dear friend by watches that the cost is of less than 100$...what's your expectation?

 

I have not heard of any failures of hairsprings in any Chinese watch, or for that matter any watch made in the last 50 years. Mainsprings, yes, that can happen with any mechanical watch, it is for this reason that almost always when a movement is serviced the mainspring is replaced - for Swiss or anything else.

I know that some very low level movements might have issues, but to my understanding, the failure is not in the hairspring...other areas of the movement yes.

 

There are several tear down articles in the reference section that expose every part of these movements. I have also torn down the ST-5; the SM1A-K; the ZSH; and the Shanghai B movements. Never has there been a problem with a hairspring.
Judging by the extremely high accuracy the movements are capable of; it is obvious that the hairsprings are of very good quality.

Modern hairsprings are generally made of non-magnetizeable materials and are as durable as any the Japanese, Germans or Swiss make.

Without specific laboratory analysis; it would be impossible to know exactly what the composition of any hairspring might be. Names like Glycodur, Nivarox and Spron are simply product names and there composition is likely safequarded with patents; copyrights and trademarks. I'm not aware if the Chinese have any special name for their hairspring products but I doubt it since these are marketing tools which the Chinese don't use. They have simply developed hairspring technology that is as good as or in some cases better than the others.

 

The Chinese watch industry became entirely self-reliant for all components some time in the 1960s. Chinese watches from that period and the next couple of decades show no signs of inadequate hairspring manufacturing technology. Given the reports of a supply bottleneck in Switzerland, I think it unlikely that any Chinese manufacturer is buying hairsprings or mainsprings from there.

Probably the reason why Chinese ebauches assembled in Switzerland are fitted with Swiss springs (e.g. Claro Semag CL 888) is because the ratio of component cost between Swiss springs and Chinese plates is such that it becomes relatively easy to produce a certified 'Swiss movement' is such a fashion.

As for how many of the old Chinese firms are still making their own springs and which ones now buy from an external Chinese source, and what that source might be, I've no idea.

 

A watch repair book mentioned the material of Chinese hairsprings. It was an alloy of nickel, chrome, and titanium. It has the required properties for a hairspring such as anti-magnetic, rust-proof, good elasticity，etc. Many 40-50 years old vintage Chinese watches still keep good time, they must have very good quality hairsprings.

 

If you knew the stories about the Chinese cultural revolution you would understand that nearly EVERY neighborhood used to have a steel forge, it was part of Mao's giant leap forward that so displaced resources and time that it starved many people. There is a deep pool of metalurgy experts in China to this day and unless the product calls for cheap recycled scrap steel the metallurgy of quality products like even the cheapest watch movement is IMHO unbelievable and likely historically unsustainable. I suggest people grab these underpriced treats or even just a few sub-$10 movements while they are still available.

 

Let's get our history straight shall we?

First of all, the Cultural Revolution and Great Leap Forward were entirely separate movements, one political and the other industrial, separated by several years.

Secondly, the famine that you refer to was the result of a convergence of a number of factors of which the steel production program was only one component (the others being collectivisation of farming, introduction of unsuitable farming techniques and a couple of extreme weather events).

Thirdly, it has been observed on this forum that from around 1960, the most common watch case material used in China shifted from brass to stainless steel. Given that watch cases are scarcely a strategic priority, this is one indication that whatever the undeniably massive failings of the distributed steel production program of the late 1950s, nevertheless a sustainably much higher rate of steel production resulted. And in the half century that has passed since then, the Chinese steel industry has expanded enormously (they are the major market for Australian iron ore) so we should probably judge what is currently sustainable based on the current situation.

By the way, you just said "If you knew..." to a Chinese citizen (our elder statesman, soviet) who actually lived through the times that you were referring to. I just thought you should know.

 

Chascomm, I didn't know Soviet was Chinese but my words are simply repeating as best I can oral history from my Chinese friends over the years, expats in the US mostly, who were willing to talk about that time period. When steel production was such a part of so many peoples lives and you have a well educated motivated populace there is no surprise that it gets into the culture and that some of the best steel items I have ever owned have come from China.
Thank you for helping with what was unclear, I was using the simplest and most recognizable historical language possible in response to user Flawless51's post who is I am guessing either Spanish or Canadian but very well also could be Chinese. Unfortunately a disappointing percentage of English speakers know little to nothing about the history and economics of China.
Soviet, have you written anywhere about your experiences. Anything between 1949 and say 1980 would be brilliant. I think there are quite a few of us who would be interested, unfortunately a good percentage of people never take the time to write on their experiences and it is lost to the generations. Even impersonal generalizations would be much appreciated. Hope you werent offended by the misunderstanding.

 

Sorry for a late reply. My connection to this site is poor, and I can't open the site most of the time these days for some unknown reasons.o|

Never mind, I am OK. I think what Chascomm said is right. I am impressed of his knowledge of Chinese recent history. |>The 'great leap forward' was launched in 1958 in an attempt to boost the economy, and the Cultural Revolution started much later in 1966. People was hungry during 1959-1961 even in big cities such as Beijing, but personally I have never meet anyone who's family member(s) was starved to death. But China is such a huge country and what I experienced could be just a hair on an elephant.:roll: