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balance wheel
noun
1
: a wheel that regulates or stabilizes the motion of a mechanism
2
: a balancing or stabilizing force
Examples of balance wheel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Caliber 3132 employs a dual balance wheel, which is a unique approach to minimizing the tilt of the balance staff (the axil on which the balance wheel oscillates back and forth).
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 1 July 2024
The idea was to create a simple, streamlined and contemporary design focused on the source energy to the escapement that drives it, the barrels, and the large balance wheel.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 7 Dec. 2023
The design features an asymmetrical layout with a white dial for the hours and minutes placed between one and three o’clock, a white seconds counter overlapping the hours and minutes dial between eight and ten o’clock, and a large rose-gold balance wheel and bridges at six o’clock.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 18 Nov. 2023
Because the talent pool, those artisans who can guilloche a dial or polish a balance wheel or hand-carve numerals to such rarefied standards, is limited and shrinking rather than expanding.
—Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2023
Five years in the making, the movement has bidirectional winding, a balance wheel fit with inertia blocks to avoid unnecessary friction, and comes with an extra-thin date-setting mechanism.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2023
Nardin achieves this with a balance wheel that beats at the low frequency of 0.50 Hz and the considerable energy stored by the six extra-large barrels.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 20 July 2023
Additionally, these movements include a silicon balance wheel, escape wheel, and pallet lugs, high-tech elements that contribute to the watch’s phenomenal 60-hour power reserve.
—Elizabeth Doerr, Robb Report, 6 June 2023
All this can affect your quality of life, including the quality of achieving success in life, because when there is a bias in one direction, your balance wheel may not move in the same way or as fast as you're used to, which can lead to a deterioration of quality in other areas.
—Yec, Forbes, 7 June 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'balance wheel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near balance wheel
Cite this Entry
“Balance wheel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/balance%20wheel. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Kids Definition
balance wheel
noun
: a wheel that adjusts the motion of a mechanism (as a timepiece or a sewing machine)
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