Watch Regulators
The regulator on a watch is a device that can change the rate that the
watch will run. It is normally found above the balance wheel, often
on top of the balance cock. By moving the regulator toward the "fast"
or "advance" setting, the watch will run quicker and will either gain
time or stop losing as much time. The opposite is true if you move it
toward the "slow" or "retard" setting.
A "micrometric regulator" is one that can be precisely adjusted to a
very fine degree. Generally there is some sort of screw, nut or wheel
that you can make large turns on that will force the regulator to move
a very small amount in the correct direction.
Elgin used several different kinds of regulators over the years. The
following table list them and the codes that Online Elgin Database
uses. Unfortunately, several of these terms were coded into the
database before I understood what they meant, so they are somewhat
misleading.
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