Independents

RGM at the GTE 2012

 

RGM at the GTE 2012

Roland Murphy came to the GTE with his 3rd US made in house calber. This calber is named the Caliber 20 to celebrate the 20th aniversary of the opening of his shop.  We got to see this nicely finished form movement, the first complete watch will be seen later this year.
The movement includes a so-called motor barrel.  This barrel was used in the best US made watches in the past and this is the only movement that I know of to use it today.  In a motor barrel not only the barrel arbor is jeweled to the plate and bridge as is standard practice, but the arbor itself is jeweled to the barrel case.  The barrel case carries the first gear in the gear train of a watch.

Let us think about this.  The barrel arbor is turned to wind the mainspring.  The energy stored in the mainspring then turns the barrel case to power the gear train.  Thus in a normal barrel the winding surfaces are jeweled, but the first turning surfaces in the gear train are never jeweled.  With a motor barrel the entire gear train is jeweled.  Note the jewel in the ratchet wheel seen below.

Also new this year in the 801 Aircraft watch.  This watch using the RGM manufacture 801 movement is modeled on the aircraft clocks made jointly by Elgin and Hamilton during WWII.  It is a very welcome development to see a pilot watch that is not like all the others.

The RGM Pennsylvania Tourbillon