List of lubricant and grease for watch servicing
This list will explore some of the popular and widely used products in the servicing side of the watch industry, starting with the Moebius Synt-A-Lube line. Moebius is owned by Swatch Group and is part of their Research and Development division.
The “Synt” in Synt-A-Lube (not Synth-A-Lube) stands for synthetic. This also means that unlike oils used in the past, modern synthetic lubricants are man-made and not made from animal products. Perhaps you have had the experience of opening a vintage watch that smelled fishy. Not long ago, oils like this were extracted from the jaws of marine mammals. They used to farm porpoises and dolphins to kill them for the oil refining purposes.
When buying and using oil, even when it’s synthetic, always check the date on the bottle.
Moebius Synt-A-Lube
This popular line of Swiss made watch oils is recommended by movement manufacturers such as Sellita. In Sellita’s official oil charts, these are some of the products they call for.
9010 / 9010-B (9010/B)
This is a light general purpose oil that doesn’t spread and can remain effective for years without deteriorating. This oil is good for high speed locations which is why you may see oil charts call for this oil on the escape wheel, balance staff, seconds wheel, and some may even use it on the pallet stones.
Moebius describes this oil as:
“100% synthetic universal fluid thin oil with very good resistance to aging and good resistance to pressure. With an excellent lubricity and outstanding adhesion, this oil is ideal for regulating parts and fast mobiles. Suitable for all materials.”
What is the difference between Moebius 9010 and 9010-B?
9010 and 9010-B are the same product except that the 9010-B is the blue version of 9010. Just the color, that’s it. 9010 is pale blue/green and 9010-B is dark blue.
Buy Moebius 9010 or 9010/B
Interestingly, Moebius also makes a product called 9010-FL which has the same properties as the regular 9010, but it also has a tracing agent which makes the oil visible under UV light. This could be cool for training purposes.
Article in process… please check back for more oils.
Other oils to be covered:
- Moebius HP-1300 (or Moebius D5)
- Moebius 9010
- Moebius 9410 (or Moebius 9415)
- Moebius 9501 (or Jismaa 124)
Also, tools for oiling watches:
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