Glossary · Mechanism
Friction jewelling
A manufacturing method that press-fits jewels directly into the plate or bridge rather than mounting them in a screwed chaton.
Explanation
Friction jewelling presses jewels directly into precisely sized holes in a plate or bridge, held only by friction. It replaced screwed chatons and rubbed-in settings as the standard method during the twentieth century.
It is clean, quick and allows endshake to be adjusted by pressing a jewel slightly in or out. Replacement jewels must be matched in diameter and thickness, which is easier with standard jewel systems.
What to record
- Friction jewels sit flush or slightly recessed without a visible setting.
- Rubbed-in jewels show a burnished metal lip around the stone.
Pushing jewels in or out without the correct tool can crack the jewel or the plate.