standards produce each component; just like a ship, it takes work to deviate from its course once it has set sail. The high inertia coefficient (radius squared times mass) of the Rolex balance wheel is due to a clever optimization design that reduces all external interferences, thus ensuring that ideal precision is maintained over time. Swiss replica website.
Manufactured in-house
To reduce friction and allow the balance wheel and hairspring to vibrate as freely as possible, the end of the balance wheel shaft (pivot) must be excellent. The diameter of the pivot is only 0.07 mm (or 70 microns), equivalent to the diameter of a human hair. The hairspring is “rolled up” to enhance durability, and this critical process requires special knowledge and technology. The hairspring made by Rolex, the various components of the balance wheel, the pivot jewels, the Paraflex shock absorbers that fix the components, and the all-important lubricants all fully master the elements that make the movement accurate and reliable, which is the foundation of the reputation of Rolex movements.
Gender: Men’s
Engine: Rolex Calibre 2836/2813
Band Length: 18cm
Series: Day-Date
Dial Color: Black Dial
Model: 218239
Brand: Rolex