Chronograph Stories: The People Behind the Scenes
Chronograph Stories: The People Behind the Scenes
A watch cannot be made by one person.
There are a lot of people behind the scenes.
This time, we will talk about the behind-the-scenes of making a chronograph.
As I read along
You'll definitely want that watch.
Just a few years ago,
PATEK PHILIPPE
President Stern held a press conference.
The main topic was that future Patek production would no longer engrave the Geneva Seal on the movement.
Instead, the plan was to use a PP seal that would meet standards set by the company itself that exceeded those of the Geneva Seal.
When asked by a reporter why, Stern replied:
"Roger Dubuis," I replied.
Why is that?
It's not like he had any grudge against Roger, who was his subordinate, even though they had parted ways.
Roger, the owner of the rights to the Geneva Seal, is part of the Richemont Group.
The movements he made were incorporated into Cartier and other brands.
I don't think it's interesting to sell it on the market. Roger is from Geneva, and of course his products are
Geneva Seal certified.
Naturally, any new Cartier product that uses a Roger movement will be stamped with the Geneva Seal.
What Stern is probably thinking is, "The Geneva Seal is not some cheap thing."
Well, the press conference doesn't end here.
Another topic is that Patek Philippe has exerted all its efforts
It was a new chronograph that was announced. It is actually the main topic of today.
When Patek releases a new watch, many people think of the in-house development.
I think it might be the movement, but it's a new movement/caliber.
Building one would require huge investment and time.
No matter how big Patik is, we are still an independent company. We don't try to do anything that is beyond our ability.
Even if you don't do that,
There are many excellent movement manufacturers in Switzerland.
This new model is equipped with a Lemania movement.
This movement is not available at Breguet.
It is used as an aeronaval.
Breguet is the leading brand of the Swatch Group.
At the same time, Lemania joined the group as a Breguet affiliate.
One day, the group's president, Mr. Hayek, renamed "Lemania" to "Breguet."
"So, what ebos does the new Chrono use?"
A reporter asked Stern.
We don't know how Mr. Stern responded, but he probably said "Breguet."
That means Patek is using Breguet movements.
This is news.
I think there are four important points to consider when buying a watch.
First, the design of the watch
Next, the brand name
And whether the price is appropriate for the brand and design.
Finally, the contents,
Quartz, manual winding, automatic, hybrid? And what about the functions?
Would this be the case?
The Geneva Seal at the beginning is not known to anyone.
Most people don't care about its existence.
Whether Patek Philippe moves away from the Geneva Seal or not,
Even if there was such a thing, there probably wouldn't be anyone who would buy it just for that.
Long ago,
When I was working in sales at Vacheron Constantin
This sticker is a relic from about 100 years ago.
I explained this to the customer, but they didn't pay any attention to it.
It wasn't a deciding factor for customers to buy.
In the first place, this seal was used 100 years ago by many people around the world to deceive the world of Geneva.
The Geneva Chapter, which was troubled by the issue of inferior products,
This seal was established. Since then, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin have been using it until the beginning of this century.
- Only Konstantin was allowed to use it. However, state laws were changed to make it much more lenient.
It has become a treatment.
Now, the story of the great Lemania continues.
Omega has a famous chronograph called the Speedmaster.
America's space program has actually sent people to the moon.
At that time, NASA's official timing device for astronauts' activities outside the spacecraft was
Omega Speedmaster
One day I hope to tell you the story of how this watch was chosen by NASA.
"Apollo 13th"
Have you seen the movie yet? On the way to the moon,
There was a malfunction in the spacecraft's electrical system.
All electronic equipment on board the spacecraft was shut down, communication with Earth was lost, and the spacecraft was forced to return to Earth.
The angle at which the spacecraft enters the stratosphere is important in order to return it to Earth.
If the angle is even slightly wrong, the spacecraft will burn.
In order to enter the stratosphere at a specific angle, the engine burn time must be precisely timed.
No, the Speedmaster was up to the task.
This is a story to be told to future generations.
The movement inside this Omega Speedmaster is made by Lemania.
It is hand-rolled.
Omega will also be the official timekeeper for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This manual winding chronograph
The relatively slow movement of the six vibrations gives the user a sense of security.
You may be wondering why we're telling you this now, but below we've listed the vibration frequencies of luxury watch movements (mechanical).
Movement per second per hour
Type Frequency Frequency
5 vibrations 5 times 18,000 times
5.5 vibrations 5.5 times 19,800 times
6 vibrations 6 times 21600 times
8 vibrations 8 times 28,000 times
10 vibrations 10 times 38,000 times
Everyone loves to talk about movements.
And on the Internet,
You can even get information.
On the contrary, something about the caliber,
The name of the designer,
You can even read about the background.
However, to give oneself to someone means
Rather than getting to know the other person's daily life,
It's important to know what they're thinking.
The most obvious indicator of a movement's performance is
Isn't it the frequency of vibration?
Most of the signature products of brands that are considered high-end are low-beat.
It ticks away slowly, teaching us the passage of time with stability.
I mentioned earlier that design is the number one purchasing factor.
And the origin of the watch design is the 1940s to 1950s
I have previously explained that this is the case.
Most of today's masterpieces are reproductions of designs from the 1940s to 1960s.
The movement manufacturers are the ones that support this. Most watch brands are chronographs.
We do not manufacture our own movements.
It is equipped with movements made by Valjoux, Lemania, El Primero, etc.
As suppliers, they also produce watches under their own brand.
Lemania made a great movement,
There are also Lemania branded products.
They were making a watch with a beautiful enamel dial.
Now it is only available on the antique market.
The company was founded in Jura in the mid-19th century.
Around 2000, it joined the Swatch Group along with Breguet.
It remained as a division of Breguet.
Barjoux
Le Joue
B
We are Switzerland's leading supplier of general-purpose chronograph movements.
There is no watch brand in the Swiss watch industry that has not been helped by this company.
A good case design is only good if it has a well-matched movement.
It will come alive.
Valge CAL.72
Valge 7750
A masterpiece that cannot be described in detail
This month's recommendation
Girard-Perregaux has a slightly rounded and refined face on the second counter.
It is a recommended item.
GIRARD PERREGAUX 1966
This brand uses homemade moves.
That means you don't need to rely on external sources.
It has a good reputation in Switzerland.
In addition, each technical team is currently
We have set global standards.
However, in the Japanese market, it is considered to be in the second group.
Well, what did you think of the opening story about Patek?
Why Breguet Didn't Keep the Name of Lemania, the Prestigious Krongraf Company
It is also interesting. Also, how will the issue of the Geneva Seal change in the future?
Also, now that the name has changed to Breguet, will Lemania be able to provide a stable supply of movements to other companies?
This is a highly recommended product and is guaranteed to fit your wrist perfectly.
thank you.
