Mitch K
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2019 (did I really just write that? Where does the time go?) reflections on where we've been and where we are going in the watch world.
I just finished reading about Harrison's marine watches and the significance of his H4. The H4 was such an advance in horology that it did change watchmaking for all time. I reflected on my visit to the Patek Phillipe Museum several years ago. When I visited the museum, amongst other things, I was struck by the concept that so much of what we are seeing in the modern day watches has been done before albeit in pocket watches.
So, I was wondering what watch revolutionary advances have we seen in recent years that had never been done before?
Here are several thoughts that I have had:
There has been a lot of advance in the material science applied to watches - for instance Slicium - first used commercially in the Freak and now included in so many different watches in different brands.
Daniels' co-axial is clear but that was more than 20 years ago.
Prescher's triple axis tourbillion
Tag Mikrotimer and Mikrogirder - ability to measure time in 1000th and 2000th increments
Interested in other thoughts.
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2019 (did I really just write that? Where does the time go?) reflections on where we've been and where we are going in the watch world.
I just finished reading about Harrison's marine watches and the significance of his H4. The H4 was such an advance in horology that it did change watchmaking for all time. I reflected on my visit to the Patek Phillipe Museum several years ago. When I visi...
We've seen advances in case and movement metallurgy
Maybe this isn't directly related to timekeeping, but specifically from Hublot, Urwerk and Richard Mille - seems like every few months there's a new gold, or crystal, or ionized titanium or whatever. In addition there are struts and cushions and isolating...
Absolute agree. That is what I was referring to as far as material science. Much has been for cases but not related to time keeping. I look at my
Mag Bang as an earlier example where not only was the case made of a new material but also the plates of the 7750 movement were in the magnesium compounds. Interesting about the sapphire chain - that may have some time keeping significance with lack of ne...
It is not possible to invent the wheel new! For a patent it is enough, that one is a wristwatch and the original was a pocket watch.
It is hard to find something new, never seen on a pocket watch. There are very few people in the world, who know the pocket watches and the history of watchmaking and they are not CEOs or Marketing people.
Maybe there should be a suggestion for any CEO or a marketing director to tour some of the horologic museums to see
if what they insist on proclaiming to us is truly new and innovative. mk
.........if you dont know it better, you think it is new!
Some things are really new, but not to make watches better. They need this for their marketing to create a difference to other brands.
I've been wearing a seventy five year old Omega . . .
. . . since Saturday afternoon. It was just serviced by my current watchmaker. ['44 Ω cal 30T2SC, special 18 jewel version] It's gained two seconds in three days. ;-) ...
That speaks for accuracy that was achieved so long ago. Much of the efforts of new "innovations" is for better accuracy but do we really need it
if a 75 year old watch can be made to be so accurate.
My post was half tongue-in-cheek, Mitch . . .
. . . as I've another identical Omega reference with the same obscure movement that doesn't run nearly as well. Who knows how long this freshly serviced movement will hold its adjustment? It's not even protected from shock - one good whack and it could be...
Thanks Art. All is well. HNY buddy.
Certainly there is a matter of degree. The difference tolerances between watches and pocket watches is very significant in and of themselves and should not be minimized in significance but was thinking of complications. Your mention of shock resistance ch...
A good thought-provoking post, Mitch! [nt]
A great way to kick off the new year! A few innovations came to my mind: the magnetic pivot Breguet developed in 2010; first presented in Reference 7727 original oscillator in Zenith Defyn 21 Lab (2018) constant force escapement from GP (2013) I'll keep t...
Great suggestions. It will be interesting to see the long term effects of any of these innovations. I am not sure that the GP will have a long term impact.
The Breguet might but may only be in Breguet if they own the rights to it. The Zenith Lab certainly was advertised as revolutionary and might be but will to see. Again the silicium was brought into play by UN. Who knows what would have happened had not th...
Oh yes, UN really opened a magic door with silicium. Bravo - Ludwig Oeschlin and Rolf Snyder on that.
The other watchmaker using silicium? I am actually not sure. Wild “stab in the dark” - Does their name rhyme with “Latek Polype” ??? 😜 Happy New Year!
I think Ludwig is the Colin Chapman of watches
“Simplify and add lightness” as exemplified by how he added complications but reduced parts counts in the MIH and Ochs & Jr watches. Maybe Seiko’s Spring Drive should get an honorable mention. Mike
First electric watch was the Hamilton 500 on Jan 3, 1957
So 60 years ago batteries finally developed to the point they were reliable & powerful enough. Then in 1960 we got the Bulova Accutron, the first electric tuning-fork watch. Nine years thereafter, Christmas Day 1969, the Seiko Astron 35SQ arrived - th...
Thanks for a very interesting post. Would like to know who the other major watchmaker is.
Your post, and reply to your friend intrigued me to do a little research myself. Reading up on the development of watch movements, in particular the use of silicon was very interesting and informative. Although I could not really identify who the other wa...
I’m looking forward to seeing where UN take the Freak next? [nt]
I saw a teaser which hints at a new Freak X for SIHH.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BsDSd_cC4cF/
Click through to the link above and watch. It's hard to tell but it does look like it will be technologically different and innovative as always is UN.
New Freaks are always exciting! [nt]
I’m not so convinced by the shark as a marketing symbol.
I too am not convinced.
I am in marketing everyday and have been for 20 years... but I’m not a guru It does not stop me from loving the Freak timepieces.
I read UN said they were going to be bringing some serious new innovation in 2019...
So I think we could expect another innovative Freak in a few weeks.
I would think there are some improvements in chronometry with new materials
like the GP Constant force escapement. Or to some degree the Breguet 7727. The Cartier concept watches showed what would be possible here but to my understanding they will not be available Going further back in time I find the Journe resonance ia worthy a...
oops
I see now this has been mentioned above ... apologies. At least we agree! Best Andreas
The Resonance for sure! As some have mentioned, silicon and the use of magnets in movements are big.
The Breguet 7727 (and the magnetically governed minute repeater, if they ever release it), could be the start of something. I think the trick is to catch the imagination of the public and of purists. For example, Zenith's new silicon escapement doesn't mo...
Mitch, interesting post, thanks for starting the conversation.
For me, the first thing I think about when someone says innovation in the watch world (in my collecting time) is really materials, and mostly case materials. I would think these innovations are in many ways the easiest "sell" for the watch brands to the m...
Hardly any advancement has been made!
If we take a look at Patek Philippe’s Advanced Research we learn that their greatest achievement thus far is a rate of -1 to +2 seconds per 24 hours. So +/- 3 seconds a day. If Seiko already did that almost 50 years ago (!!!) we can safely assume no more ...
From the time of the H4 innovation was geared towards accuracy of the watch. His H4 was accurate to a second every 2-3 days if memory serves me.
Even today, many of the innovations were directed at time keeping accuracy. I remember being at a dinner hosted by young watchmakers Gruebel and Forsey. They showed charts that demonstrated that they were more accurate with their tourbillion by a second o...
There was big hoopla a few years ago about G & F nano-engineering a tiny movement
and with it their expectation that 8 days power would last 180 days, or something like that. Do you remember? ...
I do remember but am unsure of where GF are at with the Mechanical Nano.
Perhaps someone else might know and can comment.
Apologies for the diversion. Re Grubel Forsey and others
I was thinking of GF specifically when I commented about Grand Seiko’s cost 50 years ago relative to the average salaried government employee. Their quest for accuracy / consistency was aimed at the general market (for fine mechanical watchmaking) while G...
Omega's METAS construction and testing
The challenge with pocket watches was gravity and the watch remaining in the same position throughout the day. Breguet tackled that with the tourbillon. Mitch you're correct that highly-accurate mechanical watches aren't groundbreaking. Both my FPJ chrono...
I Do Believe The...
... Dual Wing concept is a new way of thinking. Sure, many watches have had "dual" barrels, but never with two separate power supplies. Not that I'm aware of, anyway. - Scott
Mitch, I thought about this thread upon reading about Omega's revival of the Cal 321 announced yesterday.
It remains to be seen exactly what use they will put the 321 to, but in terms of the overall picture it seems their big pitch for 2019 is not new advancements in timekeeping, materials or movement design but rather a full on marketing drive based on nosta...