From Manufacture caliber to complete timepiece Everything turns, everything moves. The crowning creation for any watch manufacturer is to built his own movement, freely and in accordance with the motto: “Live your passion!” Have you ever asked yourself what's really so exciting about a mechanical watch? In our opinion, it's the movement! We reached this conclusion not because we choose not to peer beyond the nearby horizon circumscribed by the case's rim, but because our passion isn't only to sell wristwatches, but also to develop movements of our own. The mechanical microcosm under the dial, to which we would like to devote some thought today, performs incredible feats. At the very least, this little machine Ð a Lilliputian confection of bridges, springs, levers, cocks, screws, pinions and gears Ð tirelessly keeps us informed about the time of day or night. Depending on the version, it may also keep us posted on the date, day of the week, lunar phase and many other timerelated facts. The heart of a mechanical watch is its escapement, which subdivides the linear flow of energy that it receives from the barrel and thus makes time display possible. The hairspring and balancewheel together comprise the balance of the escapement. Frederique Constant usually relies on balances that complete 28,800 semioscillations per hour and are accordingly paced at four hertz. This results in 691,200 semioscillations per day and 232,243,200 semioscillations per year. Here's that number written in words rather than digits: twohundredmillion twohundredfortythree(thousand) twohundred. That's quite impressive! Let's cite another superlative. One day consists of 86,400 seconds. If a wristwatch gains or loses four seconds per day (although such a large inaccuracy is unusual nowadays, then its daily deviations typically remain within even narrower limits and the watch keeps time with a precision of 99.995%, i.e. very nearly 100%. That's impressive: it sparks our enthusiasm, and it fuels our passion! (1). But the balance is only one of many components in a movement. gears or pinions likewise rotate many times each day and yearly traverse Ð relative to their small size Ð an incredibly long distance of several kilometers. But this microcosm isn't solely inhabited by marathon runners, because other gears or pinions are comparatively lethargic: they complete a full rotation only once a month, once a year, or Ð in the extreme case Ð once every four years. But when their big moment finally arrives, they function properly and perform the actions for which they are intended. Levers and springs act similarly: they reliably dispatch their predefined tasks. To cut a long story short, everything moves, everything turns, and everything does so with incomparable precision. (2) Peter neatly summarizes all this when he says, “Building our own movements was neither obligatory nor optional for us, but the fulfillment of a longcherished dream. It simply means that we live our motto: “Live your passion!” An earlier expression of it was the opening that we cut in the dial so the indefatigably swinging balance would have a worthy stage. An aperture through which one could admire the balance's choreography was an early expression of our dedication to the fascinating world of watchmaking. Some people who wear mechanical wristwatches unfortunately realize much too rarely that their wrists are theaters where miniscule components dance a perfectly choreographed ballet. Watch owners are all too likely to treat this microcosm without due consideration or proper respect. Shocks, blows and exposure to heat and cold are a few of the thousand natural shocks to which a wristwatch is daily subjected. With this in mind, we really ought to treat our faithful ticking companions with more respect. We would also be wise to devote a few of each day's 86,400 seconds to the conscious contemplation of our wristborne pals. Devote? yes, indeed! Let's simply take a moment Ð or more! Ð to enjoy our wristwatches and consciously realize what's actually happening under their dials. Freely and in accordance with the motto: “Enjoy our passion!” No Fields Found.