Newsletter - September 2026

The Tiny Jewels That Keep a Watch Ticking

Inside a mechanical watch, dozens of tiny components are constantly moving. Wheels turn, pivots rotate and the balance wheel swings backwards and forwards thousands of times every hour. If these metal parts were allowed to rub directly against one another, friction would gradually wear them away and make the watch increasingly unreliable.

The solution can be seen as tiny, deep-red dots set among the brass and steel components of the movement. These are jewel bearings, carefully shaped and positioned at some of the hardest-working points inside the watch. Small holes are drilled through the jewels, allowing the ends of delicate wheel pivots to rotate within them. Their exceptionally hard, smooth surfaces reduce friction and resist wear far better than an ordinary metal bearing.

Historically, watchmakers used natural stones including ruby, sapphire and garnet. During the twentieth century, laboratory-made ruby became widely available. It offered the same useful hardness and durability, while allowing jewels to be produced consistently and in the extremely small sizes needed for watchmaking.

This is why movements are often marked “15 Jewels”, “17 Jewels” or “21 Jewels”. The number refers to the jewel bearings used throughout the mechanism, rather than gemstones added for decoration or value.

Seventeen jewels became a particularly common arrangement in good-quality hand-wound watches. It was generally enough to protect the principal moving parts of a traditional movement, including the fast-moving components of the escapement.

A higher number, however, does not automatically make one watch better than another. More complicated movements may genuinely need additional jewels, but manufacturers have also been known to add unnecessary ones simply because a larger number sounded more impressive.

Two very different watches currently in our collection demonstrate how enduring this idea has been. An American Hampden pocket watch made in 1892 and a Swiss Freeson chronograph from the 1960s both contain 17-jewel movements. Although separated by around seventy years of watchmaking, both rely upon the same basic solution to friction and wear.

The jewels themselves may be tiny and almost hidden from view, but their job is essential. Those flashes of red inside an old movement are part of the reason a well-maintained mechanical watch can continue ticking many decades—or even more than a century—after it was made.

A Few Favourites from the Collection...

Vintage Freeson Chronograph

A wonderfully characterful Swiss chronograph from the 1960s, with a deep black dial, twin subsidiary dials and an outer tachymeter scale. At its heart is the hand-wound, 17-jewel Landeron 48, one of the most widely used Swiss chronograph movements of its era. The watch remains in excellent vintage condition, with its chronograph starting, stopping and resetting correctly. Its classic proportions and gently aged luminous details give it the unmistakable appearance of a proper mid-century sports watch.

Hampden Watch Co. - Railroad Grade Pocket Watch

Made in Canton, Ohio in 1892, this substantial Hampden is a fine example of late nineteenth-century American watchmaking. Its beautifully finished, 17-jewel “Adjusted” movement was engineered for accurate timekeeping and displays many of the qualities associated with railroad watches of the period.

The movement is housed in a richly engraved Fahys “Montauk” gold-filled case with screw-on front and rear covers. The crisp engraving is particularly attractive, while the clear white enamel dial and bold Roman numerals make the time exceptionally easy to read. More than 130 years after it was made, the watch still winds, sets and runs well—a remarkable survivor from the golden age of American pocket-watch production.

We specialise in antiques, silver, jewellery and watches, with a particular passion for vintage and historic pieces. We enjoy discovering, restoring and preserving items with character and history.

We’re always happy to chat about antiques or watches, and to offer honest, straightforward advice.