Horology & Precision Mechanics

How much does setting lift angle to 50° affect amplitude on a 54° caliber?

⚡ Instant Calculated Answer

Entering a lift angle of 50° on a movement with an actual lift angle of 54° distorts the apparent balance amplitude by -15.9° (a true 300° amplitude displays as 284.1°).

-15.9° Error Primary Metric
284.1° Displayed Secondary Metric

📐 Mathematical Formula & Step-by-Step Substitution

\[ \theta_{apparent} = \theta_{true} \cdot \frac{\sin(\alpha_{set})}{\sin(\alpha_{actual})} = 300 \cdot \frac{\sin(50^\circ)}{\sin(54^\circ)} = 284.1^\circ \]
Apparent_Amp = 300 * (sin(50) / sin(54)) = 284.1 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 = 54°), apparent amplitude scales by sin(50°) / sin(54°).
  3. Ratio = sin(50°) / sin(54°) = 0.7660 / 0.8090 = 0.9469.
  4. Calculated reading: 300° × 0.9469 = 284.1° (error of -15.9°).

📊 Nearby Parameter Reference Table

Set Lift Angle Actual Angle True Amplitude Timing Machine Display
48° 54° 300° 275.6°
49° 54° 300° 279.9°
50° (Current) 54° 300° 284.1° (-15.9°)
51° 54° 300° 288.2°
54° (Exact) 54° 300° 300° (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