Service: Ebel 101 / AS1158

IMG_8516James sent in the Ebel for a service. It’s a military watch, but it seems odd that it doesn’t have luminous hands, and the dots on the dial are more than crudely applied.

I guess the hands were changed at one point…IMG_8517

The case back with the usual engravings.IMG_8518

The movement is marked as a calibre 101, but it’s an AS1158, branded by Ebel. One of the case screws is missing, but apart from that, all looks well.IMG_8523

The balance has a Breguet overcoil.IMG_8526

The movement has a central second, with a bridge over the centre wheel.IMG_8531

The bottom plate has a little segment that allows you to put on a minute hand for testing.IMG_8532

And here is the reason why the watch doesn’t work any more.IMG_8675

Out of the cleaning machine, and ready for reassembly.IMG_8676

I found a new mainspring.IMG_8677

For this type of jewels, I use a Bergeon oiler.IMG_8680

A very odd thing is that the regulator markings are wrong – moving towards A/F makes it slower, and towards R/S makes it faster. No idea how that could happen!

Back together and beating.IMG_8681

First look – way too fast, and quite a beat error.IMG_8682

I take the balance off, and reshape the inner position of the hairspring, and adjust the collet.IMG_8684

Not bad, and that’s where I will leave it.IMG_8685

Now I can put the bottom plate back together.IMG_8686

The dial and hands go on.IMG_8687

 

And the watch is back together with a new crystal.

15 thoughts on “Service: Ebel 101 / AS1158

  1. It is many years since you posted this report, but I do know that some later Ebels used a geared regulator, made for them as part of the AS1687 (Ebel caliber 214). Favre-Leuba also used them, as supplied from AS. Zodiac and GP, when using that movement, used a Triovis regulator. The geared regulator’s pointer has the opposite motion of the direct regulator shown here. Once wonders if AS had movements with a geared regulator were made at the time of this watch, and the worker simply pulled the wrong engraving template off the shelf. It’s a poor theory, but at least it’s a theory! Thank you for your wonderful reports.

  2. How strange. Do you think it could have been a machining error in the factory? Perhaps if they’d left the template for the text etching from a ‘left pointing’ balance cock on the machine and etched in on to this ‘right pointing’ balance cock?! Bizarre!

    Would you mind explaining briefly what you had to do to the hairspring to bring the rate down? When you say ‘inner positioning’ do you mean tweaking the terminal curve? If so, in what way?

    • A production error is probably the most likely explanation…
      The innermost winding of the hairspring was touching back on the collet, thus shortening the effective length of the hairspring.

  3. “For this type of jewels, I use a Bergeon oiler.”

    That was the other thing – knew there was something! What type of jewel are you referring to there – the cap type ones, a specific application or maybe material?

    Do they come in different oil flavours or do you have to add the oil type you want?

  4. Great work Christian!
    I have a second one of these old warhorses, so I did a little comparison. The hands are the same on both, so I believe they are original although my second watch doesn’t have the luminous modification. It is also quite strange that the regulator marks are incorrect on this watch, but correct on the other!?
    Another interesting point is that the AS shield and calibre number have been milled off the bottom plate. I believe this to be a factory modification by Ebel as both of these watches have had the same treatment. But why?

    • On the other movement you have, are the figures on the regulator on the same sides as on this one, or does the lever just work in the opposite manner to this one?

      I have just realised how odd it is to have lume dots on the dial but no lume on the hands…

      • I think you can possibly see the remains of some more radium lume on the hands.

        Most people here will already know, but the Ebel 6B/159 was downgraded to 6B/234 status at some point in its lifetime, hence the engraving having been updated on the case back. This could have been for a number of reasons, for example if they were found to not be great time keepers after having been in service for some duration.

  5. Odd about the A/R lever… would having the balance spring in the wrong way up / around cause that?

    Looks like the lume on the dial was a modification – maybe by the Air Ministry as was?

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