Will all those packages of Balance Staffs ever be used? Are they just taking up room in our parts drawer? What do you think?
Eventually they will be used.
Just recently I sent a couple of staffs to Poland to help out a new member.
His watch maker replaced the broken staff and had his mid 1920's watch running in less than a month.
My watch repairman prefers to use the balance assemblies but can replace just the staff if necessary.
With movements like the 13AT and 8AT and other early movements,while more labor and cost intensive, replacing a staff may be the only avenue to get an older movement running again.
Better to have one and not need it rather than need it and not be able to find one.
It's best to have the actual Bulova part. I have found that sourcing the staff that fits the ebauche it was derived from doesn't always fit.
They will all be used, eventually. For anyone that's had to make a staff, you know how much work is involved, and how sweet it is to have the proper one at hand!
One day when your bored and have nothing to do, you might like to compile a list and post here. I'm sure you'll get members knocking on your door (not literally) for a staff.
The early 20/30s movement staffs are the best to have stock piled.
I replaced one once , a 10AN....t'was like performing brain surgery.
It is not all that difficult to replace the staff on a 10AN. I just replaced two last night in about 30 minutes. I have about 1500 staffs and all are for old bulova watches, some for pocket watches but no way to identify them. That is a project for later on I hope.
The thing that is more time consuming for me is putting the balance complete back on the balance cock. I have messed up a lot of hairsprings that way but I am now learning to fix bent and tangled hairsprings. What a great lot of fun that is at my age with sometimes shakey hands but I seem to be having some success and my mentor has encouraged me since the last two I fixed are both in watches and runnig well and keeping pretty good time.
Soo, in answer to your question and in agreement with Rev Rob, yes they will eventually be used as time goes on and parts become even more scarce for our beloved Bulova watches.