Accuracy and Tourbillons

padi65 · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 3:24 pm Post subject: Accuracy and Tourbillons

Today when I see the many posts on some forums about accuracy groaning about a few seconds etc.I think back to when the first wrist watches were used about 100 years ago and no Adrian I am not that old.Then basically converted small pocket watches,movements have not changed a lot in over 100 years.Sure there have been a few changes over the years,first the electronic watches,then the quartz revolution.IMHO one of the biggest breakthroughs to the mechanical world was the Jack Daniels escapement.But IMHO not used by all the Swiss watch industry simply because its not a Swiss design IMHO.

Then came the introduction of Tourbillon escapements to counteract the watchmakers nightmare gravity but IMHO they serve no real purpose in a wrist watch at all,only the fact the watchmaker can make them.And you would be quite surprised how many watch brands Tourbillons are made now in china and to a very very high standard I must say..Why there is so much admiration for the tourbillon,perhaps the unquestioned and deserved prestige of Breguet, the inventor.But the tourbillon works best in one position and in theory the tourbillon is always modifying the slight timing errors in the vertical position.The tourbillon does not correct position variations; it only prevents them being detected in the usual testing conditions. But when placed on say a vibrograph, the tourbillon reveals its weaknesses immediately.IMO the admiration given to the tourbillon is of the same nature as that given to a very clever magician.Who for instance makes a large object disappear its just a optical illusion,and looks good at the time.The tourbillon does not correct anything,in wrist movements, it only prevents the detection of an error that still exists in natural gravity with wrist movement.The tourbillon is in fact an additional mechanism that consumes energy without producing anything except misinformation.

The energy it consumes is taken from the reserve destined to the regulator. As a result, the balance with less energy will have reduced advantages.Now I agree totally the skill needed to make the cage plus tourbillon etc is a great horological skill.But in reality the watch is no more accurate that several other non tourbillon watches

Take now the modern mass produced movements now highly automated to make the vast numbers.All precision made so in theory should all be exactly the same.But with all mechanical movements afraid earth's gravity, metal expansion and contraction, temperature variations, subtle changes in lubrication and friction, shocks play a huge part in performance.Even a watch that runs five minutes fast or slow each day has an accuracy of over 99.6 percent! A finer mechanical watch that gains or loses about six to nine seconds a day or about a minute a week has a breathtaking precision of over 99.99 per cent.

Myself feel very humbled with any mechanical watch that can perform to just a few seconds a day.You guys tell me of any other purely man made thing that has the same high precision as a mechanical watch.Take mans first flight about 100 years ago then in very flimsy so called aircraft
but today man has flown to the planets.And now we take air travel around the world for granted.But if our mechanical marvel on our wrists is just a few seconds out some moan and groan about it.

And any modern day wristwatch chronometers are, by the almost 300 year old 18th century navigational standards imposed on John Harrison,H4 watch,quite laughably inaccurate even by todays standards.How about just 5 seconds slow after 63 days at sea,in one of the toughest environments known to man, not bad for a almost 300 year old watch.Now in those days no modern machinery no computer design no robots,just his bare hands and crude tools.Now when you look at your watch and only a few seconds out it wont feel so bad whats in a just few seconds a day.
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uncle aj · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 5:34 pm Post subject:

Peter, your age was far from my mind.

Great information mate.

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Lisa · Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2009 8:57 pm Post subject:

Makes me appreciate even more owning a mechanical timepiece.

unclesallie · Old hand Status: Dan Joined: 01 Jan 2009 Posts: 135

Peter: wow! now, if i could only understand what you said!

just kidding, excellent, but I do have to make time to do more education on movements. since i'm an NAWCC member, i'll call over the national watch and clock museum, about 40 minutes away and cruise their vast library....or maybe you could suggest some not too technical reading?
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