Patek Philippe 5550P Oscillomax Escapement

Patek Philippe 5550P with GyromaxSi balance and the Oscillomax escapement!

Tuesday the 5th of April 2011 was a very special day for watchmaking's history.

 

The basic principle of the watch calibre as we know it today begun its long evolution as far as 1675 with the invention of the "spiral" or spring by Christiaan Huygens. The Huygens spring was supposedly oscillating in an isochronous way, what is the aim of a precise regulator.

 

That was in fact not the case as you know and the invention of a specific terminal curve by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1795 was supposed to allow a concentric development of the beating spiral. The scientific parameters of this curb were later calculated by Edouard Phillips, hence the name "Breguet spiral with Phillips terminal curb"  for the spiral still used in some of the most prestigious watches (like the Patek Philippe tourbillon or chronograph watches). These spirals are developing concentrically as expected, avoiding any lateral force on the balance axis that would disrupt the precision of the oscillator.

 

The next step came in 1897 when Charles-Edouard Guillaume invented the "invar" alloy that allowed to avoid the influence of the temperature elevation on the balance and the spring. The very low thermic dilatation coefficient of the invar material allowed a better preservation of the isochronism even in changing ambient temperatures.

 

The oscillators saw little evolution then except perhaps the use of free-sprung balance wheels such as the Gyromax balance launched by Patek Philippe in 1949-51 and still used in nearly all current Patek Philippe wristwatches.

 

The quest for a lasting precision of the modern timepieces was still limited by interferences caused by the necessary lubrication, specially between the parts composing the complete oscillator, by the lasting effect of temperature, by the imprecise dimensions of the parts at such a small level of scale, by the magnetic fields, by the distribution of the weight and inertia in the moving parts , by the effect of small or larger shocks on the oscillator, among other possible sources of problems so you can imagine that it was still a perfectible field even if a simple mechanical ETA calibre can be quite precise today if correctly regulated.

 

Following its tradition of innovation and its aspiration for excellence Patek Philippe launched nearly ten years ago the Patek Philippe Advanced Research program. We saw the first result in 2005 with the launch of a new Patek Philippe escape wheel in Silinvar, an oxidized silicium invented by a joint group of the CSEM (Centre Suisse d'Electronique et Microtechnique), Rolex, ETA and Patek Philippe. This new escape wheel was patented (#EP05006186) and issued in the first Patek Philippe Advanced Research watch reference 5250. The interest of this escape wheel was that it didn't need any lubrication and was consequently much more reliable.

 

2006 saw the launch of the second step named Spiromax, a Silinvar flat spiral that allows a better isochronism as it develops concentrically thanks to its specific and totally new Patek Philippe terminal curb that could not be produced if not made in Silinvar. It is also amagnetic and temperature compensated. It adds an integrated stud attachment and an integrated self centered collet, consequently avoiding any disruptive effect due to the attachment. Thanks to its very low weight (mass three times smaller) it is also less prone to be influenced by gravity and centrifugal forces. Finally it is also three times flatter (0.12mm thick) than a Breguet spring with an overall better result. The Spiromax was first launched in the limited reference 5350, associated with the Silinvar escape wheel.

 

The Pulsomax escapement seemed to close the series in 2008 with a new Silinvar anchor and an evolution of the Silinvar escape wheel, associated with the Silinvar Spiromax spring. It was the first escapement entirely conceived by Patek Philippe. The Pulsomax, still a Swiss lever escapement, was bringing a much more precise geometry and an enhanced efficiency in power transmission on top of all positive aspects shown by the former steps (absence of lubrication, antimagnetism, hardness, lightweight, temperature compensated, …). The Pulsomax was first launched in the limited reference 5450 and very recently in the Grand Complication 5208, letting maybe some think that Patek Philippe had ended the work.

 

 

Well in fact the three first steps were just the beginning of a new chapter. What makes Mr Stern, honorary president of Patek Philippe, Mr Nico de Rooij, IMT (Institut de Microtechnique) director and vice president of  CSEM SA, Mr Patrick Aebischer, president of the EPFL, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, and Mr Philippe Gnaegi, Conseiller d'Etat du Canton de Neuchatel be so happy?

 

Let's say they are happy to announce the creation of the Patek Philippe Chair dedicated to the application of new micro and nanotechnology to watchmaking. At the same time they also confirmed the launch of a new complex in Neuchatel for the IMT that will unite 500 to 600 scientists working on microtechnique, in collaboration with the EPFL. To be associated to this huge project is a way for Patek Philippe to perpetuate its tradition of innovation and to relaunch the fundamental research in the horological branch, as expressed Mr Philippe Stern.

 

 

In fact you may have already understood that Patek Philippe already has had ten years of experience with the CSEM, where all Patek Philippe Silinvar parts have been created and produced so far. This trusty collaboration is wished to last and the technical prowess that was presented that day was an example of what is coming.

 

 

Here is above the entry of the CSEM in Neuchatel.

 

We had the opportunity to visit some laboratories of the CSEM and I can tell you that the visit of the quality control was impressive. Using X ray technology but also microcospic observation the quality control is able to test parts, evaluate defects, and suggest treatments to annihilate them. The precision of vision is down to the atomic scale and one of the tools used gave a Nobel Prize to its creator in 1986. 

You can see below the clean room where all Patek Philippe Silinvar parts are made. It will help you understand that we're going beyond traditional watchmaking here.

 

The image below shows you the full set of innovations integrated in the Oscillomax ensemble. The Spiromax, the updated Pulsomax and the new GyromaxSi all together constitute a fantastic improvement to annihilate the traditional problems encountered by Swiss lever escapements. The quest for lasting precision is taken to a whole new step. 

 

 

The table below shows the result on a calibre 240 torque curb. When a traditional 240 is nearly stopped after 48 hours of power reserve, the Oscillomax 240 has lost only 10% of its torque and still has 22 hours of power reserve. The increase and progress in efficiency is huge.

 

 

If you wonder why the result shown is about a calibre 240 while all former Advanced Research models were based on a 324, it's time to confess that there is also a new watch today.

 

The calibre 240 is well known for its use in the slim perpetual calendar models. That's where we're going today.

 

 

You'll soon see the new watch but please take a few more seconds to see the reason for the very complex teeth on the new escape wheel.

 

 

Thierry Stern was really happy looking after this conference, as much as Philippe Stern seemed so and expressed it claiming " c'est genial".

 

In fact if Thierry Stern said to me that they don't want to go too fast, they don't feel it's a race, they still want first and foremost to improve, get more reliable. That's why they think that the Silinvar will remain in the oscillator, where it's really useful for precision and reliability.

 

 

For them it's not a race as they are not interested in chronometry contests, except those they do in-house, as Philippe Stern expressed to me.

 

 

Here is below the best view on a tri-dimensional oscillomax. What you have to imagine and understand is that the profile of the fork and teeth are totally developed to optimize energy transmission without disruptive shocks. As you can understand such profiles would not be possible with traditional materials.

 

 

We're reaching the level of nanotechnology now, with a geometrical precision that is far beyond the lubrication problem that begun it all with silicium.

 

 

The image below will show you how the fork extremity is protected in case of shock.

 

 

As we are all mainly watch lovers here the time has come now to have a look at the extraordinary timepiece that will use the Oscillomax ensemble for the first time.

 

 

The new Patek Philippe 5550P is basically a 5140P equipped with an Oscillomax and a new dial. The new calibre iteration 240 Q Si takes advantage of the Oscillomax improvements to increase its power reserve to 70 hours. In strict use that means that an owner can put the watch fully wound on a Friday evening and find it still working on a Monday morning, what was not possible so far without a winder.

 

 

In fact there's a paradox in seeing a very classic watch adopt such a modern technology. I think it is totally logic if you integrate the fact that the watch worn by Philippe Stern is generally a 3940 that he sees as a practical watch. The magical charm of the perpetual calendar, related to the long term precision, will be here associated with the quest for the immediate precision.

 

 

You'll see below pics of a prototype calibre with a transparent escape wheel bridge. The Oscillomax pieces are quite visible here. Of course you'll have to wait a little more to have such view in your own watch, but you may be tempted to look at your calibre 324 and calibre CH 28-520 if produced less than a year ago as the Spiromax, the Silinvar spring, is the first generalized implementation of the series. It should be installed soon in all calibre 215 and 240 too.

 

 

Silinvar parts can be identified by their form or by their blue colour resulting form the oxidation that transforms silicon in Silinvar.

 

 

No doubt that the 300 watches reference 5550P will be most sought after. If you are tempted to apply I can give you an advice. Thierry Stern hopes these watches to be worn and not kept in a safe, as they are also prototypes of the future. They should be sold around the same price of the current 5140P. For Mr and Mr Stern there is no reason to increase the price because of the silicium parts.

 

 

Of course some may think that this watch of the first chapter of the future should have had a more modern look. I can just tell I would love to wear it. It's innovation for a result and not for communication. Imagine the pleasure of the banker, or grand father, or young worker who will hide his prototype watch under a very discreet and classical design. Patek Philippe is about innovation in content, not innovation in looking.

 

 

The silvery grey dial with a vertical satin finish perfectly complements the platinum case to emphasize the readability of the pink gold markers. The watch is indeed extremely legible. The choice of finishes gives to the watch a much informal look in my opinion.

 

 

The watch obviously keeps the well known thinness of the 5140 series. It is a watch filled with content, but thinly used. This characteristic remains an essential principle for Patek Philippe. Their watches are created to be as thin as possible.

 

 

You've obviously noticed the luminous hands and markers. At last a perpetual calendar I could sleep with!

 

 

That reminds me of this phrase: to change everything so that nothing changes!

 

This watch is still an extra thin automatic perpetual calendar. It is now also an ultra modern time tool with 17 patents applied.

 

 

I take this opportunity to show you one face we rarely get to see. It is no less beautiful than the back, no?

 

 

I can just hope to see some of you here have the chance to get one and share from time to time with us the pleasure of reporting their "live" testing.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed to witness of this memorable day.

 

Cheers

 

Dje