History of watch oils

[trilo]

Kinda off topic as I'm only asking and this didn't really tick the boxes in any other section (maybe this would be good in the refernce material section?).

Anyway, my question is:

Where can I find a history on watch oiling/oils preferably with some years to indicate when things appeared etc. This has now started to interest me as I just finished my first mechanical watch service. I'm especially interested in syntethic watch oils and their history as google doesn't seem to provide anyting sensible.

Cheers, Trilo.

[Fergus]

An excellent question and topic.

Do we need so many different oils and greases. I lean towards 6. 9010, 9020, 8200, 8217, silicone grease and Quartz oil.

Some manufacturers market lubricant free movements.

How do the robots apply lubricants on the assembly lines.

The Mastery of Time book makes no mention of them though it does list oil 'Oil Sink'

[pip]

One of my books goes into some depth as to the best oils for use in horology. It recommends Porpoise Jaw Oil and Blackfish Melon Oil. It even tells you a bit about how to extract and prepare them. It does slightly predate Moebius getting involved though...

[pip]

A quick search on AHS (you have to be a member which I highly recommend btw) brings up a two page article from the July 1964 edition of The Horological Journal talking about the recent developments toward synthetic oils. But the earliest mention I can find of 9010 / Synt-a-lube is from a letter in the June 1952 Horological Journal from a Mr JH Scott of Bishop Auckland, extract below:

The watch oil M56b is unfortunately not yet obtainable in this country, although a very similar oil has just been marketed by the Swiss firm Moebius and Son, under the name of "Synt-a-lube," and this I understand is obtainable, but it is rather expensive.


As for Moebius, they have been advertised in the HJ since the 1880's so I guess they were squishing porpoise jaws long before they started in the laboratory.

[trilo]

This is a can of worms for sure. Discussed in all forums and a threshold for every beginner.

I can't deny that I'm yet another person trying to make things simpler, but more than that I'm truly interested in the history. Like pip pointed out we have come a long way since the days of yore and it is a fact that there are different properties to oils (especially to porpoise oil and syntethic ones). However it amazes me how little there are dates attached to discussion about oils.

I got interested in the history part because the watch I serviced was from the 60's. However I didn't really find out any information about when the syntethic watch oils came to the market. I found a Seiko oiling chart which included a 6602 movement (one I serviced) and the list mentioned moebius oils (atleast I think it did). However I think the list was made in the 70's or even later as it included bunch of other movements. And even if factories used syntethic oils, your local watchmakers certainly didn't (ofc there are always exceptions).

Also if, lets say Seiko didn't use syntethic oils on their watches in the 60's, then if we'd truly wanted to be as hard core as some of those swiss people are and only use swiss batteries in their swiss watches, then we'd have to grease our watches with whatever was available back then. Same goes for swiss people and pocket watch people. Yet we use modern oils and no one in their right mind would stick porpoise grease in their valuable piece of horology even if it is of that era. But then there is the question, that wouldn't modern, let's say industrially produced sewing machine oil and vaseline work aswell, as I think they are better (atleast more pure I think) compared to anything offered even as lates as 50's and 60's?

Maybe the era of syntethic oils/greases leave more wathces behind for the coming generations than the ones before us.

Yeah, I love history, but I think (basically) everything used to be worse before than it is now (there are some exceptions, but really nothing significant).

EDIT: Actually pip's porpoise thing is a perfect example of how things used to be and how they are now. Geez...

[Adrian-VTA]

"If upon letting the screw

fairly into the wheel, and putting on the smallest handle or winch which

belongs to it, the screw either moves stilly, or there is a sensible shake

between the wheel and the screw, he will find a screw against which

the upper part of the frame of the main screw at the right hand end

stops, by which he can adjust it, so as to be just without shake ; and

then if the screw turns easy and pleasant, all is right ; if not, clear

the teeth of the wheel from dust, with a middling hard brush, and al

so the screw, and give them a little goose-grease, (not what drips

from them in roasting) but what is rendered from the internal fat cake,

as the fat of sheep and bullocks are to make tallow."

"A Receipt to Deprive Oil of its Acid.

To four ounces of the best spermace ti oil, add four grains of Kali

acralum,* in five ounces of distilled water, shake them well for a day

or two, then pour the whole into a tumbler, covered by another, and

when exposed to the light for three or four weeks, the pure oil will float

on the top, to be skimmed off by a tea-spoon. This oil, it is said, nei

ther dries nor turns green.

Oil may be prepared in the following manner :

Put a quantity of the best olive oil into a phial, with two or three

times as much water, so as the phial may be about half full. Shake

the phial briskly for a little time, turn the cork downwards and let

most of the water flow out between the side of the cork and the neck

of the phial. Thus the oil must be washed five or six times. After

the last quantity of water has been drawn off', what remains is a mix

ture of water, oil, and mucilage. To separate these from each other,

put the phial into hot water for three or four minutes, and most

part of the water will fall to the bottom, which must be drawn off as

before. The oil must then be poured into a smaller phial, which be

ing nearly full, must be well corked, set in a cool place, and suffered
to stand for three or four months, or until the water shall have subsid

ed, with the mucilage above it, and the oil perfectly transparent, swim

ming on the top of the mucilage. When time has thus completed

the operation, the pure oil must be poured off into smaller phials, and

kept in a cool place, well corked, to preserve it from the air. This, by

Mr. E. Walker, of Lynn, dated 13th Nov. 1810. (See Nicholson's

Phil. Journ.)

The fat or oil which is left in the pan after making calves-feet jelly,

if taken and put into a jug or bowl, and allowed to remain lor some

months, what swims on the surface may be skimmed off, put into a

small phial, and kept there for some time : this will be found to be a

very fine kind of oil, at least it has the appearance of being so. A

French chemist, of the name of Jodin, prepares an oil, adapted for the

use of watch-makers ; it resists the cold to a considerable degree, but

in time will become green at pivot holes, like most other oils. Olive oil

freezes at 38° or 36° of Fahrenheit's thermometer, but if put into an

open glass phial, and exposed to the sun-shine for a little while, it will

not be apt to freeze till the thermometer is down to 21°. " As the

amount of friction, even in the best clocks, in a great measure depends

upon the oil, with which the various parts are lubricated, the follow

ing information may be considered of some importance. Colonel Beaufoy states, that olive oil may be freed from its mucilage, merely by ex

posure to the rays of the sun for one or two years. "

" Chevereul, an eminent French chemist, recommends another pro

cess for the same purpose. To effect this, he mixes seven parts of al

cohol with one of oil, which must be heated in a flask almost to boib'ng ;

the lighter fluid is then decanted, and, on being suffered to cool, a little

portion of fatty matter separates, which is to be removed. The al

coholic solution must be evaporated to one-fifth of its bulk, and the fluid

part of the oil will be deposited colourless, tasteless, and free from

smell." This oil seems much like what was called Arabian oil,

lately (April 1825) exhibited in Edinburgh. The printed description

given with it, gave neither name of an inventor, or any place of abode,

a circumstance somewhat extraordinary, and unless a great quantity

of it was to be taken, none could be purchased.

Of old, watch-makers were taught not to allow the small phial,

which contained the olive oil, to stand even in the light, far less to be

exposed to the rays of the sun, because this deprived it of its yellow

color, which was considered to be a quality of the goodness of the

oil. And now, the moderns, by depriving it of that color, say they im

prove it.

Oil extracted from poppy seeds, and properly prepared, will remain
uncongealed at a very low temperature. Almond, walnut, and ha

zel-nut oil, if freed from the mucilage, with which these oils are

frequently intermixed, may be tried for watches. It was formerly an

object of inquiry, to know when a jar of Florence oil was in a frozen

state, which sometimes took place in severe winters,—a portion of it

remaining unfrozen was taken out for the use of watch-makers.

We are informed that M. Frederick Schmidt, of Stutgard, has dis

covered an oil for chronometers, &c. which will not freeze at minus

17 of Fahrenheit's thermometer; does not dry at X212, and boils at

512 ; it is not affected by cold at upwards of 50 degrees below the

freezing point. M. S. is of opinion, in which he is confirmed by

experiments, that this oil will not be affected under the Poles.

The process of pouring the water off between the cork and neck

of the phial, was found to have something in it awkward and clumsy ;

we therefore got a large phial of about 17 or 18 inches deep, two

inches wide, made with a glass stopper at top, and another at the side

and close on the bottom, to let the water out, which answered the

purpose extremely well. Also a few long sort of phials, with ground

glass stoppers to each. The tall phial and its stop-cock was found

very convenient in the process of washing with water, and letting

the water out occasionally, to give room for more fresh and clean wa

ter. Oil thus prepared, and afterwards carefully managed, will per

haps be found to be as good as can in any other way be obtained ;

some of it we prepared in this way, and applied to the pivots and

holes of the clock in the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. This clock

was taken down to be cleaned about the beginning of the year 1825,

after having gone nearly twelve years ; the pivot holes had a little

greenish and thick oil on them, but in the reservoirs, it was in some

degree tolerably fresh and yellow. It is singular that the washing

did not deprive it of its yellow color.

[Adrian-VTA]

"2. Porpoise Jaw Oil and Black Fish Melon Oil

(64) have become widely known and justly celebrated in all parts of the world, as they were found to be better adapted

for the purpose of lubricating fine and delicate machinery

than any substance freviotisly used.

3 . Blackfish-Melon Oil* " derives its name from the mass taken from the top of the head of the animal reaching from the spout hole to the end of the nose, and from the top of the head down to the upper jaw, from which it is extracted. When taken off in one piece this mass represents a half watermelon, weighing about twenty-five pounds

ordinarily. When the knife is put into the center of this melon the oil runs out more freely than the water does from

a very nice watermelon. Porpoise jaw oil and blackfish melon oil are worth from $5 to $15 per gallon, accord- ing to supply. They are not only used in horology, but by

manufacturers of fine firearms, philosophical apparatus, and

in government lighthouses for the clocks of revolving lights."

4. The Blubber, or fat, taken from the jaw of the porpoise or the head of the blackfish was formerly rendered in iron pots over a fire, but the modern method of extracting

the oil by steam is said to be much superior. The oil is washed with water by thorough agitation, after which it is allowed to stand for several days, when it is drawn off and

the last traces of water removed by distillation. The oil is then subjected to a very cold temperature and pressed

through flannel cloths, by which process the "oleine" is separated from the "stearine," the resulting oil being more or

less limpid as the former or latter constituent predominates.

5. John Wing, of New Bedford, Mass., son-in-law

of, and successor to, the late Ezra Kelley, states in answer

to inquiries, that their supply of oil comes from the porpoise and blackfish taken during the summer months on the

coast of Africa, above the equator ; and that they find that

this oil contains less glutinous matter than that obtained in and about the St, Lawrence river, which fact he attributes to the difference in the food of the fish, which in turn affects the oil.


6. D. C. Stull, of Provincetown, Mass., in answer to inquiries on the subject, has kindly furnished the following information and series of views " The supply of porpoise-jaw oil and blackfish-melon oil comes mostly from Massachusetts Bay, the trap and gill net fishermen bringing them into Provincetown, sometimes alive, as shown at Fig. i. The capture of fifteen hundred

blackfish. Fig. 3, by the people of Provincetown, Truro

and Wellsfleet, was one of the most exciting scenes in the annals of coast fishery. The fish were attracted to these shores by the large quantity of squid and herring, on which

they feed. It is estimated that the catch was worth $25,000, some of the fish weighing two tons each. The relative

size of a blackfish and a man is shown at Fig. 3. Seafaring men and whaling captains who catch the porpoise at sea, extract the oil from the head and jaw only, and bring it to the factories to be manufactured.

" Fig. 4 is a good view of a modern factory. The fat is cut from the head and jaw, (Fig. 5,) washed in fresh water

and put into covered tin cans, then into iron retorts, (Fig. 6.) These retorts are then closed, screwed up tightly, and live steam turned on from the boiler. The fat is cooked by

steam for five hours, with ten pounds pressure, at 230° F. By this means the crude oil is extracted from the fat."

7. Sperm Oil is the best known of all the lubricants and is, for general purposes, one of the most excellent. The large cavity in the head of the sperm whale contains oil and solid fat, from which the former is separated, without heating, by pressure and crystalization. As it is not

at present used to any great extent in horology, a more

lengthy description of the method of refining will be

omitted. (65.)

8. Bone Oil is made from the fat obtained by boiling the bones of animals. The finest quality is obtained from the

leg bones of recently killed, healthy, young cattle, and the

best method of treatment is given as follows* : " Fill a bottle one third full of the oil to be purified. Then

pour clarified benzine in small portions upon the oil, close the bottle and shake until the benzine has disappeared. By

again adding benzine and shaking, a complete solution of the

fat is finally effected. That this has actually taken place is recognized by the contents of the bottle not separating after long standing. The bottle is then exposed to a low temperature for several hours, a solid fat deposits on the bottom, and the lower the temperature the greater is the deposit. Alongside the bottle containing the oil, place another bottle with a funnel, the lower end of which is closed by a cotton stopper ; after thoroughly shaking the bottle with oil, pour

the contents into the funnel; the fluid portion runs into the

bottle, while the solid portion is retained in the funnel by the

cotton stopper. The clear solution of bone oil in benzine

collected in the bottle is then brought into a small retort which is connected with a thoroughly cooled receiver. Place the retort in a tin vessel filled with water and apply

heat. The benzine readily distills off, leaving the purified bone oil in the retort." (66.)

9. Neat'S-fOOt Oil is largely used in the arts, being one of the best of lubricants. The best oil, viz. : that used

for clocks etc., is extracted by placing the thoroughly cleaned

feet of cattle in a covered vessel near the fire or in the

sun. The oil thus obtained is clarified by standing before

liottling. (67.)

It was the practice of many olden time watchmakers to allow a large bottle of neat's-foot oil to stand in a position exposed to the direct rays of the sun in summer and to the extreme cold of the winter. Then after two or three years, on a very cold winter day, to poor off such oil as still remained fluid which was preserved for use.

10. Olive Oil has been used as a lubricant since the

early days of horology, the older writers giving many

methods of treating: it. It is obtained from the fruit of the Olea Enropea^ one of the jasmines, which grows throughout Southern Europe and Northern Africa and other tropical countries. For the preparation of the finest oils, known as " Virgin

oil," only the pulp of olives picked by hand is used. The pulp is packed in strong linen and the oil is expressed by

twisting the linen together. The pulp sometimes contains

as high as 70 per cent of oil. Its last traces of adhering acid are removed by rigorous and repeated shaking with one hundreth part of their weight

of caustic soda lye. After the mixture has stood for several days a large quantity of water is added and the oil floating on the top is poured off. Though the oil is now free from acid, it still contains

coloring matter and other substances which would prove

injurious. It is then mixed with very strong alcohol, ten parts of the former to two of the latter, and thoroughly mixed by shaking. The bottle containing the mixture is then placed in the sun and the mixture shaken several times

a day. In the course of two or three weeks the oil will have become white as water, when it is withdrawn from the

alcohol, on the surface of which it floats. The purified oil

is placed in small bottles, tightly corked, and kept in a dark,

cool place. (68.)

11. Mineral Oils have of late years taken immense

strides in the popular and merited estimation of consumers, for general lubricating purposes. Their application in horology will be discussed in another part of this volume. They are obtained from the residuum of petroleum distilla- tion, and vary so greatly in their properties that many of them are not applicable to delicate mechanism ; but as the

lighter varieties seem to fulfill all the necessary conditions, the writer will here consider their source and method of treatment.

12. Petroleums are obtained from many different

localities, being fluid, bituminous oils, all having the same

general characteristics and origin. They are all hydrocarbons, and contain little or no oxygen. As their origin is thoroughly discussed in many works on that subject, and

as there is such a diversity of opinion regarding it, the reader is referred to such works.*

13. Paraflftne, both liquid and solid, is obtained by the

distillaton of crude petroleum by means of superheated

steam. When the heavier hydrocarbons begin to come

over the receiver is changed and the butyraceous distillate

is filtered through a long column of well dried animal charcoal. The first portion of the percolate is colorless or nearly so. The distillate is made water white by some refiners by an

acid treatment, followed by a water-and-alkali washing. On

exposing this mass to a low temperature it becomes thick, somewhat like "cosmoline" but white. (59.) It is then shoveled into cotton bags of very strong material and sub-jected to powerful pressure by means of a hydraulic press. This operation divides the paraffine into two parts : the solid paraffine wax from which candles, etc., are made remaining

[Adrian-VTA]

There's the porpoise oil story everyone has heard. You guys can format it and do the corrections. It's too tedious.

This is from " Friction Lubrication And The Lubricants in Horology - 1896"

Available digitally from the Library of Congress.

These days, don't bother with mineral oils. You want to just use the Moebius synthetics. The SEIKO oiling charts are decades out of date and can be disregarded.

[trilo]

I agree, but still the question intriques me:

Would watch maker from 1920 watch modern mundane products in awe?

The story is, that we westerners live more handsomely than middle age kings.

Edit: And just to be clear, I do support modern oils. If there'd be only one oil and one grease needed, they'd be only ones in use.

[trilo]

And to clarify why knowing the dates when certain products took over would be interesting:

1. There might be a clear pattern in what condition different era movements would be.

2. It might explain why so many old quartz watches go for so long without a service (ofc the stress and load is different compared to a mechancial).

Just two that come into mind quickly. Main point, it would nice to know these turning points in watch making history.

Now might be the last times to interview people who have seen and experienced the transition. If synthetics came to be in the 50-60's those guys would be around 80-90 years old if we assume they started doing their trade in their 20's.

[Adrian-VTA]

1. Oh for sure. the lubrication makes a huge difference here. Old lubricants turn to a gel. Mineral oils tend to dry out rather than gel as long as you don't use too much.

2. The long life of quartz movements is simply due to minimal torque.


Up to around 1910-ish everything would have been whale oil or olive oil. After that, fractional distillation became common and a whole new world of oils was available. So you start to see mineral oils being used.

Synthetics didn't start to become a thing until the 70's and they didn't get heaps of use until the 90's. Only really recently did Moebius start recommending synthetics for everything.

Feb 13, 2021 4:37:43 GMT -8 trilo said:

And to clarify why knowing the dates when certain products took over would be interesting:

1. There might be a clear pattern in what condition different era movements would be.

2. It might explain why so many old quartz watches go for so long without a service (ofc the stress and load is different compared to a mechancial).

Just two that come into mind quickly. Main point, it would nice to know these turning points in watch making history.

Now might be the last times to interview people who have seen and experienced the transition. If synthetics came to be in the 50-60's those guys would be around 80-90 years old if we assume they started doing their trade in their 20's.

[trilo]

Feb 13, 2021 17:05:44 GMT -8 Adrian-VTA said:

1. Oh for sure. the lubrication makes a huge difference here. Old lubricants turn to a gel. Mineral oils tend to dry out rather than gel as long as you don't use too much.

2. The long life of quartz movements is simply due to minimal torque.


Up to around 1910-ish everything would have been whale oil or olive oil. After that, fractional distillation became common and a whole new world of oils was available. So you start to see mineral oils being used.

Synthetics didn't start to become a thing until the 70's and they didn't get heaps of use until the 90's. Only really recently did Moebius start recommending synthetics for everything.

Feb 13, 2021 4:37:43 GMT -8 trilo said:

And to clarify why knowing the dates when certain products took over would be interesting:

1. There might be a clear pattern in what condition different era movements would be.

2. It might explain why so many old quartz watches go for so long without a service (ofc the stress and load is different compared to a mechancial).

Just two that come into mind quickly. Main point, it would nice to know these turning points in watch making history.

Now might be the last times to interview people who have seen and experienced the transition. If synthetics came to be in the 50-60's those guys would be around 80-90 years old if we assume they started doing their trade in their 20's.

Great information. Thank you!

EDIT: Based on your information, seems to me that by the 90's Moebius had enough empirical data to support their claims on using syntethics in all movements. This is exactly the reason why I love dates and timelines.