Component record · Plates & finishing
Pins
VerifiedSmall, unthreaded steel rods used to locate, retain, or transmit force between components without the mass or complexity of a screw.
What it does
Serve varied roles across a movement: locating dial feet, retaining a hinge, or transmitting impulse (as in the pallet fork's guard or roller pins).
How it works
A dial is commonly secured to the movement by dial feet (small pins projecting from the dial's underside) that pass through holes in the plate and are secured by dial-foot screws or spring clips, rather than by screwing the dial itself.
The roller jewel (impulse pin) on the balance's roller table is technically a pin (a small jewel or hardened steel pin) that engages the pallet fork's slot to exchange impulse between balance and escapement.
Hinge pins, as in a hunter case cover or hinged case back, are simple pins that allow rotation while retaining the hinged part.
Evolution
Pin-based fixings remain in routine use for specific low-load or precision-location purposes throughout watchmaking, alongside rather than displaced by screwed construction.
Known variations
- Dial feet and dial pins
- Roller (impulse) pin/jewel
- Hinge pins
- Taper pins in some clock movements for pillar retention
Identification for collectors
- A dial secured without visible screw holes through its face typically indicates dial-foot pin retention from the reverse side
Common failure modes
- Bent or sheared pins, particularly impulse and hinge pins under load
- Loss of small pins during disassembly if not carefully tracked
Photographs
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Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.
Sources & references
- de Carle, D., Practical Watch Repairing
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.