LET US UNRAVEL THE MYSTERY OF TIME

One cannot manage the march of time, without the creation of precise time measuring instruments. History shows us plenty of amazing inventions that have been developed since the very first attempts to measure time. 

One of the most interesting creations in the history of horology is the emergence of watches displaying world time. Before the advent of railways in the 1800s, all time was local. Noon was simply when the sun was directly overhead wherever you were, in what is called solar time. Each town's citizens would set their clocks and pocket watches according to the official town clock or timekeeper. When they travelled to another town, they would simply change their watch when they arrived. All that changed when railroads began to move people across great distances quickly and people became increasingly mobile. There was a need to measure time on a world wide scale in order to organise smooth and hassle free transportation. The problem was solved when in 1879 a Canadian railway engineer, Sir Sandford Fleming proposed the idea of dividing world time into 24 time zones. In 1884 at the International Prime Meridian Conference in Washington, DC the resolution passed to standardise time around the world and select the Prime Meridian or the meridian that is designated 0º from which all other longitudes are measured, often referred to as Greenwich mean time (GMT), because the place they chose as the Prime Meridian was Greenwich, England. By 1920, World time was adopted almost all around the world.

Subsequently, watchmakers set out to solve the problem of displaying various time zones in a watch. First, there were simple solutions – for instance, using multiple sets of arrows. In 1930 Louis Cottier proposed a fundamentally new system of world time display with an additional central arrow for a second time zone and 24-hour disk along the rim of the dial. 

World time display was only a small chapter. The history of timekeeping is steeped in inspiring, incredible stories of inventors and scientists with one mission; to record the passing of time as accurately as possible. 

Please click the tabs to learn more about each individual aspect of watches.

LEARN MORE ABOUT WATCHES HISTORY

THE HISTORY OF TIMEKEEPING

1583

Galileo discovered the phenomenon of pendulum oscillation isochronism. The principle was the basis of the watch pendulum swing mechanism. 

1615

Jean-Baptiste Duboule, a watchmaker from Geneva, created the first watch with a perpetual calendar mechanism.

1675

Christian Huygens invented the 'spiral-balance' system designed to control the speed of the balance wheel.

1686

Daniel Quare invented a clock with the minute repeater mechanism.

1728

George Graham perfects the cylinder descent escapement, allowing pocket watches to be made fashionably slim.  

1770

Abraham-Louis Perrelet presented the first watch with automatic winding.

1795

Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the king of all complications, the tourbillon.

1861

A patent for a rewinding system without a key (rementoir) was issued. 

1878

In Bienne the first Swiss institution issuing certificates confirming the accuracy of watches was founded.

1892

Audemars Piguet created the first wristwatch with a minute repeater for Louis Brandt & Co.

1902

Synthetic rubies were invented. Since 1908 they have been used in watch mechanisms in lieu of genuine rubies. 

1905

Buhler & Co. Factory presented the first watch with a luminescent display and arrows.

1908

Eterna patented the first wristwatch with an alarm clock. 

1915

First watch with water resistance introduced. Fully waterproof watch appeared later – in 1926.

1921

The first watch with split-chronograph was introduced to the market.

1927

Introduction of the first wristwatch with perpetual calendar mechanism (made by Patek Philippe Company). 

1929

LeCoultre (today known as Jaeger-LeCoultre) presented the smallest mechanical gauge in the world. Dimensions of Calibre 101 watch are 14 by 4.85 mm.

1934

Breitling introduced the first two-button chronograph. Audemars Piguet invented the first modern skeletonised watch.

1937

Louis Cottier offered a fundamentally new system of world time display with an additional central arrow for a second time zone and 24-hour disk along the rim of the dial. 

1941

Patek Philippe made the first wristwatch with chronograph and perpetual calendar.

1945

Introduction of Datejust Rolex Watch – the first watch with automatic winding and a digital date display.

1948

The first quartz (interior) Swiss watch was released. The following year the watch appeared in the Neuchâtel Observatory.

1953

The company Longines introduced the first portable quartz watch.

1954

The first patent for a self-winding watch working on micro-rotor was granted.

1956

Memovox model made by Jaeger-LeCoultre became the first watch with automatic winding and an alarm in the world.

1961

Prototypes of first quartz watch appeared in Japan.

1966

In Switzerland the first prototypes of wrist quartz watch appeared. In Japan the first electronic watch was discovered.

1981

The peak of Swiss watch industry crisis (“quartz crisis”).

1983

The watch industry began to recover from the crisis. Boom of collecting old mechanical watches. Companies again began to focus on the production of mechanical watches.

1986

Audemars Piguet introduced the first wristwatch with tourbillon and automatic winding. 

1993

Michel Dufour presented the first wristwatch equipped with both minute repeater and small and large striking works. The complicated mechanical watch was at the peak of its popularity.

Oldest clock tower in the world – Tower of the winds, Athens, Greece

MOVEMENT

A ‘movement’ is what makes a watch work. Manual and automatic movements are made up of only mechanical parts, such as gears and springs. Because of the expertise and craftsmanship needed, they are preferred by most connoisseurs and collectors.

When a mechanical movement doesn’t have to be hand wound, it’s known as an automatic movement, wound by the movement of your wrist. Mechanical movements monitor time by a series of gear mechanisms.

However, the most accurate type of movement is the quartz movement usually using a battery for its power source.

Reliable and accurate this type has very low maintenance costs, only requiring a battery change. Quartz movements are powered by a battery and therefore do not stop working when not worn.

UNDERSTANDING COMPLICATIONS

A complication is an additional mechanism in a mechanical watch. The most important complications include: automatic winding systems, equation-of-time displays, chronographs, as well as flyback, perpetual calendar, repeater movements, alarms and the king of complications - Tourbillon.

Chronograph

A chronograph watch quite simply has a stopwatch built into the movement.

 

Diving watches

Durable water-resistant watch designed for use in underwater diving.

 

Dual Time Zone/GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)

This family of complications help determine the time in other zones. In other words, your watch displays two or more time zones.

 

Equation of Time

An equation of time watch shows the difference between ‘true’ solar time (that of nature) and ‘mean’ solar time (that of man). This rare and poetic complication is usually combined with other astronomical indications.

 

Flyback chronograph

A fly-back chronograph is a timing feature that is started, stopped and reset with a single button. They are also known as ‘retour en vol’. They were originally designed for pilots in the early days of aviation who required time keeping devices that could be restarted quickly.

 

Limited Edition 

This is often awatch for collectors, as the total number of timepieces produced is strictly limited.

 

Minute repeater

The minute repeater is a complication, which allows a watch to chime the hours and minutes in different tones at the push of a button. The function was first created to allow watch wearers to tell the time in the dark, before illuminated watches were available.

 

Officially certified chronometer

Particularly accurate, and precise watch where the mechanism is certified to confirm the successful completion of accuracy test and performance in various conditions.

 

Perpetual calendar

As the name implies, a perpetual calendar wristwatch is one that never needs resetting. The dial of the watch will tell you the time, the date, and sometimes the day as well as the month. But the real key is that the watch movement knows the year. There is a lesser complication called the annual calendar that will go so far as knowing short months from long but will still need resetting in leap years. A perpetual calendar watch will dutifully and accurately keep time long after you pass it down to your next of kin.

 

Power reserve indicator

A power reserve indicator is fairly self-explanatory. It’s simply a way to determine how much life your mechanical watch has before it needs to be wound. By measuring the tension of the mainspring and displays, it will indicate how much power is left in the watch.

 

Simple calendar

The simplest complication on a watch is the date display. The day – date function adds the day of the week to the date complication.

 

Skeleton mechanism

Open-work mechanism with processed platinum, bridges and wheels engineered to remove the maximum amount of metal, leaving only the most necessary parts. This process is performed to achieve the mechanism’s “transparency” (laced inner structure). 

 

Solar/lunar displays

These complications can inform the wearer of: Sunrise/sunsets, Moonrise/moonsets and Moon phases.

 

Split second chronograph

A split second chronograph, also known as a ‘rattrapante’, employs an extra ‘second’ hand that can be employed to stop independently to provide ‘split’ timings. This enables the wearer to time laps or different competitors. 

 

Striking hours (Sonnerie)

Regarded as the oldest complication, the striking hours mechanism was introduced into watches as early as the 15th century to provide an announcement of the passing hours. This is a function, that automatically (with certain frequency), indicates time using sound signals: chiming on gongs or strings. For instance, hourly chiming means one or more strikes at the beginning of each hour. 

 

Tourbillon

The king of complications. A type of mechanical clock or watch escapement invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801 to counter the effects of gravity and other forces that affect the accuracy of a watch movement. It is one of the most challenging watch mechanisms to make, and still considered a superlative complication.

 

World Time Zone

The World Time Zone feature has a rotating inner bezel with twenty four-hour display part of the watch movement and an outer bezel, listing the major cities in each of the twenty-four time zones. The outer bezel is set by the user and the inner bezel, marked to twenty-four makes one complete revolution per day.

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS

Gold

Gold was the standard for watches, but times have changed. Other materials used in other industries such as the automotive, and aerospace industries have led watchmakers to experiment with new lightweight elements and fusions.

 

Stainless Steel

Lightweight, affordable and highly corrosion resistant from the chromium protective coating.

 

Ceramic

Zirconium oxide - a non-metallic material created by the action of heating and cooling. It is durable, lightweight, scratch-resistant, smooth and modern and can be produced in a variety of hues and finishes.

 

Titanium

Titanium alloyed with iron, aluminium, vanadium, molybdenum, or other metals. It is lightweight, durable, dent, corrosion-resistant and perfect for those with metal-allergies and has the highest strength-to-weight ratio about half the weight of steel and thirty percent stronger. It's also used for medical purposes, for instance in implants, due to its hypoallergenic nature.

 

Carbon Fibre

Carbon thermally decomposed into braided fibres and surrounded by resin. Sometimes used in combination with polymer for improved strength. It’s tough, lightweight and has contemporary style.

 

Physical Vapor Deposition

Steel with a vacuum coating of oxides, carbides or nitrides deposited by ionic attraction. It has increased durability, reduced friction on metal components.

 

Platinum

 

Diamond-like Carbon (DLC)

Carbon coating with similar properties to diamond. It’s ultra-hard, high resistance to wear, scratch-resistant, increased longevity of the metal. It can resist a lot of physical shock to damage or dent coating.

 

Magic gold (HUBLOT)

LOOKING AFTER YOUR WATCH CARE

Daily care

Despite the fact that watches are precise and reliable instruments, some maintenance is necessary for long-lasting precision and quality. This includes taking care of your timepiece when in use, transportation or storage. If by any chance your watch is exposed to extreme temperatures, dropped or damaged, it should be checked at an authorised service centre for immediate care and repair. Replace cracked or scratched crystals immediately. Even a hairline crack can let dust or moisture into the mechanism and threaten its accuracy. Watches that are water resistant should always be rinsed in fresh water after contact with salt water. A lint free cloth should be used to clean the surface and the bracelet of your watch. It is recommended that watches are transported in travel cases specifically designed for watches, in order to keep them safe from any possible damage.

 

Service

A watch must be cleaned, oiled and serviced regularly, every two years or so (for each timepiece this duration should be specified upon purchase). Maintenance shall be performed only by the watch’s producer or by an authorised service centre. It is important to remember that watches indicated as water resistant may lose their resistance over time. Even if the glass, crown, case, case back and bezel are not damaged during wear and storage, the watch should be checked for water resistance in the authorised service centre. A quartz powered watch should have the battery changed every 1-2 years.