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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Component record · Escapement

Pallet Arbor

Partially verified

The arbor on which the pallet fork pivots.

What it does

Supports the fork so it can rock between bankings with minimal friction.

How it works

Its pivots run in jewels in better work and plate holes in cheaper movements.

Endshake and pivot condition strongly affect escapement efficiency.

Evolution

Jewelling of pallet pivots became a grading marker.

Known variations

  • Jewelled pivots
  • Unjewelled pivots

Identification for collectors

  • Examined by removing the pallet cock; bench work only.

Common failure modes

  • Worn pivots
  • Bent arbor from mishandling

Related photographs

Chinese movement escapement and jewels
Chinese movement escapement and jewels — Hustvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons file page

No confidently matched photograph of this subject has been found yet. These photographs show a closely related record, and are not examples of the type described on this page.

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.