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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Component record · Dial & hands

Hand Collet

Partially verified

The fitting by which a clock hand attaches to its arbor.

What it does

Locates the hand securely while allowing removal for service.

How it works

Friction, a taper pin or a small screw retains the hand; a hand forced onto a worn collet will slip.

Evolution

Forms vary widely and help identify replaced hands.

Known variations

  • Friction fit
  • Pinned collet
  • Screwed collet

Identification for collectors

  • A hand whose collet does not match its companion is usually a replacement.

Common failure modes

  • Split collet
  • Slipping on the arbor

Diagram

escape wheelpallets and leveroscillator
Schematic: escapement arrangement. An outline schematic drawn to show the arrangement of the parts discussed here. It is not a dimensioned working drawing and does not depict a particular maker's calibre.

Sources & references

  1. de Carle, D., Practical Watch Repairing
  2. de Carle, D., Watch and Clock Encyclopedia
  3. Daniels, G., Watchmaking

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.