Watchmaking

TAG Heuer Grand Carrera Pendulum introduced in 2010

Yesterday, we sat down with TAG Heuer SA Vice President Guy Sémon, to discuss the brand’s high tech watchmaking efforts. Specifically, we discussed the brand’s highly complicated dual architecture timepieces: the Mikrograph, the Mikrotimer, the Mikrogirder and the Mikrotourbillon S.

These cutting-edge ultra-high frequency timepieces act as a halo for the brand, they show off the technical prowess of TAG Heuer. But, Sémon was careful to mention that all of these efforts — although important for their image — are ultimately designed with the goal of being used in regular timepieces. With the idea that accuracy (or chronometry - the advancement of watchmaking) is what is most important. If you haven’t yet seen what a 5/10,000th of second chronograph hands looks like as it sweeps around the dial 20 times per second, then you should definitely watch this video of the Mikrogirder that was shot last year at Baselworld. The watch is mechanical, yet it operates at a speed that is almost unfathomable, and it sounds like an electronic motor.

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The all new ETA C07.111 movement makes its debut in the Tissot Powermatic 80.

With a power reserve of 80-hours, it can last nearly twice as long as a comparable movement, such as the 23-jewel ETA 2824 on which it is based. To achieve this level of power reserve, ETA (Swatch Group’s movement production arm) made a number of improvements. The engineers were able to save energy with the C07.111 by reducing the operating frequency from 4 to 3Hz (28,800 vph to 21,600 vph). Additionally, the use of a high-performance synthetic material (likely silicon) for the escapement also allows friction to be reduced, thus wasting less power. Furthermore, a reduction of the diameter of the barrel-arbor’s core made it possible to lengthen the mainspring, thereby allowing for an increased power reserve.

This morning in Geneva, Omega announced what they say is the first truly anti-magnetic watch movement. Omega Co-Axial caliber 8508 is resistant to magnetic fields greater than 1.5 tesla (15,000 gauss), far exceeding the levels of magnetic resistance achieved by any other watch — significantly more than the two timepieces most widely known for their anti-magnetic characteristics: the Rolex Milguass (1,000 gauss) and the IWC Ingenieur (1,000 gauss). Omega’s new caliber 8508 even has a higer anti-magnetic rating than the 1989 IWC Ingenieur reference 3508, which was able to withstand huge magnetic fields up to 500,000 A/m. The Omega 8508 is rated to a record breaking 1,200,000 A/m, hence Omega’s claims that this is the first truly anti-magnetic watch movement.

Shown inside an Omega Seamster Aqua Terra. Omega expects to present the technology at the Baselworld trade fair in April. The new movement, the Omega Co-Axial calibre 8508, should be introduced to the market in 2013.

In January, we showed you the beautiful new gunmetal steel finished RL67 Sporting Chronograph. Now, we go step-by-step and show you how it was made. Hit the jump to see the entire process, from start to final product.

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HYT CEO and creative director, Vincent Perriard, explains not just how the HYT H1 functions, but also some of the problems his team had to solve in order to make this timepiece a reality. Video was filmed last week at Baselworld.

Black polish - the most sophisticated and challenging finishing technique - is performed exclusively on the tourbillon bridge and cage. It can take up to five days to polish one single part.

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The success of the clock depended on the invention of a device which could control the release of power from its source. Around the 14th century, the verge escapement was invented and during the next three centuries, this escapement was greatly improved upon. The problem, though, was that the verge escapement was not an accurate timekeeper.

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