All About Jewels
Watch companies used semi-precious gems like garnets, rubies and sapphires as bearings to reduce friction for the steel pivots of the gear train, instead of softer bronze bushings. Learn the different kinds of jewels, their function and location, and how to determine the jewel count of a watch simply by looking at it.
Types of Jewels
Hole and Cap
The two primary types are hole and cap jewels, and both have functions on the balance assembly and in the gear train. Loose jewels are are those that have not been mounted in a setting. Think of the difficulty involved in making these tiny parts after mining the raw materials and cutting them into usable shapes.
Jewels in Settings
Both hole and cap jewels could be mounted in a setting made of brass, bronze, and even gold. The setting was a ring with an inside shoulder to hold the jewel in place, while a press crimped the metal edges of the setting over the jewel, securing it.
Diamond Cap Jewels
Diamonds were used as cap jewels on the balance staff and on the escapement of the very highest grades. While they increase its value, the diamonds themselves do not increase its accuracy.
Which watch had the most? Waltham's legendary Riverside Maximus came with 3 pairs of diamond jewels, for a total of six.
Roller Jewels
Sometimes referred to as the impulse jewel, this stone trips the pallet fork in the opposite direction by every arc of the balance wheel, absorbing millions of impacts during its service life. The roller jewel is mounted to the roller table of the balance wheel with shellac, a gummy resin secreted by the female lac bug.
For more information on roller tables visit the Advanced page.
Pallet Stones
These stones were also mounted with shellac to the pallet fork, momentarily halting the gear train at every tooth of the escape wheel and pushing the balance wheel through its oscillations.
It's the precisely angled faces of those two stones, driven by the mainspring, that impels the balance wheel into its next cycle.
Jewel Functions
Hole Jewels
Hole jewels were used as bearings for polished steel pivots that generated very little friction when properly oiled, relying on the flat face to control end shake, which is vertical travel. They were made from industrial-grade precious stones, so they were much harder than the steel gear train pivots but even more brittle.
Capped Jewels
Cap jewels provide a rebound surface for the pivot tips, eliminating the need for the flat surface found on hole jewels. Paired hole and cap jewels trap the staffs by their pivot tips, generating far less friction than hole jewels alone because smaller surface areas come in contact with each other.
Escapement Jewels
Jewels were also used in lever escapements, which was the eventual design choice of most watch factories. The roller jewel, mounted on the balance wheel, gives the impulse to the pallet fork, alternately locking and releasing the entry and exit pallet stones. This allows the escape wheel to rotate one tooth at a time, gradually letting down the mainspring until it's spent.
Jewel Settings
Bushings
Flush Friction
Press-Fit
Bushings are not jewels.
They are holes drilled into both upper and lower plates for the escapement, gear train and mainspring. The contact between all of the parts is metal on metal, and unless they're properly maintained the bushings will enlarge and become ruined.
Press-Fit
Flush Friction
Press-Fit
Holes with stops were milled into the plates, an unmounted jewel inserted into the hole, and then the plate metal was rolled over the edges of the jewel, trapping it in place. These are not meant to be replaced, and they must be shattered before they can be removed.
Flush Friction
Flush Friction
Flush Friction
These jewels were mounted in settings and then seated from the inside so they can't fall outward, fabricated with precision to end up flush with the plate surface. Friction keeps the setting tightly in place, so they're easily changed if necessary. This is also known as an "interference fit".
Flush Screw
Raised Friction
Flush Friction
Unlike friction-fit jewels, these kinds of settings were almost always screwed in from the top side of the plate, though there are several exceptions. The settings were carefully milled flush with the plate so they couldn't interfere with the oscillation of the balance wheel on full-plate designs.
Raised Screw
Raised Friction
Raised Friction
Sometimes called "smokestack" jewels, these settings were made of gold and were again screwed in from the top of the plate. The purpose of raised settings was partly for show, but they also did a better job of retaining oil because of their cupped shape, so that it didn't migrate onto the plates, staining them.
Raised Friction
Raised Friction
Raised Friction
These are also raised for oil retention but are pressed in from the inside to prevent them from falling out. They are used for a clean look on only the higher grades and are almost always gold. Any cap jewels, which must be installed first, are not a snug fit and are kept in place by the friction-fit hole jewel, which is installed second.
Jewel Locations
There are seven gear train components in any American railroad-era watch, no matter the size or model, making for seven jeweling locations. The exceptions are 5th pinion designs by Illinois and Aurora, which converted hunting movements to open-face.
- The mainspring barrel that provides power
- The center (second) wheel, which drives the hands
- The third wheel between the center and fourth wheels
- The fourth wheel, which holds the seconds hand
- The steel or bronze escape wheel
- The pallet fork with entry and exit stones
- The balance wheel, which carries the roller jewel
The pallet fork utilizes two pairs of hole/cap jewels and two stones on a higher-count watch, while any balance wheel uses two pairs of hole/cap jewel plus the roller jewel.
5th Pinion Watches
An Extra Idler
Illinois and Aurora were two companies that produced hunting movements with a standard gear train, and simply modified their existing designs to achieve an open-face watch rather than go back to the drawing board and come up with a completely new model.
The 4th wheel on a hunting movement (yellow arrow) carries the second hand, and to convert it to open-face the factory simply added an extra idler (red arrow) 90 degrees away from center so that it was opposite the winding stem and mounted the seconds hand there.
5th pinions can also be jeweled, singly and in pairs, adding to the count.
7 Jewels
The Lowest Count
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones (1 entry and 1 exit)
- 1 roller jewel
Seven was the lowest total for the vast majority of American watches, and was the basis for all higher counts. There were no jewels in the gear train and the regulator is usually a simple one.
Metal on Metal
The purpose of hole and cap jewels was to reduce friction between the gear pivots and the plates in which they rotated. In a 7-jewel watch the entire gear train used bushings instead of jewels. Over time the pivots and the bushings can wear badly, especially with poor maintenance, and once these bushings become enlarged the watch is essentially ruined.
The Fake Jewels
Several factories made 7-jewel watches with glass cap "jewels" on top of every pivot, along with false jewel counts and railroad motifs stamped on the plates. Underneath are metal bushings, though the glass caps may keep a certain amount of dust out of the pivots. The micro-regulator on the balance is functional.
9 Jewels
Rockford Only
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 hole jewel for the pallet staff and the escape wheel
It is believed that Rockford was the only factory to offer this jeweling combination of two train jewels on the upper plate only.
South Bend Only
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the escape wheel
It is believed that South Bend was the only factory to offer this jeweling combination of a pair of jewels for one train component.
11 Jewels
Upper Plate Only
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 hole jewel for the pallet staff, the escape wheel, and the 3rd and 4th wheels, for a total of four
All the jewels are visible on the upper plate, with none under the dial. The tip-off between an 11 and a 15-jewel watch is that the lower count will usually have only a simple regulator.
Paired Escapement
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet staff and the escape wheel, for a total of four
The only possible tip-off between a 9 and an 11-jewel watch is that the higher count may have a micro-regulator.
12 Jewels
Upper Plate Only
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 hole jewel for the pallet staff and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of five
Again, all of the gear train jewels are on the upper plate, with corresponding metal bushings on the pillar plate.
15 Jewels
Everything in Pairs
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet staff and the escape, 3rd, and 4th wheels, for a total of eight
The tip-off between a 15 and an 11-jewel watch is that the one with higher count will usually have a micro-regulator.
17 Jewels
A Fully Jeweled Watch
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
All the components are jeweled except for the mainspring, which rotates too slowly to generate any appreciable friction.
16-jewel Watches
There were several companies that deliberately left the lower (hidden) center post unjeweled, lowering the count from 17 to 16.
19 Jewels
Externally Jeweled Barrel
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of jewels for the external mainspring barrel
External barrel jewels make it easier to wind the watch.
Internally Jeweled Barrel
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of jewels for the internal mainspring arbor
Arbor jewels allow the mainspring to unwind more smoothly.
Unjeweled Barrel
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for either the pallet staff or the escape wheel
For more on mainspring barrels, visit the Advanced page.
21 Jewels
Escapement Cap Jewels
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for the pallet arbor and the escape wheel, for a total of four
Internally Jeweled Barrel
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for either the pallet arbor or the escape wheel
- 1 pair for the internal mainspring arbor
23 Jewels
Escapement Caps and a Jeweled Barrel
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for the pallet arbor and the escape wheel, for a total of four
- 1 pair for the mainspring arbor
Gear Train Caps Only
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of caps for the pallet and escape wheel, and 1 on the upper 3rd and 4th wheels, for a total of six
Jeweled Banking Pins
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for the pallet arbor and the escape wheel, for a total of four
- 1 pair of jeweled banking pins
Non-Functional Jewels
Jeweled banking pins artificially inflated the count and did not increase accuracy. This design is found on the Howard Series O.
Why are they non-functional? Because there is virtually no friction between the pallet arm and the banking pins, which act as stops for the pallet as it swings rapidly back and forth.
24 Jewels
Gear Train Caps Only
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of caps for the pallet arbor, escape and 3rd wheel, and 1 on the 4th wheel, for a total of seven
24-jewel models are rare, with few factories making them.
Caps and a Jeweled Barrel
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for the pallet arbor, escape wheel, and 3rd wheel for a total of six
- 1 hole jewel for the upper mainspring barrel
25 Jewels
Gear Train Caps and a Jeweled Barrel
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for the pallet, escape and 3rd wheels, and 1 on the 4th wheel, for a total of seven
- 1 hole jewel for the upper mainspring barrel
Only the Columbus, Illinois, Rockford and Seth Thomas factories made 25-jewel watches as regular production pieces.
Who made the fewest? Rockford, with only a dozen.
Who made the most? Seth Thomas, with roughly 720.
26 Jewels
The American Maximum Count
- 2 balance staff hole jewels
- 2 balance staff cap jewels
- 2 pallet stones
- 1 roller jewel
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the pallet and the escape, 3rd, 4th, and center wheels, for a total of ten
- 1 pair of cap jewels for the pallet, escape and 3rd wheels, and 1 on the 4th wheel, for a total of seven
- 1 pair of hole jewels for the mainspring barrel
Illinois was the only company to offer a 26-jewel watch, and roughly 250 of those were produced in just three grades: the Bunn Special, Benjamin Franklin and Pennsylvania Special.
Pennsylvania Special photo courtesy of Jones & Horan.
Join The Crowd
Sign up for the newsletter, which showcases exceptional variants, historical trivia, restoration projects, holiday sales and more.