Τhough at the SIHH 2011 Audemars Piguet’s high-beat escapement did not take center stage, it remains a quiet hum in the background as APRP head Giulio Papi hinted that he continues to experiment with even higher oscillations speeds than the 43,200 vph escapement that was introduced at the 2009 SIHH. “Just for the sake of experimentation, to see and to learn,” he explained.
Papi and his creative think-tank are not the only ones looking at the possibilities that high-speed escapements can offer. Like silicon, this topic is currently permeating the upper end of the industry – and this is no accident. Silicon is one of the elements that make high-speed escapements possible thanks to properties such as lightness, amagnetism, and durability. Last, but not least, silicon also allows the escapement components to work without friction – and no lubrication
Papi’s escapement, however, utilizes only traditional materials. “To increase frequency speed, there are two problems: lubrication and the inertia of the components, specifically the escape wheel,” he explains. “Our escapement doesn’t need lubrication because it works without friction—an important point to understand – for which reason it can use traditional materials without lubrication.”
The escapement of Breguet’s Cal. 589F beats at 10 Hz thanks to silicon © Breguet
Geneva, January 2011
Breguet’s Type XXII, boasting a frequency of 10Hz (72,000 vph), debuted in an exhibition held at Geneva’s Cité du Temps during the SIHH in January. This chronograph’s second hand indicates 1/20th of a second, currently the smallest division possible by a serial watch and twice the speed of Zenith’s Striking 10th beating at 36,000 vph.
Exhibiting in one of Geneva’s lakeside hotels during the SIHH, De Bethune introduced its second watch to beat at 36,000 vph: the DB25T with a 30-second tourbillon.
De Bethune’s DB25T is a 30-second tourbillon coupled with a 36,000 vph escapement © De Bethune
At another location in Geneva, TAG Heuer premiered its Carrera Mikrograph, an integrated chronograph that can measure 1/100th of a second using a frequency of 360,000 vph (50 Hz). The secret of this speed lies in the fact that it has two spring barrels, two gear trains and two oscillation systems – one for the movement (28,800 vph) and the other for the chronograph (360,000 vph) with a power reserve of 90 minutes. Thus, the stopwatch function does not interfere with the watch’s rate and ensures less wear and tear.
Baselworld 2011
At Baselworld 2011, TAG Heuer continued the thought and brought out the Mikrotimer Flying 1000, a concept watch operating the same way, but its chronograph is ten times faster, beating at 3,600,000 vph (500 Hz). While the watch itself has a standard power reserve of 42 hours, the chronograph, whose hand can show 1/1000th of a second only has a power reserve of 150 seconds. One of the elements making this possible is the fact that there is no balance wheel. “Its absence eliminates all forms of isochronous errors normally caused by this conventional watch movement component such as dilatation and inertial imperfection,” said CEO Jean-Christophe Babin at Baselworld.
The chronograph escapement from TAG Heuer’s Mikrotimer Flying 1000 concept watch beats at 500 Hz © TAG Heuer
Chopard chooses to capitalize on the gains that silicon brings, utilizing it in the high-beat escapement the company has been experimenting with for two years now. Karl-Friedrich Scheufele explained at Baselworld 2011 that the company now has a finalized version and will introduce it in a limited edition by the end of the year. “Remaining loyal to our L.U.C. philosophy, this will improve rate and stability, enjoy C.O.S.C. certification, and provide our customers with genuine added value,” he said. “To be clear: this is not about the race for a higher frequency. Our escapement is about added value for our customer,” remarked Scheufele, who at the moment is not sure if the final version will beat at 8 or 10 Hz.
Co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (shown here at Baselworld) has been wearing a prototype of Chopard’s high-frequency escapement for two years © Worldtempus / Elizabeth Doerr
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