Horology & Precision Mechanics

How much does setting lift angle to 50° affect amplitude on a 52° caliber?

⚡ Instant Calculated Answer

Entering a lift angle of 50° on a movement with an actual lift angle of 52° distorts the apparent balance amplitude by -7.5° (a true 270° amplitude displays as 262.5°).

-7.5° Error Primary Metric
262.5° Displayed Secondary Metric

📐 Mathematical Formula & Step-by-Step Substitution

\[ \theta_{apparent} = \theta_{true} \cdot \frac{\sin(\alpha_{set})}{\sin(\alpha_{actual})} = 270 \cdot \frac{\sin(50^\circ)}{\sin(52^\circ)} = 262.5^\circ \]
Apparent_Amp = 270 * (sin(50) / sin(52)) = 262.5 deg
  1. Timing machines deduce balance wheel amplitude by timing the acoustic impulse interval: t_impulse = Lift_Angle / (2 * pi * f * Amplitude).
  2. If the instrument's setting (alpha_set = 50°) disagrees with the caliber geometry (alpha_actual = 52°), apparent amplitude scales by sin(50°) / sin(52°).
  3. Ratio = sin(50°) / sin(52°) = 0.7660 / 0.7880 = 0.9721.
  4. Calculated reading: 270° × 0.9721 = 262.5° (error of -7.5°).

📊 Nearby Parameter Reference Table

Set Lift Angle Actual Angle True Amplitude Timing Machine Display
48° 52° 270° 254.6°
49° 52° 270° 258.6°
50° (Current) 52° 270° 262.5° (-7.5°)
51° 52° 270° 266.3°
52° (Exact) 52° 270° 270° (0.0°)
Want to test custom numbers?
Launch the full interactive simulator pre-loaded with these exact calculation parameters.
🚀 Open Pre-Loaded in Watch Caliber Lift Angle Calculator
🔬 GemsMakers Silo Mesh • Precious Metals & Gold
📖 Formula Glossary • 📑 Cheat-Sheets • 📊 Open Data • ⚡ Worked Problems
⚖️ Head-to-Head Comparisons
All 240+ →
🧮 Related Scientific Calculators
Datasets →
GemsMakers Research Lab
| 📊 Open Datasets | ⚡ Free REST API | 🏷️ SVG Badges