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Re: Ball bearing versus Jewel *LINK*

In Response To: great debate cajun mike and john ()

I think there is some debate on the merits of jeweled versus ball bearing.
From an article at Timezone,

The Rolex Submariner Cal. 3135
by Andrew Babanin

"Unfortunately, Rolex still does not use ball bearings in its top calibers. Instead, there is a plain sleeve bearing, and proper oiling is critical. When the lubricant evaporates or migrates, the metal axle experiences wear against the jewel. In Fig. 6 above you can notice a rut left by the jewel. If Rolex specialists had designed an automatic device based on ball bearings (like in most modern automatic devices) - the watch would be more reliable."

The Rolex Submariner Cal. 3135