things that fascinate me...

[solipsistnation]

Mechanical watches. I've found a site with a series of lengthy and informative articles on various aspects of mechanical watch movements, including lots of pictures. The best articles are mostly in The Horologium. It includes a series of articles on the various pieces of watch movements, including the escapement, the motion works (the parts that actually move the hands), and the keyless works, AKA the part that lets you wind the watch. He also goes into detail on various movements, from the ridiculous expensive and complex to the technically interesting.

Of particular interest is his examination of the Swatch Jellyfish, especially where he compares it to the Rolex Explorer-- and finds the Rolex to be a less elegant design with significant flaws in manufacture.

Other sections of the site include a discussion of jewels in movements, and what they do and how many are actually useful, and details on a repair made to a very old movement. And, along with all this, there is a collection of humor articles that I suppose must be funny if you have any idea what they're talking about...

Comments

[eccles.livejournal.com]

Lovely site!

My favourite pair of cuff links (actually more or less my only pair of cuff links) are a set of gold plated mechanical watch movements.

[mysterylodge.livejournal.com]

I have a friend that does nothing but repair antique clocks and watches. Too bad he's seldom on lj, as some of the things I've seen him working on would no doubt fascinate you. I'd go into more detail, but I just got into a car accident and had a machete waved at me, so I think I am going to lie down.

Cheers.

[jehanna.livejournal.com]

I went to this post with the intention of commenting to the same effect.

I hope your back is no worse after being rear-ended, by the way.

[stophittinyrslf.livejournal.com]

yikes... hope you're okay aside from being totally freaked out.