Glossary · Mechanism
Depthing
How deeply a pinion and wheel, or pallet and escape tooth, engage each other.
Explanation
Depthing is how deeply a wheel's teeth engage its pinion, or pallet stones engage the escape wheel. Correct depth gives smooth, efficient action; too deep causes binding, too shallow causes slipping and wear. Depthing is set by the distance between the pivot holes, which is why worn or bushed holes placed carelessly upset the whole train.
In the object catalogue
Catalogued objects whose own source record mentions “Depthing”. The quoted line shows where; it is the seller’s or museum’s wording, not independent verification.
