Under the Loupe/Epilame
Epilame
Epilame is a surface treatment for lubrication points in a watch that are prone to have the oil spread away from the area it is intended to lubricate. For instance, the teeth of the escape wheel and the flat contact faces of the pallets. Several manufacturers recommend its use on the reversing wheels of automatic mechanisms. It can additionally be used on the heart cams and reset hammers of chronograph movements, to improve both their performance and their longevity. Some watchmakers also advocate its use on the cap jewels to keep the oil concentrated on the balance staff pivot.
The physical properties of epilame allow it to fill in the micro-crevices in the surfaces of materials, thereby preventing the spread of lubrication via these tiny surface imperfections.
[edit] Pseudonyms
- Epilam
- Epilame
- Fixodrop
- Moebius 8941
- Stearic Acid
[edit] History
The use of stearic acid in watchmaking, as a surface treatment to prevent the spread of lubrication, was first proposed by Dr. Woog, of Paris, and Paul Ditisheim. They called the product of their patented method epilame.