# Adjusting a Mechanical watch?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjusting-a-mechanical-watch/439180>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 26, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjusting-a-mechanical-watch/439180 "2008-02-26T02:41:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjusting-a-mechanical-watch/439180/1 "2008-02-26T02:41:28Z")

</div>

I have an old mechanical watch, from about 1940. If you llok inside, the little wheel that oscillates (the "balance " wheel) has tiny little screws in the periphery. Did a watachmaker actually move these screws in and out to adjust the timing of the watch? That must have been very time consuming-so, was an accurate watch a very expensive item in those days?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/adjusting-a-mechanical-watch/439180/2 "2008-02-26T03:13:51Z")

</div>

If I understand what you are describing on the balance wheel, it consists of a series of little “screws” located around the periphery of the wheel. These are to balance the wheel; please do not move them.

While I don’t know the exact movement that you have, almost all movements have a little lever with a + and - located on a nearby scale. By moving the lever you adjust the watch to run slower or faster.

If you don’t know what you are doing, try a google search on “watch adjustment”