Overview of high frequency watches and calibres - contributions highly welcome
For some reason I have gotten bitten by the frenetic sound and the romantic promise of high frequency watches - i.e. those beating faster than 28.800 vph.
I started my journey in the topic with my Eterna Sevenday Fastbeat, which got joined by the Grand Seiko SBGH035 soon after and the Elprimero powered P15 more recently. One more joined in the meantime - on which more shortly.
I was wondering if there was a good overview of which manufacturers used or use hi frequency movements (book or thread form)? If not I would find it quite exciting compiling something of the sort here 
So, the ones I know of so far:
- A. Dunhill (5Hz, EP)
- AP (6Hz, Cal. 2908)
- AS (5Hz, Cal. 1852, 1854, 1855, 1920)
- Bettlach (5Hz, Cal. 8040)
- Blancpain (5Hz, F385)
- Breguet (10Hz, 589F, 574DR)
- Buren (5Hz, Cal. 82)
- Carl F. Bucherer (5Hz, ETA2824)
- Citizen (5Hz, Cal. 7230, 6Hz, Cal. 5800)
- Chopard (8Hz, Cal. 01.09-L)
- Cyma (5Hz, AS1852, ETA2732)
- Czapek (5Hz, Vaucher SXH3)
- Daniel Roth (5Hz, EP)
- De Bethune (5Hz, DB28MC CHR)
- Doxa (5Hz, Cal. 72, AS1855, ETA2732)
- Ebel (5Hz, 215, AS1920, Cal 134, Cal 136 (EP Cal. 3019PHC, Cal. 40.0, Cal 400))
- Eberhard (5Hz, Cal. 257)
- Ernest Borel (5Hz)
- Eterna (5Hz, Cal. 2732)
- Excelsior Park (5Hz)
- Favre-Leuba (5Hz, FL1164)
- Felca (5Hz, Cal. 4177)
- GP (5Hz, Gyromatic Cal. 30, 32, 42.1, 42.4 440, 444, 444-427)
- Hamilton (5Hz, AS1920)
- Longines (5Hz, Ultrachron Cal. 430, 431, 432, 433, 6952, 6972)
- Lucien Piccard (5Hz, AS1920)
- Mido (5Hz, Cal. 1157, ETA2837)
- Minerva (50Hz, Cal. 42)
- Montblanc (50Hz but only for chronograph, not the movement, MB M66-25 & MB M66.26)
- Movado (5Hz, Cal. 405, 408, 3019PHC)
- Orient (5Hz, 12,5 Ligne)
- Panerai (5Hz, EP)
- Parmigiani Fleurier (5Hz, Cal. 400Z, 14Hz, Senfine - prototype)
- Piaget (5Hz, 4P, 6N, 6P1)
- Seiko (5Hz (5740C, 614x, 615x, 618x, 452x, 458x, 8800, 9S85, 9S86) & 6Hz in Credor GBBX998, and up to 16Hz on chronometric trial Cal. 52, 8Hz in the King Seiko 49999 (not serially produced) & 50Hz in Cal. 8941 (10 minute stopwatch))
- Synchron (5Hz, AS1855)
- TAG Heuer (5Hz, Cal. 36 (EP), 6Hz (Grand Carrera Pendulum - prototype only) and 50Hz for chronograph, Cal. 360)
- Technos (5Hz, ETA2734)
- Titoni (5Hz, ETA2832)
- UN (5Hz, NB11QU, based on ETA2826)
- Zenith (5Hz, El Primero, 15Hz, Defy Lab, 18 Hz for Cal. 9100 and 50Hz for chronograph)
- XiangYiang (5Hz, SD2)
- Zodiac (5Hz, Cal. 88, 86)
Here is a list of ETA Hi-Beat movements in addition (some seen above, for others still looking for watches that used them):
- 1510, 1536, 2732, 2734, 2738, 2806, 2807, 2812, 2813, 2817, 2819, 2823, 2826 (not to be confused with 2826-2, which is not Hi-Beat), 2827, 2832, 2837, 2838, 2839, 2850, 2878.
There are others that made use of the ElPrimero movement, too.
But what else am I missing? Any ideas on sources or additional brands / watches highly welcome!
Thanks in advance 
Rolex used El Primero
I guess we should define high-beat ourselves, or should we use the Mfr's terminology? You are calling watches that are faster than 28,800 High Beat, yet Seiko used the term Hi-Beat quite loosely in some instances, when they moved from 21,600 to 28,800. I have one of those around somewhere...
Sounds like a fun research project. Shall we collaborate, and write the definitive tome?
Cazalea
That's a fabulous idea :)
Rolex did use an El Primero but in a de-tuned, 28,800 vph version.
And yes, I am talking about faster than 28,800
Seiko was not the only one to use the term in this way, JLC for instance did, too
And yes, I am talking about faster than 28,800
Seiko was not the only one to use the term in this way, JLC for instance did, too
The Parmigiani Senfine? Not yet marketed i think ? Longines Calibre 431 ?
One of the first was the 1935 introduction by Minerva of a 360,000 A/h movement, Calibre number 42. This allowed the sweep second hand to complete one sweep each second with 1/100 second precision. (from watch-wiki.net )
This will make an impressive list i think. Good hunting !
This will make an impressive list i think. Good hunting !
Thought of the Senfine...
But it's still in prototype stage, like the new Zenith Defy Lab, IIRC.
Thanks a lot! Added the Longines in the meantime and the Minerva will follow ππ»
Thanks a lot! Added the Longines in the meantime and the Minerva will follow ππ»
Interesting my friend
The AP is the Jules Audemars Chronometer with AP escapement.
I found the Buren Calibre 82 (5 Hz)
Best wishes
Alkiro
I found the Buren Calibre 82 (5 Hz)
Best wishes
Alkiro
Thanks Alkiro!
Do you know of any others, too? You seem to shoot such things from the hip
Here are 3:
All very different and based on AS cal's, as also used with FL & Eberharfor. The UN was based on ETA as your Eterna. Piaget & Movado also did high beats - but not sure if in house. Citizen & Orient too - a Seiko link? Felca also had a standalone 36000?
Love the smooth second sweeps!
Best,
Giles
Thanks a lot!
Will add them. Movado was El Primero, IIRC?
And three wonderful specimen you have! ππ»
And three wonderful specimen you have! ππ»
Zenith's new Defy Lab 15Hz Oscillator comes to mind...
Did you buy it in 1989?
The logo sure looks like the 90's logo (note the slight difference with the logo on the example I posted, which also has a Zenith 40.0), but I didn't think the chronograph came with the wave bracelet after 1986, when the 1911 bracelet came out.
I'm always ready to add to my store of Ebel trivia.
--Rick
I'm always ready to add to my store of Ebel trivia.
--Rick
GP high beat cals are:
30,
32,
42.1,
42.4,
440,
Ernest Borel had a high beat offering in the 70s too?
Variations on the AS1687/1688...
include members of the Communaute de Precision Horlogere, formed in 1957 at the promotion of Charles Blum of Ebel. They worked together with A. Schild to develop a 5-Hz version of those ebauches (also, I believe, an automatic winder for it). Gerard-Perregaux was a member, and their versions of that AS caliber (GP32, 42, etc) famously came in 5-Hz versions, both handwind and auto. Those were mentioned upthread.
But that high-beat ebauche was used by others. Zodiac's well-known calibers 86 and 88 were high-beat AS1687 and 1688, respectively (the 1688 had day and date). These were not just used in the Astrographic.
οΏΌFavre-Leuba, a member of that coalition, used it as their 1164. Eberhard used it as the 257 (I think that's the number).
(Pic from an old EBay ad--I wish I owned this watch)
Doxa called it the 72. Ebel used it as the 215, though I have never seen an example. The one I have seen is an Ebel FastBeat, which used an ETA movement that I do not now recall.
The Ebel Chronograph used the Zenith El Primero, but to correct the above, Ebel called it the 134 (136 with a perpetual calendar module). The 134 was a Zenith 3019PHC in the first three years when they were working from old stock, a 40.0 (Zenith's transitional caliber as they restarted production), and in later years the 400. They used it from 1982 until 1994 (and later for the perpetual calendar models). All of these were 5-Hz (unlike those used by Rolex), but Ebel never really trumpeted that feature.
--Rick
But that high-beat ebauche was used by others. Zodiac's well-known calibers 86 and 88 were high-beat AS1687 and 1688, respectively (the 1688 had day and date). These were not just used in the Astrographic.
οΏΌFavre-Leuba, a member of that coalition, used it as their 1164. Eberhard used it as the 257 (I think that's the number).
(Pic from an old EBay ad--I wish I owned this watch)
Doxa called it the 72. Ebel used it as the 215, though I have never seen an example. The one I have seen is an Ebel FastBeat, which used an ETA movement that I do not now recall.
The Ebel Chronograph used the Zenith El Primero, but to correct the above, Ebel called it the 134 (136 with a perpetual calendar module). The 134 was a Zenith 3019PHC in the first three years when they were working from old stock, a 40.0 (Zenith's transitional caliber as they restarted production), and in later years the 400. They used it from 1982 until 1994 (and later for the perpetual calendar models). All of these were 5-Hz (unlike those used by Rolex), but Ebel never really trumpeted that feature.
--Rick
Wow - thanks for that, Rick!
Glad for all this additional information - will add it to the post above ASAP!
The beauty of Puristspro, I guess - the learning never ends
The beauty of Puristspro, I guess - the learning never ends
I found a couple more...
I did indeed find an example of an Ebel FastBeat with the caliber 215, which is the high-beat version of the AS1687:
This was in an auction ad.
The Fast Beat also came with the AS 1920, which was only supplied as a 5-Hz movement. We also know it as the Girard-Perregaux 440, 441, and 444, and the Mido 1157. It was also used in the Lucien Piccard Sea Shark 36000.
The GP 444-427 Gyromatic HF version of the AS 1920, without rotor (note the Triovis regulator instead of the AS special regular used in the Lucien Piccard):
(from an excellent set of tear-down pictures by the Watch Guy: https://watchguy.co.uk/cgi-bin/library?action=show_photos&wat_id=859)
According to Ranfft, the 1920 was made in limited number from 1070-1974 only, but the Mido 1157 was used throughout the 70's. Many of the watches that used the AS 1920 were chronometers.
--Rick
This was in an auction ad.
The Fast Beat also came with the AS 1920, which was only supplied as a 5-Hz movement. We also know it as the Girard-Perregaux 440, 441, and 444, and the Mido 1157. It was also used in the Lucien Piccard Sea Shark 36000.
The GP 444-427 Gyromatic HF version of the AS 1920, without rotor (note the Triovis regulator instead of the AS special regular used in the Lucien Piccard):
(from an excellent set of tear-down pictures by the Watch Guy: https://watchguy.co.uk/cgi-bin/library?action=show_photos&wat_id=859)
According to Ranfft, the 1920 was made in limited number from 1070-1974 only, but the Mido 1157 was used throughout the 70's. Many of the watches that used the AS 1920 were chronometers.
--Rick
You are a star, Rick!
Have added the Mido, the GPs I did not have and the others that were new. ππ»
Thank you so much! If you come across any others...
Thank you so much! If you come across any others...
Added more Longines calibres
- 430: central seconds
- 431: central seconds, date
- 432: time only
- 433: small seconds
- 6952: date
- 6972: day date
