Horological Meandering

Or perhaps “The Six Million Dollar Watch”?

I am sure we are all reading with interest the post below on the Devon Tread 1. There have been plenty of examples over the years of hybrid designs, from Accutrons to the ETA 205.911 autoquartz calibre, as used in Vianney Halter’s HTO Grand Voyager.

Purists love mechanical watches, but where do we draw the line? Are little motors, microelectronic controllers, pulleys and belts and even quartz crystal timing (just an ultrafast oscillator without a hairspring I guess) such an anathema to mechanical horology?

BTW, I don’t actually know the answer, and it may be that the line is moving. But I am interested in your thoughts on mechanical, hybrid and electronic watches and when they go from pure(ist) to evil.

Andrew

NT

I think of the Quartz watch as "magic". It's there to do all the things that people haven't figured out how to do as pure mechanics yet, but slowly that boundary gets pushed back. In that way I like the Devon piece, because there's no real way to do something like that, yet, in a mechanical watch. I like the Breitling Emergency series, because there's no way to have a geared radio transmitter

That said, I am never impressed by the Quartz repeaters and the like. They're using electronics to make a cheaper (in money, not quality) watch, not doing something beyond the boundaries
A

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

 

Arthur C. Clarke, Profiles of The Future, 1961

 

 

Thanks Aaron,

 

This is a very nice way to think about mechanical versus other watches.

 

We have spent the last few decades making electronic devices to replace mechanical ones, and now our new fangled creations are doing things that no mechanical device existed for. It’s bizarre that in some cases this has had the effect of motivating watchmakers to develop mechanisms to keep up. But it has led to some very interesting timepieces.

 

A

...inside an analogue quartz watch....so is that a hybrid?

Most of the electrickery in a watch I can forgive or embrace concerns that which is best done with electrickery.

For example: I like the depth gauge on the JLC something-or-other-diver, but it's useless and accuracy is rather questionable. So it's a novelty only, not something I'd use for redundancy.

 

I have an addiction to watches..The first step in dealing with this addiction is to admit to it.
I really enjoyed Ron's posting of the Devon Thread 1 and caught it before the link was removed to their home page ..for obvious reasons.I watched the video a few times and was amazed with it.
I decided to sit back and read the questions and comments by others more knowledgeable than me to learn more about the technology behind this creation before I comment as I try to do.They do say the only stupid question is the one that is not asked..but I am here to learn and i did learn quite a bit from this post.
My comments were not meant to take away any credit due to technological prowess of the people involved in the Thread 1,I was simply calling a spade a spade.
For obvious reasons if it fits on my wrist it is a "Wrist Watch"..Maybe not like any other ...but it still is.
Now the question is how soon can i get my hands on one,Cheerz