Förster FB192 Elastor-Förster shock system

[gerene]

Don’t know if there is any expertise in German and/or Swiss watch movements on this forum…
I am working on a Foerster FB 192 movement which has a shock system called Elastor. This is not the same as the KIF elastor. Here is a picture:

I managed to disassemble the shock system by turning the middle leg and pass it through the notch, then sliding the spring to the side to release the 2 other legs.
Problem now is to assemble them again. I tried for about an hour without success. Does anyone know how to do this?
I am also lucky I did not loose the spring (yet), because I have searched every address I know but can’t find replacement parts for this shocksystem.
I am also wondering if it would be possible to replace this shock system by an Incabloc one for instance. I do have a Seitz jewel press and would be able to take the setting out of the main plate. I did not check if there is a compatible Incabloc. Question is: can this be done and if so, is it considered good practice?

Jan

[david pierce]

Greene,
I have removed and replaced similar shock springs and I am certain that your’s will go together the same way. I have also had them go into orbit never to return. When you do this work under a sheet of clear plastic wrap to catch the spring when it flys out. The basic process is to put one of the tabs into the notch and spin the spring around in the groove until the other tab lines up with the groove. It will be a good idea to have your movement holder in a vice so you can use both hands for the next step. Grip the leg of the spring with a pair of tweezers and pop the other tab into the groove with a wooden or bamboo stick. When the tab is in the groove, hold it in with the stick and spin the spring around with the tweezers. The important thing is don’t loose the spring.
david

[gerene]

Thanks David, I will certainly try again. I tried your system yesterday and did not succeed because the notch is rather small and the tabs on the legs do not pass easily. Fixing the movement holder in a vice is a good idea, it will stop it from moving around while I fiddle with the spring (those things tend to jump quite easily and far). I will also try to work under clear plastic wrap to prevent this little x#!& from taking of to “never-to-be-seen-again”.
I don’t know if I will have time today, we are going on vacation today and there is still something to do before leaving
So, it might be that it will take a couple of weeks before I can try again

Jan

[Bob Tascione]

Hi Jan,
I think that may be a system that’s not seen too often. There are so many different shock systems out there with each having there little ‘tricks’ when it comes to replacing the spring. I looked it up in the Bestfit Cat. and it has it listed as ‘Forster New’. You may have better luck (I don’t know for sure) trying to find the spring by referencing that name and the Bestfit part # just in case it’s used on watches other than Forster…that is if you lose or break the one you have. Of course that’s not going to happen!
My guess is that exchanging it with an incabloc system might be a challenge. You would need to find a system that matched all of the dimensions of the one you have or modify the plate and bal. cock to accept the new system. There would possibly be other issues too. You can check the dimensions at the Incabloc website at http://www.incabloc.ch/incabloc_en.html if you decide this is something you would like to try.

If you already left for your vacation and check the forum during your travels then HAVE A GREAT VACATION Jan!

Bob

[gerene]

Thanks for the research Bob. I will definitely follow up on this as soon as I am back from vacation. Currently I am enjoying sunny France .

Jan

[gerene]

Well, today I tried again to fit the spring and what shouldn’t happen happened, I lost the spring 😳
Now, I am stuck untill I find a replacement.

So the search is on, but so far no luck

Jan

[tmac1956]

@gerene wrote:

Well, today I tried again to fit the spring and what shouldn’t happen happened, I lost the spring 😳
Now, I am stuck untill I find a replacement.

So the search is on, but so far no luck

Jan

Jan:

Try a magnet sweeper. I got mine at lowes and it has payed for itself many times – frustrating with brass and aluminum though.

Later,
Tom

[gerene]

Thanks for the hint Tom. I do have one, but these little shock springs are in brass

I did inquire with Cousins Material House in the UK and they offered me “Inca 10.103.20 Lower Shock Bloc” as a replacement, which I ordered. I am waiting for the delivery and will replace the complete shock block.

Jan

[gerene]

Well, Cousins delivered the Inca shock assembly a while ago but only today I had time to work on the movement. I tried to insert the shock assembly into the mainplate and found out that it does not really fit in the hole
Replacing the shock assembly does not seem to be the way to go.
Good things happen also: i found the missing shock spring in my parts tray 😮
I guess it must have been stuck to another part without me noticing. So I might have another try with the original shock system. Trying not to loose the spring 🙄

[david pierce]

Greene,
For me this was a two hands job. You must secure the movement holder in a vice so the movement does not spin and move around when you apply pressure to the spring. Also it appears that you did not have a sheet of thin plastic wrap over the movement when you were trying to reinstall the spring. The unit you have can’t be too different from the INCABLOCK and KIF units. If it came out, it can go back in, but, you have the spring tension working against you to reinstall it.
david

[gerene]

Thank you David,

I did have the movement in a vice and did have the plastic wrap over the movement when I tried to install the spring. That is probably why the spring did not jump into outer space but stayed near the movement, I just did not find it the first time and it showed up again in my parts tray.

As far as replacing the spring goes, I did replace lots of Kif, Incabloc, Novodiac, Diashock etc, but this one is not that intuitive. I managed to do it, but still don’t know if this is the best way. As you can see on the picture in the original posting, there is a notch in the mounting and the spring has 2 tabs and a leg. Only the small leg passes through the notch. I placed the tabs in the middle of the holder, where the diameter is largest and managed to get them under the rim. Then pushed the spring so that the tabs were at the far end of the notch (still under the rim) and the leg can be slid into the notch. Then just turn the spring a bit so that it stays.
pfwww almost as hard to describe as it is to do it.

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