Martin Foster Reviews the Scope of New R&D Releases which will Reshape the Future of Watchmaking

The Watch Industry pours Money into Serious R&D in Response to Years of Resurgent Demand for Prestige Mechanicals

The big cashed up watch companies have put a big share into significant R&D and whilst the ‘old' will never be abandoned, a lot of ‘new' will surely be here to stay. The new ideas are creating a genuine ‘artisan' basis of competition between serious producers of fine mechanicals from the high end of watchmaking.

George Daniels and the Co-Axial Escapement

Omega started the new momentum in 1999 with its courageous decision to adopt the George Daniels Co-axial escapement as part of its general series production. Daniels, who turns 80 this year, will be gratified by the level of acceptance and the attention his Co-Axial escapement has received. As he is the first in nearly 250 years to persuade a major maker to depart from the Mudge lever escapement he will be remembered more than those who follow. But those who follow are nevertheless in swift pursuit!

Ulysse Nardin and the Dual Direct With Silicon Escape Wheels

After Daniels, the first of the new ideas came to us from Ulysse Nardin with the introduction in 2001 of twin silicon escape wheels in their radical Dual Direct escapement. This was incorporated into the Ulysse Nardin Freak watch.

The wide interest this created must have triggered some dormant instincts in competing makers to become involved in the R&D of new materials and their application to new escapements.

These new R&D announcements were in abundance at the Swiss Spring fairs BASELWORLD and SIHH in Geneva which showcased all the new watches for 2006.

The Swiss Spring Fairs of 2006 – Baselworld and SIHH (Geneva)

The 34th annual BASELWORLD 2006 was held over eight days hosting 2,529 journalists and 94,200 visitors (up 5% on 2005) from over 100 countries.

The Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) is a smaller exclusive Geneva Salon without public admission, exhibiting 16 exclusive high horology makers. The brands exhibiting at SIHH are Audemars Piguet, Cartier, Piaget, Baume & Mercier, Vacheron Constantin, Montblanc, Alfred Dunhill, Parmigiani, Girard-Perregaux, Panerai, Roger Dubuis, Daniel Jeanrichard, IWC, Van Cleef & Arpels, Jaeger LeCoultre and Lange & Söhne.

The 13,000 visitors to SIHH showed great interest in the new-found strength of technical invention. In this they are reflecting a market where Swiss watch exports have reached a total of 12.3bn Swiss francs, an increase of 10.9% over 2004 setting a new high record.

New Materials

There were also confessions of collaboration between rivals in the development of some of the new materials – indeed we live in interesting times! The new materials, silicon, diamond, carbon fibre (and their derivatives), are really old materials but new ways have been found to integrate them into the micro-mechanics over which the Swiss high-end watchmakers have complete ascendency. There is a genuine atmosphere of innovation at the global seat of the industry.

AUDEMARS PIGUET has joined the elite ranks of those who have the courage to make and test new watch escapements suitable for commercial manufacture. Before the Swiss lever escapement achieved its current dominant position, the greatest horological geniuses had explored various solutions such as the verge escapement, the Graham cylinder escapement (1718), the duplex, the Leroy detent (1748), the Mudge lever escapement (1759) and others.

In 1791, Robert Robin (1742-1799), former official Royal Watchmaker, invented a new type of escapement combining the advantages of a detent escapement with those of the Mudge lever (in use today as the Swiss lever) which offered more secure operation.

Attracted to the mechanism proposed by Robin, Audemars Piguet has developed an all new direct-impulse escapement. This most striking concept watch, the Millenary No. 5, also employs two parallel hairsprings offset by 180 degrees, 42 Jewels, 7 day power reserve, full calendar of hours, minutes, small seconds, day of the week, date and month. Expect to pay about $420,000 in platinum for this very fine piece.

The new JAEGER LECOULTRE AMVOX2 Chronograph Concept reveals JLC's latest technical invention – the ‘vertical-trigger' chronograph. Traditional push-pieces are replaced by an ingenious new mechanism to start, stop and reset the chronograph simply by pressing at the edge of the watch's crystal sapphire surface.

Inside, a clever ball-joint system allows both the case and bezel to pivot away from the shoulders of the watch, activating a series of levers that convey impulses to control the chronograph. Each lever is mounted on a miniature stainless-steel ball bearing of seven 0.1mm-diameter balls.

IWCs new Classic collection of pilot's watches comprises five models in the instrument look. They follow the tradition of this watch designed specially for pilots. It comprises the Big Pilot's Watch, the Double Chronograph, the Chrono-Automatic, the classic Mark XVI and, as a new addition to the pilot's watch segment, the Midsize model whose 34mm case makes it ideal for slender wrists. Especially nice for the collector of fine watchmaking is the Double Chronograph equipped with split-seconds mechanism fly-back hand for intermediate timing, day and date display, small seconds with stop function all in a new hi-tech ceramic case.

PANERAI who has so successfully taken the collecting buyers by surprise this last five years or more continues from strength to strength. The Panerai Radiomir Chrono One/Eighth Second is especially attractive in appearance, technical design and execution. It is fitted with an automatic mechanical movement with a twin crown wheel system for operating the chronograph functions. The 45mm steel case is in three parts with pump-style chronograph push-pieces at 2 and 4 o'clock and the pusher for the split-seconds function co-axial with the winding crown. The Radiomir Chrono one/eighth Second has a small hand positioned at 9 o'clock, which moves in steps of 1/8 sec and at the rate of one complete revolution a second, so that eighths of a second are displayed in analog form with maximum readability. It is supplied with the COSC Chronometer Certificate. Be ready for a price-tag of about $11,500.

CARTIER is one of the great names in the world of jewellery and luxury watchmaking. Once memorably hailed as “The jeweller of kings, and the king of jewellers” by King Edward VII. Cartier remains today one of the world's best-known luxury brands, a byword for quality and style. But Cartier is not without its own special humour and this year has produced a re-interpretation of one of its most sought after pieces, the Tank Crash with the case made in 18kt rose or white gold with diamonds. The Tank Crash gives you double vision and the Roman numerals seem to disappear and reappear. Recognising too that a wider market may be available through the industry-wide move towards revealing the intricacies of the movement Cartier has produced the Tank Louis Cartier Noctambule with exposed stylised skeleton movement.

BAUME & MERCIER has a 170 year history in fine watchmaking. In 1830 the Baume brothers established the Baume Freres Watch firm in the Swiss Jura. As business flourished, a grandson of the founder, William Baume met Paul Mercier and in 1918 they created a business partnership with the traditions of watchmaking quality that still exist today.

The Baume & Mercier Riviera underwent total restyling last year and this year reappears as the new Riviera Chronograph XXL, with a rubber strap. A 43mm case is of stainless steel with a sapphire crystal and is 100m water resistant. The bezel features four black screws which fasten it to the case and the black dial has silvered counters and traditional Roman numerals and fitted with automatic movement ETA cal. 7750.

MILUS has re-emerged in recent years as a fine watch for the jeweller with good case designs nicely complementing the lavish diamond and coloured stone settings. What an interesting departure then to see the new HERIOS TriRetrograde Seconds Skeleton with its stark clean lines. The dial has stylised Arabic numerals hinting at art deco, stretching out gracefully to the case frame. The revealed mechanics, visible through the dial make a strong statement.

VAN CLEEF AND ARPELS, jewellers and watchmakers, are responsible for creating some of the worlds most exceptional jewellery. And this year VC & A produced a watch with a unique display of the four seasons by way of a hand painted enamel disk which rotates once a year behind the dial revealing just the appropriate colours and images for the season. An ingenious mechanism on the back enables the disc to be precisely set at the correct date. The Monsieur Arpels for men with lateral power reserve display is another great example of VC&A's alternative designs. The power reserve is viewed through the side of the case leaving the main dial to tell the time with uncluttered style and clarity.

Tools for the Watchmaker

The various makers who have struggled with the quartz revolution for the last 30 years are finding a resurgence of sales of tools for the watch and clock repairer. This must surely be a reflection of the growth of mechanicals which we have witnessed emerging in ever growing volume year by year in Basel and Geneva.

The hand tools exhibited were, as usual, a real treat for the workman equipping a new workshop or refitting the old. A visit to BASELWORLD is the only way to fully appreciate the scale of choice!

In 2007 BASELWORLD will run from April 12-19 and the SIHH Geneva Salon from April 16-22. ©2006 Martin Foster

DAVRAN JEWELLERY

It could be a mistake to complain to Davran, that no one is making a product anymore.”That man did and that man can now get them”! Our “Palace script” initials are a decent weight, hand lapped and polished and manufactured in two sizes, about 30 mm. and 20 mm. high. Although these will join our other 2,500 “Core range” stocked products in the fullness of time, at present they will treated as specials, and are available in 9ct. yellow or white, 18ct. yellow or white and silver. Please allow three weeks for delivery..

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