hairspring
noun
hair·spring
ˈher-ˌspriŋ 
: a slender spiraled recoil spring that regulates the motion of the balance wheel of a timepiece
Examples of hairspring in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The balance wheel is fitted with eight gold weights, while the hairspring features a Breguet overcoil, for example.
—
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2026
The Geneva Watch Days saw the introduction of the TH-Carbonspring, a patented proprietary carbon hairsprings innovation a decade in the making by the Tag Heuer Lab in-house research and development hub.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Because of Ulysse Nardin’s silicon technology also incorporated in the hairspring and the escapement-wheel, the anchor pivot and the jewels of the usual escapement are unnecessary.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
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Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2026
The Geneva Watch Days saw the introduction of the TH-Carbonspring, a patented proprietary carbon hairsprings innovation a decade in the making by the Tag Heuer Lab in-house research and development hub.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2025
Because of Ulysse Nardin’s silicon technology also incorporated in the hairspring and the escapement-wheel, the anchor pivot and the jewels of the usual escapement are unnecessary.
—Anthony Demarco, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hairspring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hairspring. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hairspring
noun
hair·spring
-ˌspriŋ
: a slender coiled spring that regulates the motion of the balance wheel in a timepiece
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