Oh: there's a really nice read on hairsprings, that I have always thought highly of; "Practical Balance and Hair-spring Work", Walter J Kleinlein, 1925. As I recall, he was at Waltham's factory in Massachusetts, and pretty-much looked upon as a Final Authority (!) in such matters. I met one of his pupils, Andy Taber ( RIP ), who operated a nice shop in Bangor, Maine. Andy attended Waltham's School after he Served in the USA Army in WWll, and mentioned that Walter would 'pass' a piece of his student's work, when it was...CORRECT. PERIOD.

A tool from Bergeon is the spring bar tool 7825, which is the tool we are going to look closer at in this article. I have finally managed to source a bracelet for my Mk2 Trident so it's time to seriously update my bracelet toolkit. To many, this tool seems so simple that technically, they should all be very similar, which should mean you could just buy the cheapest tool out there to get the job done. But this assumption could not be more incorrect, and this is something that a lot of people discover when they try a high-quality, premium spring bar tool, from previously having used a cheap and basic alternative. When you remove spring bars with a pen-shaped spring bar tool, you have nothing to compress the spring bar with, which means you have to pull it out instead via the strap or bracelet. This can cause the spring bar to fly across the room or scratch/create dents on the lugs as the pressure from the spring bar is pushed against the lugs as it is being removed. The fact that you can prevent scratches on your watch completely is the main benefit of this tool. If you change straps regularly on your watch with the wrong tools, it can cause your lugs to acquire a lot of scratches and dents over time. This is obviously something you want to avoid. This is why this tool, according to us, is well worth the investment. The Bergeon 7825 is the spring bar tool we use at Millenary Watches and therefore have great experience in using this tool.Yes, the tool is expensive. It can feel tempting to opt for a cheaper alternative, but you really do get what you pay for here. It is the tool that is used by professional watchmakers and your watch deserves only the best.

Bergeon is perhaps the best watch tool manufacturer in the world. It is known around the globe and manufactures tools for the watchmakers of some of the most prestigious watch brands in the world. With that in mind, Bergeon’s tools are among the best in the world. I have the tools you mentioned above - and a Rolex Sea-Dweller 116600 - in addition to my Omegas. The 7825 works superbly on the Rolex design because the spring bars for Rolex are double-flanged. This means there is a second flange on each end, so the 7825 has a very secure groove into which it fits to compress and expand a spring bar during installation and removal. The diameter of the spring bar is also slightly different from the omega spring bars. The Horotec tweezers are a great tweeter option - the tips of those are identical (or very close to) the 6767F tips. When it comes to tools for working on your watch, tools are the last thing you want to compromise on. You can use the tool to remove the spring bars without actually having to remove the clasp of the bracelet.Most spring bar tools are ” pen-shaped”, with which you remove one side of the spring bar at a time. The 7825 from Bergeon is a bit different, however, as it is made as a tweezer with which you tweeze both sides of the spring bar simultaneously. The benefit of this is that you can more easily grip both sides of the spring bar and carefully ”lift” out the spring bar, which ultimately prevents scratches on the lugs of the watch. Every watchmaker and watch enthusiast needs a good spring bar tool.With the help of a spring bar tool, you can remove the spring bars which are attached to the case of a watch and remove or exchange the strap or bracelet. Using the Bergeon 7825 spring bar tool, removing spring bars will be a breeze. Plus, you will minimize the risk of slipping or scratching your watch. The 7825 WILL work on Omega spring bars, but the fit is suboptimal - it will slip off much, much easier than it will off a Rolex spring bar, and this (combined with the single flange design of the Omega spring bar) really negates the advantage and secure grip the 7825 offers on a Rolex spring bar. Most watches use spring bars to keep the bracelet or strap in place and to remove the spring bars, you need a good tool. But with that said, not all spring bar tools are created equal.

On the above assessment I am leaning to upgrading my 6825 ripoffs with the Bergeon tips (the pliers themselves seem OK and I am presume after a bit of practice will easily do the job) but would welcome any forumite input, particularly from those with experience of one or more of the above tools, Frank, Neil, anybody else?