Innovation
In a fascinating exploration of horological discretion and accessibility, quattro delves into the nuanced world of 'montres à tact' – watches designed for a polite, often tactile, reading of time. This article illuminates how these unique timepieces, from historical Breguet pocket watches to modern innovations, serve both as social devices for discreet time-telling and crucial tools for the visually impaired. quattro's original post provides a rich foundation, inviting readers to consider the dual purpose and ingenious mechanisms behind these specialized watches.
Tact or tactful watches - 'montres à tact' in French - are destined to remain polite and enable a discreet 'reading' of the time: this reading can be tactile, like in some of Breguet’s pocket watches, or visual, like in Svend Andersen’s 'montres à tact'.
But tactile watches are, of course, often much more than social devices: they are also, and more importantly, destined to enable the reading of time for the blind or visually impaired persons. They're also called Braille watches.
NB: as far as Braille watches are concerned, I decided to include only 3 brands (Seiko, Raketa and Wakmann), but there are many others and some innovative solutions have been invented. Please check, here on WPS:
Best to you all.
A/ TACTFUL WATCHES
1/ TACTILE TACTFUL WATCHES
Here's how it works: the arrow placed on the cover of the watch is connected to the internal mechanism and is pointing towards twelve 'touch buttons' distributed all around the case, each one marking an hour. The pointer can rotate freely counter clockwise but, when turned clockwise, it is blocked at the correct time. Please, watch the video below, which makes the explanation very clear.
NB : Breguet has also invented a repeater watch in which hammer and bell are replaced by a sharp pin which protrudes from the case to prick the finger once for each hour (information found on the Fondation Haute Horlogerie's website):
"Montre A Tact" how it works/Patek Philippe pocket watch by German Polosin
The “self flagellation” Breguet Repeater is quite the novelty.
Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you liked the post and topic.
Just adding this no glass 'montre à tact' concept watch by Japanese master watchmaker Hajime Asaoka. Just planned for the moment, not yet realised and the final watch might be slightly different. credit: hajime asaoka
Also, the other montres à tact are very interesting too. Thanks again for sharing.
and I hated the haptic alerts or notifications tapping my wrist. Not exactly the same as this "self flagellation" repeater, but somehow comparable! Best, Emmanuel
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