Amazing
Some of the greatest scientific and technical minds have spent centuries perfecting the mechanical watch, making it more reliable, more resistant and more ergonomic. Almost eternal, you could say. A mechanical watch has no need for batteries, no need to be plugged in and recharged. It is entirely self-sufficient. Take good care of it, and it will be your friend for life: solid, punctual and for ever by your side.
Machines that give the time
But what exactly do we mean when we describe a watch as “mechanical”? From the fourteenth century, excluding clepsydras and sandglasses, the instruments that divided and measured time were conceived of as “machines”. From vast assemblies of cogs and gears inside towers, to pocket-sized, to their current home on the wrist, these “machines” have undergone a succession of technical developments, although their basic principle is unchanged, using mechanical power from a spring or a weight to function. The mechanical watch forms a separate category to electronic quartz watches and, more recently, smartwatches that run off a battery (which can or cannot be recharged) and are controlled by a microprocessor.
Six organs
In the same way a car’s internal combustion engine transforms fuel into the rotary power that drives the wheels, a mechanical movement runs off power that flows through a “chain”. This chain, which begins with the power store and ends with the time display, is the same in every mechanical watch, from the most basic to the most complex. If the hour, minute and (where applicable) seconds hands are to rotate at the correct speed, the flow of power through this chain must be controlled. Therein lies the magic of a mechanical movement, whose 130-some parts (for a basic movement) must be perfectly orchestrated to display time with the greatest possible precision. A mechanical movement is generally subdivided into six units, each of which performs a specific function within the chain. They are:
- Winding mechanism – the crown winds the movement and sets the hands
- Barrel – the barrel stores power from the mainspring
- Wheel train – the wheel train (or gear train) transmits power
- Escapement – the pallet fork and the escape wheel distribute power
- Regulator – the balance and balance spring regulate power
- Display – hands indicate the time and any other functions