Results for Detent Escapement

Introducing: The Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002, With New Hi-Beat Escapement Caliber 9SA5

The latest limited edition from Grand Seiko marks a major mechanical leap forward.

In-Depth: Realising Breguet’s Dream of the Natural Escapement

Abraham-Louis Breguet’s contributions to horology are as numerous as they are fundamental. Practically every avenue of watchmaking is built on the foundations he laid down, from the perpetuelle self-winding mechanism to pare-chute shock-protection for balance pivots. But most famous of all was the tourbillon, patented in 1801. It was crucial to the precision of mechanical pocket watches and clocks, the only kinds of timepieces in use then, which normally sat in an upright, vertical position. The Breguet Souscription pocket watch of the 1990s that replicated the 19th century originals, right down to the pare-chute escapement The tourbillon, however, was not Breguet’s only effort in improving chronometric performance. Prior to the tourbillon, he created the lesser known but more elegant echappement naturel, or natural escapement, in 1789. It was a double-wheel chronometer escapement that in theory, needed no oil. Breguet managed to incorporate it into just 20 pocket watches, but serial production of the natural escapement ultimately eluded him as its design had inherent shortcomings – primarily backlash in the motion of its wheels – that made it impossible to commercialise. The idea was ahead of its time, and it would take some 200 years before technology made the natural escapement feasible. The concept of natural escapements continues to fascinate watchmakers, many of whom have conceived modern-day descendants, the most recent of which is the Ch...

The Great Escape(ment): Girard Perregaux Makes History With Its Constant Force Escapement

Raúl Pagès Wins the Inaugural Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives with his RP1 Régulateur à Détente: Here’s Why

Congratulations to Raúl Pagès for winning the 2024 Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives with his RP1 Régulateur à Détente. The prize comes with a substantial grant of 150,000 euros and a 12-month mentorship with La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. Here's why he won.

New: Pagès Régulateur à détente RP1 – an insider commentary

Raúl Pagès announces the third chapter in his independent career with a new watch he designed and hand makes: the new Régulateur à détente RP1.

Insight: The Geometric Efficiency of Escapements

Mechanical escapements remain the most fascinating and enticing field of horological study even in the 21st century. At its core, an escapement has a simple purpose: restore lost energy to the oscillating organ while regulating the discharge speed of the going train – thus allowing for time measurement. Straightforward as the concept is, executing an escapement well is a completely different affair. The escapement is perhaps the element of the mechanical movement that has undergone the most iterations since its invention. The reason is simple: escapements were, and remain, imperfect systems. In fact, the escapement is often the least efficient aspect of a mechanical movement in terms of energy transfer. That’s why watchmakers and engineers have devised innumerable variants in the search of the ideal escapement.  Explaining escapement efficiency In physics the efficiency of a system is the proportion of useful work done relative to the total work done by said system. The result, measured as a percentage, speaks to the energy conserved within the system. For example, an 80% efficiency means that 20% of the total available energy is lost, with the remaining 80% usefully conserved.  That said, an efficient escapement isn’t necessarily chronometrically-potent, since there are more criteria, apart from energy conservation, which reflect in a movement’s accuracy. The way in which escapement parts impulse to the balance, the proximity of the equilibrium point and the deg...

In Conversation with Bernhard Lederer, A Master of Escapements

Paying a visit to Bernhard Lederer’s atelier in St. Blaise, Wei nerds out with the German Master Watchmaker about a crucial component in a watch’s movement, the escapement, which has undergone hundreds of years of innovation. Lederer expounds on the efforts by past masters, Abraham-Louis Breguet and George Daniels to develop the perfect escapement and […]

Just Because – A Set Of Unique Raúl Pagès Régulateur à Détente RP1s With Dials By Master Enameller Anita Porchet

When two masters of their respective crafts meet, it’s very likely greatness will ensue. However, while masters may strengthen each other, it’s difficult to find common ground when crafts might seem at odds. Despite this, a positive and uniquely intriguing outcome is still a possibility. Such is the case with the collaboration of Raúl Pagès, […]

Recommended Reading: Arnold Schwarzenegger Detained Over Audemars Piguet Watch At Munich Airport

The watch was set to be sold at the Austrian World Summit Auction.

Hands-On: Raúl Pagès Turns The Page With His Old-School Régulateur à Détente

Handmade and unique.

#TBT One Decent Omega Speedmaster Ed White 105.003 For Me, Please!

Most of the time, I have my #TBT stories scheduled weeks, if not months, ahead. I’ve found it easier to follow the plan and not think way too long about what my weekly dose of vintage watch inspiration for you will be. But sometimes, the inspiration is so strong that I have to put my […] Visit #TBT One Decent Omega Speedmaster Ed White 105.003 For Me, Please! to read the full article.

Frederique Constant spins tracks and escapements at Dubai Watch Week

Deep house and tourbillons mark Frederique Constant's DWW releases.The post Frederique Constant spins tracks and escapements at Dubai Watch Week appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Science of Steel: The Stuff of Cases, Mainsprings, Hairsprings, Pinions, Escapements and the Backbone of Watchmaking

Joshua Munchow talks about steel here, the metal that made the world! Watch cases and other movement components are commonly made from certain stainless steels, 304 and 316L being the most frequent. It also happens that some brands hold exclusive rights to use specific alloys in the production of its watches. Here's what you should know about steel.

WHAT TWEAKS MY TOURB: Enough with the digital renders – brands need decent photography

One of the most common tips given to watch shoppers is to go and see their potential purchases in the metal before buying them. Not only is it beneficial to feel how they fit on your wrist, but also how they interact with real-world lighting and real-life eyeballs. In the online age, and especially post-COVID, … ContinuedThe post WHAT TWEAKS MY TOURB: Enough with the digital renders – brands need decent photography appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.

The Science of Steel, The Stuff Of Cases, Mainsprings, Hairsprings, Pinions, Escapements And The Backbone Of Watchmaking – Reprise

Joshua Munchow talks about steel here, the metal that made the world! Watch cases and other movement components are commonly made from certain stainless steels, 304 and 316L being the most frequent. It also happens that some brands hold exclusive rights to use specific alloys in the production of its watches. Here's what you should know about steel.

F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance 20th Anniversary Featuring One Mainspring, One Differential, Two Geartrains, And Two Remontoire d’Egalité Escapements

Launched in 2000, the Chronomètre à Résonance was the first wristwatch with a resonance mechanism and it catapulted F.P. Journe into the major leagues. This latest model in celebration of its 20th anniversary is an entirely new piece based on the resonance phenomenon that now incorporates a larger single mainspring (the original had two mainsprings) with a differential driving the two going trains and a pair of remontoire d’égalité escapements.

Focus On Materials: Primer On The Science of Steel, The Stuff Of Cases, Mainsprings, Hairsprings, Pinions, Escapements And The Backbone Of Watchmaking – Reprise

Joshua Munchow talks about steel here, the metal that made the world! Watch cases and other movement components are commonly made from certain stainless steels, 304 and 316L being the most frequent. It also happens that some brands hold exclusive rights to use specific alloys in the production of its watches. Here's what you should know about steel.

High Speed Escapements, Part 3: Different Approaches

High Speed Escapements, Part 2: A Field Survey

High Speed Escapements, Part 1: History and Future

Review: Bulgari L’Ammiraglio del Tempo Minute Repeater

Review of the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo Minute Repeater with Detente Escapement and Constant Force. Hands on analysis and explanations on how it works.

SJX Podcast: Independent Highlights from Geneva

During Watches & Wonders, all eyes are on the major brands exhibiting inside the cavernous Palexpo. Episode 38 of the SJX Podcast rounds up the highlights from the smaller fairs like AHCI and Time to Watches, and the independents exhibiting on their own around town. Among the standouts were Mathieu Cleguer, who debuted a novel escapement of his own design, Dominique Renaud who launched a 1 Hz balance, and Franc Vila, who seems to be entering a new era of creativity. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.  

Hands-On: Cleguer Horology Inspiration One

Mathieu Cleguer makes his debut under his own name, with the intricate Inspiration One. The relatively young movement constructor is well known in the industry but has not produced watches under his own name until now. Having worked for various movement specialists — including a stint at Akrivia — Mr Cleguer launches Cleguer Horology with a thoroughly impressive debut featuring a proprietary escapement.  Initial thoughts Although the market for artisanal time-only watches has becoming increasingly crowded, sometimes a new creation comes along that genuinely stands apart. This is the case with Cleguer Horology’s Inspiration One — a watch that that is surprisingly refined and technically imaginative for a new maker’s debut. Mathieu Cleguer is representative of a new class of independent watchmakers who are not ‘watchmakers’ in the traditional sense. Instead, he is an engineer, with the training and experience to bring fundamentally new concepts to life, so long as he can find the manufacturing partners and bench watchmakers to help realise his vision. It’s a fundamentally different background than what we’re used to seeing — George Daniels, Kari Voutilainen, and François-Paul Journe started their careers doing hands-on restoration work long before they designed movements of their own. But times have changed, and the emergence of engineer-led brands is a new trend made possible by the depth of the supplier network in Switzerland. For the visual design of...

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is Ready for Takeoff

Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Traveller is a meaningful addition to its collection of sport watches. While the brand’s convenient push-button dual-time complication is not new, it has never been available in the go-anywhere, do-anything format of the Sport line - where it arguably makes the most sense. It’s also the first time this travel complication has been paired with one of the brand’s lever escapement movements, a change that should provide the resilience against shocks that one expects from a sport watch. Initial thoughts The sport has proven to be one of Laurent Ferrier’s most popular watches, introducing the brand to a wider audience by combining sports watch ruggedness with the high-horology independent watchmaking that the brand has become famous for. In this sense, the Sport Traveller is similar in philosophy to other luxury sport watches. That said, few manage to elevate the concept quite as high as Laurent Ferrier. The A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus and F.P. Journe Octa Sport Titanium are natural peers, as is the Patek Philippe 5164, but only the latter offers a travel time complication. The Sport Traveller is made from grade 5 titanium for a featherweight wrist presence, and debuts in what is likely to be a popular grey-on-grey colourway. Even the Sport Traveller dial text is grey, blending in with the dial to help keep the clutter to a minimum. The cal. LF275.01 continues the monochromatic look with grey-coated bridges and a solid platinum oscillating wei...

Hands-On With The New Oris Star Re-Edition

Today, Oris introduces its Star re-edition. It’s a celebration of the very first Oris watch to feature a lever escapement, from 1966. But “Oris Star” sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Back in 2023, we collaborated with the company from Hölstein on the Fratello × Oris Divers Sixty-Five with “Star” on the dial, just like its 1968 […] Visit Hands-On With The New Oris Star Re-Edition to read the full article.

Introducing – The Arnold & Son UltraThin Tourbillon Onyx Edition

Arnold & Son’s UTTE – Ultra Thin Tourbillon Escapement – debuted at Baselworld 2013, powered by the ultra-thin 2.97mm hand-wound calibre A&S;8200. Recognised as the world’s thinnest tourbillon wristwatch, the title was stolen from Arnold & Son just one year later with Bulgari’s 1.95mm Octo Finissimo Tourbillon. Still remarkably thin, Arnold & Son’s Ultrathin Tourbillon […]

Introducing: Dominique Renaud Slows Things Down With The 1Hz 'Pulse60'

The watch features a massive balance running at an unusual 1Hz, an unusual escapement design, and a surprisingly approachable price for an independent release.

Buying Guide – The Joy of the Snap, With 5 of Today’s Finest Retrograde Watches

I’ve always been a big fan of watches that have something moving on the dial, other than the smooth and consistent running of hour, minute and second hands. Whether it’s a dial-mounted balance wheel, a tourbillon escapement or even a winding rotor, I just love to see some type of action that goes beyond pure […]

The 9 Most Accurate Watches for the Precision-Obsessed

Fundamentally, mechanical and quartz movements do the same thing: they both tell thetime. But the ways in which they both do it couldn’t be more different. Not to get into acomparison guide here, but in a nutshell: a mechanical watch is powered by a mainspringthat’s either wound by hand or automatically through wrist movement. Energy is releasedthrough a complex system of gears, an escapement, and a balance wheel that beats steadily back and forth. There’s no battery, just centuries-old engineering refined to an art form. These watches aren’t the most accurate, but accuracy isn’t really the point. Craftsmanship, tradition, and the emotional connection are. Quartz watches, on the other hand, are powered by a battery and use an electrical current to make a quartz crystal vibrate at 32,768 times per second. That vibration is incredibly stable, which is why quartz watches are vastly more accurate and require far less maintenance. They’re practical, reliable, and often more durable for everyday use, as well as being notably more affordable. Neither system is inherently “better,” though. Mechanical watches speak to passion and heritage, while quartz prioritizes precision and convenience. Ultimately, it’s less about the movement inside and more about what you want your watch to represent on your wrist. [toc-section heading="Next-Level Accuracy"] Some watches measure accuracy in seconds per day, others by seconds per month. Butthere also exists a small group of t...