The world of watches is full of complications. I know, the name can be somewhat deceptive since the idea behind a complication is to bring the user something practical… well, most of the time, at least. Dozens of functions can be added to a watch, but few are as practical in real life as the […]
Barely one centimetre in diameter, the hairspring is the beating heart of a watch movement. It is a strategic component in several respects. Manufacturing hairsprings is a complex process mastered only by a few companies. Conventional hairsprings are made of iron-nickel alloys, such as Nivarox. For several years now, silicon has been revolutionizing traditional watchmaking. […]
Countless technical solutions have been used over the years by watchmakers to improve the precision of a mechanical watch. Mechanical watches, in essence, will never be as precise as digital, quartz or electronic watches; there are forces at large that work against precision. For that reason, the search for utmost precision has been a field […]
Imagine an object that is 1.8mm thick. As a reference, 1.8mm is thinner than your average bracelet spring bar. This figure represents the entire height of the watch we’re going to explore today, not the thickness of its movement. No, 1.8mm refers to the thickness of the whole watch, including the case and crystals. This […]
The word innovation is so often used and abused in the watch industry that it loses its true meaning. But the development Frederique Constant is unveiling today is an authentic horological breakthrough. A prodigious feat of engineering that relies on the principle of compliant mechanisms, the Slimline Monolithic Manufacture is regulated by a revolutionary flexure […]
Back in the mid-1990s, the watch industry was very different from what it is today and mechanical watchmaking was still in its renaissance. Very few watch brands actually manufactured movements in-house, and even fewer brands had the ability or industrial capacity to reimagine the escapement and the oscillator, together called the regulating organ and these […]
The genius and madness are separated by a very thin line. Weirdos and rebels, people who are different enough, crazy enough, are the ones who change the world. In that respect, the Ulysse Nardin Freak could not be more aptly named. This innovative, disruptive avant-garde masterpiece smashed all conventions and simply changed what’s on our […]
After looking back at our guide on chronographs, explaining some of the finest details explaining how this type of watch actually works, it is time for our “rewind” column to look at another important, technical topic: finishing and decoration in watchmaking. How to explain the difference between a luxury watch and an ultra-desirable, yet often […]
Chronographs are certainly amongst the most popular watches. However, the word chronograph refers to a complication, an additional function to the display of the time, not as a fixed type of watch. As such, you’ll find chronographs in all price segments – basically, from 3-digit prices to almost infinity. A chronograph can be accessible, can […]
Have you ever wondered how Swatch Group brands like Tissot, Certina, Hamilton and Mido can make reliable, robust and accurate mechanical watches of good quality at very reasonable prices? Take a look inside the cases and you’ll see the answer ticking there: the movement that seriously raises the bar for the entire industry. Its name: […]