4. Detailed descriptions of the added complications:
With
such a bunch of complications to show and discuss, I decided to follow
the history of the watch and want to present the complications in their
historical order. To that end, we must first discuss briefly the Grande
et Petite Sonnerie and Minute Repeater. I won't attempt to discuss its
mechanism in detail as such a dissertation would fill many volumes. In
addition, the design of the original mechanism is so classical as to have
already been discussed in several volumes at least, this example distinguished
largely by its diminutive size and exemplary execution. Instead I'll simply
offer an overview of what the mechanism does.
The Sonnerie and Repeater:
One of the
most challenging and certainly the most complex classical Grande Complication,
the Grande et Petite Sonnerie and Minute Repeater is an extremely exotic
animal. Even today there are only a handful of examples of this grandest
of complications and their numbers diminish exponentially as their size
decreases. For Philippe Dufour to make a Grande et Petite Sonnerie and
Minute Repeater in a wristwatch size in the late 20th century is a major
accomplishment, for Louis-Elysée Piguet to do so in a similar size
100 years earlier is nothing short of mind-boggling.
A Sonnerie is a watch that strikes the time in passing, much like a grandfather
clock. In "grande strike" position it will strike the number
of hours on a single gong at the turn of the hour and, in addition, at
the passing of each quarter hour will strike the hours with single chimes
and the quarters with double-chimes. In "petite strike" position
the hours will be struck on the hour and the quarters only as they pass.
For occasions when such music coming from your wrist might not be appropriate,
of course it is equipped with a "silent" position as well.
)
)
)
Please click image to listen to the Minute Repeater Sound-file:
The
Perpetual Calendar/Thermometer:
The Perpetual Calendar has become a "standard" in the world of complicated watches, but perpetually has its charm as a mechanism that knows a little bit about the future: It "knows" how the date indications will be set in, say, 97 years (needing the adjustment of a single corrector in the year 2100)!
Together with a thermometer, the Perpetual Calendar was added by Franck Muller, at the very beginning of his impressive and successful career. As far as can be judged from pictures, the Perpetual Calendar plate is of excellent execution and of classic design and layout as would seem most appropriate to add to such a traditional movement. The notable exception is the retrograde month indication, forecasting the multitude of retrograde indicators that Franck Muller has become known for in recent years.
Here are three pictures of the module (with the easily detectable retrograde mechanism at the 12 o'clock position), the Thermometer and of both, the module and the Thermometer, fitted on the dial side, above the minute repeater works. Please note that the retrograde indication mechanism is quite different from a retrograde second as we know them from Paul Gerber or Blancpain, for example:
The Perpetual Calendar has become a "standard" in the world of complicated watches, but perpetually has its charm as a mechanism that knows a little bit about the future: It "knows" how the date indications will be set in, say, 97 years (needing the adjustment of a single corrector in the year 2100)!
Together with a thermometer, the Perpetual Calendar was added by Franck Muller, at the very beginning of his impressive and successful career. As far as can be judged from pictures, the Perpetual Calendar plate is of excellent execution and of classic design and layout as would seem most appropriate to add to such a traditional movement. The notable exception is the retrograde month indication, forecasting the multitude of retrograde indicators that Franck Muller has become known for in recent years.
Here are three pictures of the module (with the easily detectable retrograde mechanism at the 12 o'clock position), the Thermometer and of both, the module and the Thermometer, fitted on the dial side, above the minute repeater works. Please note that the retrograde indication mechanism is quite different from a retrograde second as we know them from Paul Gerber or Blancpain, for example:
)
)
)
The
Tourbillon:
)
This first item on Paul Gerber's agenda was the construction of the Flying
Tourbillon. One cannot believe that this is not only Paul Gerber’s
first Tourbillon he ever made, no, it is also the world's smallest Flying
Tourbillon. A special challenge here was that the original balance of
the Piguet movement should be used in the Tourbillon. Additionally, the
Tourbillon cage should mask only the absolute minimum of balance and hairspring.
These constraints necessitated the "flying" mounting of the
Tourbillon cage. To place the regulator as close as possible to the balance
axis, Paul Gerber made a new hairspring with Breguet over coil and Phillips
terminal curve (no 57.5 according to the Phillips classification). He
also implemented a new escapement with lateral pallet.
That this construction is also more sophisticated, more difficult to assemble and a more visually appealing construction is merely welcome side-effects.
That this construction is also more sophisticated, more difficult to assemble and a more visually appealing construction is merely welcome side-effects.
)
Volker
Vyskocil, the owner of the excellent watch information resource www.ClockWatch.de,
developed an informative animation of this masterpiece of miniaturization:
To
place the Tourbillon in the movement, the cocks for the balance and escape
wheel and the bridge for the pallet lever had to be removed and extra
space for the Tourbillon cage and its intermediate wheels had to be drilled
in the movement’s base plate. It bears repeating that the pressure
on Mr. Gerber at this stage, where irreversible alterations are made to
the main plate of the movement, was immense. To account for the increased
need of power for the Tourbillon, two further modifications had to be
applied: A stronger mainspring (which is shorter and has a thicker blade-strength
to optimally use the barrel space: 1/3 barrel, 1/3 barrel core, 1/3 free)
and two additional jewel bearings had to be inserted with the help of
an additionally added Tourbillon bridge on the dial side of the movement
that also supports the mainspring barrel. A finicky work, just think of
the minute repeater mechanism placed there...
)
)
)
)
The
Tourbillon itself is of classic flying construction. In the first implementation,
it was fitted with ruby bearings for the balance axle. Ever the perfectionist,
Mr. Gerber decided to change to a diamond cap jewel: A simple modification
one might think, but that was not the case. The Tourbillon top bridge
and the regulator had to be made a second time completely from scratch
to take into account the now increased diameter of the diamond end stone:
1mm instead of 0.7mm of the ruby stone. Consequence: the two screws which
fix the cap jewel plate had to move outwards. That means the cap jewel
plate, the regulator as well as the entire top balance bridge of the Tourbillon
had to be re-done. Here you see the old (top: left and middle) and the
new Tourbillon construction (top: right), as well as some parts (low:
top balance bridge, Tourbillon bottom plate, Tourbillon cage assembled
without balance and hairspring):
)
)
)
)
)
)
The
result in 1995 was again the most complicated wristwatch in the world.
As we know now, this was only an intermediate stage, since the owner planned
much more. Right now, for most of us, the construction plan looks like
a incomprehensible miracle, like a map of a megalopolis:
)
The
Chronograph:
The construction of a new Chronograph mechanism is quite a technical feat that very few manufactures undertake. The broad use of the handful of commonly available Chronograph calibers is ample evidence of this. A Split-Seconds Chronograph is particularly challenging, many times more difficult than a simple Chronograph even, due to the incredible tolerances that must be realized to keep from putting a critical strain on the movement when the Chronograph is engaged and especially when the Split-Seconds mechanism is activated. The fine adjustment necessary and infinitesimal loads that must be balanced against each other make a Rattrapante possibly the most challenging complication to properly set-up and adjust.
In this special case, the mountain of difficulties was two or three times higher than usual: An incredibly complicated movement, a unique piece, should be upgraded with a Split-Seconds Fly back Chronograph, operated by a column wheel of course. Challenging even more so because the gongs of the Sonnerie and Repeater are in the way of the Chronograph pushers:
The construction of a new Chronograph mechanism is quite a technical feat that very few manufactures undertake. The broad use of the handful of commonly available Chronograph calibers is ample evidence of this. A Split-Seconds Chronograph is particularly challenging, many times more difficult than a simple Chronograph even, due to the incredible tolerances that must be realized to keep from putting a critical strain on the movement when the Chronograph is engaged and especially when the Split-Seconds mechanism is activated. The fine adjustment necessary and infinitesimal loads that must be balanced against each other make a Rattrapante possibly the most challenging complication to properly set-up and adjust.
In this special case, the mountain of difficulties was two or three times higher than usual: An incredibly complicated movement, a unique piece, should be upgraded with a Split-Seconds Fly back Chronograph, operated by a column wheel of course. Challenging even more so because the gongs of the Sonnerie and Repeater are in the way of the Chronograph pushers:
)
The
existing beautiful dial should be used which fixes the place for the Chronograph
hands. Last but not least the movement should not gain much height which
would make the use of the platinum case impossible. Is it any wonder this
challenge kept a master watchmaker working for 8 years?
)
Since the movement was not intended to be fitted with a time-counting mechanism, there was of course no space reserved for it. Forced to use every bit of space that could hold a wheel or a lever, Paul Gerber invented one of the most classic looking and technically demanding Chronograph mechanisms ever seen:
)
In
the end, a classical but uniquely implemented column wheel Chronograph
was the result of years of construction, testing, modification, further
testing and finally approval. The following plans and videos recorded
by Paul Gerber may give you a clearer understanding of the Chronograph
works. The construction plans showing the mechanism in the various positions
help to understand: (left) Chronograph off, (middle) Chronograph
on, (right) Chronograph reset. Please take a look at
how the coupling lever connects clock-work and Chronograph mechanism,
and how the jumping minute counter is driven:
)
)
)
Several characteristics of this exemplary Chronograph should be covered more in detail:
The control mechanism:
It is not surprising that Mr. Gerber chose to utilize a column wheel for the Chronograph controls. The column wheel has a lower portion with sixteen ratchet teeth and an upper portion with half as many columns. The ratchet teeth are advanced one tooth at a time by an operating lever and held in place by a jumper. As the column wheel rotates, the ends of the levers for the coupling lever and the brake alternately fall on a space or are lifted by the columns.
)
)
One of the remarkable things about this implementation is the exotic shape required of the coupling lever for it to facilitate multiple functions, the end of the coupling lever became increasingly thin and curvy until its final form was realized (shown here in two different evolutionary stages, new version is on top). In the following I want to describe the fancy details in note form:
- (1) To fix the coupling lever on movement
- (2) This slot serves two purposes during the resetting procedure: two pins are operated here: first, it moves the coupling lever out of the power train during resetting (via reset lever), second, it also moves the click of the Chronograph minute wheel (this click ensures proper positioning of the minute wheel)
- (3) In this hole the operating lever for the jumping minute counter is mounted and coupled in and out of the power train
- (4) This small indentation helps to control the depth of the allowed movement of the coupling lever. It is adjusted by an eccentric screw mounted on the movement plate
- (5) Here the jewel for the intermediate wheel is fixed (see small image)
- (6) Bow, necessary to guide coupling lever around blocking lever (see small image)
- (7) Pin that interacts with the column wheel through which the lever is operated (see small image)
)
The
jumping minute counter:
As mentioned before, the existing case should be kept. This means that the additional Chronograph should not over egg the pudding too much. One measure to minimize the need for space and fitting points was the use of a jumping minute counter, which by the way counts a full hour (60min) instead of being limited to 30 or 45 min.
Since such a construction utilizes levers to transport the motion of the center seconds counter to the minute counter, Mr. Gerber was more flexible with the placement of the axes. Additionally, less energy is needed.
As mentioned before, the existing case should be kept. This means that the additional Chronograph should not over egg the pudding too much. One measure to minimize the need for space and fitting points was the use of a jumping minute counter, which by the way counts a full hour (60min) instead of being limited to 30 or 45 min.
Since such a construction utilizes levers to transport the motion of the center seconds counter to the minute counter, Mr. Gerber was more flexible with the placement of the axes. Additionally, less energy is needed.
)
The
Chronograph minute indication is located concentrically to the continuous
small seconds at 6 o’clock. That means that the counted time is
transported from the drive wheel on the second arbor of the base movement
via the intermediate (coupling) wheel to the Chronograph wheel (in the
center). From here the impulses for the elapsed minutes are passed on
back to the Chronograph minute wheel, via a snail mounted on the arbor
of the Chronograph center wheel. This is a more complicated, technically
challenging and elegant solution than the common semi-instantaneous minute
counter, where a finger on the Chronograph wheel flicks an intermediate
minute counter wheel once per minute.
)
)
The
jumping minutes counter principle is similar to a retrograde mechanism
of the seconds – to some degree: A lever gauges the snail curve
fixed on the Chronograph center wheel. After 59 seconds it falls back
to the zero position, thereby using this energy to transport the Chronograph
minute wheel one unit forward (read: one minute indication). Such a jumping
construction demonstrates a charming perfectionism: technically not necessary,
but aesthetically a non-plus-ultra, especially if viewed from the movement
side.
)
)
)
The
following pictures, taken in the prototype stage of the Chronograph design,
highlight how extremely refined and elegant Mr. Gerber's solution for
the Chronograph came out.
)
)
)
A
very good illustration of the jumping minute counter is given on a video
recorded by Paul Gerber during the construction work of the Chronograph.
With most of the parts of the Chronograph yet assembled, it gives you
a good and unobstructed view of the jumping counters mechanism.
The
Resetting mechanism:
Everybody can imagine that a Chronograph only is really useful if it can be reset to zero. This was not possible with the first pocket watch Chronographs. Finally, when the watchmaker Adolphe Nicolet invented the heart cam in 1884, a Chronograph could be reset to zero after timing an interval without waiting for the Chronograph counters to arrive back on zero.
This is achieved with the use of a reset lever with flat, hammer surfaces pressing against the heart discs that are fixed on the Chronograph counters' arbors (each arbor of the Chronograph - seconds, minutes and hours - needs a heart cam to reset to zero). The reset hammers press against the edge of the heart cams (in whatever orientation they have stopped), causing them to rotate until the hammer is resting against the flat portion of the cam and the counters are reset.
A simple principle – but there is again our old challenge: no space. As you probably guessed by now, Paul Gerber found a way. The heart cams of the Chronograph seconds and minutes counters are not visible in our images (you only can see the heart cam of the split-seconds wheel), but in the next three pictures you can see the horizontally acting reset lever operating a hidden heart cam: (left) Chronograph stopped, (middle) reset lever activated (by screwdriver), (right) reset lever viewed from column wheel:
Everybody can imagine that a Chronograph only is really useful if it can be reset to zero. This was not possible with the first pocket watch Chronographs. Finally, when the watchmaker Adolphe Nicolet invented the heart cam in 1884, a Chronograph could be reset to zero after timing an interval without waiting for the Chronograph counters to arrive back on zero.
This is achieved with the use of a reset lever with flat, hammer surfaces pressing against the heart discs that are fixed on the Chronograph counters' arbors (each arbor of the Chronograph - seconds, minutes and hours - needs a heart cam to reset to zero). The reset hammers press against the edge of the heart cams (in whatever orientation they have stopped), causing them to rotate until the hammer is resting against the flat portion of the cam and the counters are reset.
A simple principle – but there is again our old challenge: no space. As you probably guessed by now, Paul Gerber found a way. The heart cams of the Chronograph seconds and minutes counters are not visible in our images (you only can see the heart cam of the split-seconds wheel), but in the next three pictures you can see the horizontally acting reset lever operating a hidden heart cam: (left) Chronograph stopped, (middle) reset lever activated (by screwdriver), (right) reset lever viewed from column wheel:
)
)
)
Very
educational are two videos Mr. Gerber made during the assembly. The first
shows the reset lever acting on the seconds and minute’s counters
and you can also see that it lifts the brake and jumping minute lever
out of the way. If the Chronograph was engaged at the time, the reset
lever would also lift the Chronograph coupling lever (for proper "fly
back" function):
Video
2 shows the obstacles the base movement presented for the reset mechanism.
Notice the way they have been partially buried under the various wheels
and brides with a bridge on the rest lever itself being necessary for
the seconds hammer to clear the extended arbor of the power reserve mechanism!
The
Split-seconds mechanism:
Never satisfied with "good enough", Lord Arran wanted to have a Rattrapante or Split-seconds Chronograph mechanism installed. Mr. Gerber embraced the challenge as an impassioned watchmaker and as a perfectionist. The result, like the other complications, is a beauty in its own right. As a matter of course, this mechanism also looks like it belonged there from the beginning.
Never satisfied with "good enough", Lord Arran wanted to have a Rattrapante or Split-seconds Chronograph mechanism installed. Mr. Gerber embraced the challenge as an impassioned watchmaker and as a perfectionist. The result, like the other complications, is a beauty in its own right. As a matter of course, this mechanism also looks like it belonged there from the beginning.
)
)
Operated
by a pusher mounted co-axially in the crown and controlled by an octagonal
rim wheel (reminiscent of the famous "MG" logo, don’t
you think?), the delicate, pincer-like, split-seconds brake levers gently
clamp the split-seconds wheel and stop it. A second push of the split-seconds
button moves the rim wheel another step, the brake levers release the
split-seconds wheel, and it "catches up" with the Chronograph
wheel. The catching up action occurs because of the tiny split-seconds
lever, mounted on the split-seconds wheel, which presses against an auxiliary
heart cam mounted on the Chronograph wheel arbor. The tension of this
lever must be very precisely adjusted so that the split-seconds wheel
catches up properly while not placing an undue strain on the mechanism
while the Chronograph is running and the split-seconds wheel is stopped.
)
One
of the main challenges in the construction of the split-seconds mechanism
(in addition to the slender column/rim wheel), was to get the operating
lever to connect the pusher in the crown to the rim wheel (around the
gongs of course). Paul Gerber also mastered this problem ("of course"
one is tempted to say). The following pictures show the newly made winding
stem and the almost hidden levers for the Split-seconds operation:
)
)
)
How
could Paul Gerber get all these magical works into the movement?
How could Paul Gerber get all these magical works into the movement?
The implementation of the Chronograph mechanism caused some changes to the existing movement. Two changes should be highlighted here. One is a problem of thickness. The additional arbors for the Chronograph wheel and split-seconds wheel of course had to find their way through the central axis of the movement and the jumping minute counter arbor likewise had to find its way through the seconds wheel pinion. Because of this, new, larger pinions were necessary and consequently, new jewels with larger holes.
Mr. Gerber found himself confronted with replacing excellently executed vintage jewels with modern ones, so shaping and polishing a jewel nearly from scratch was the best solution. Here you can see the movement side of the center bridge with old (left image) and new (right image) seconds jewel in place (the far left jewel on the center bridge). Note also the fine finishing on the underside of the bridge.
How could Paul Gerber get all these magical works into the movement?
The implementation of the Chronograph mechanism caused some changes to the existing movement. Two changes should be highlighted here. One is a problem of thickness. The additional arbors for the Chronograph wheel and split-seconds wheel of course had to find their way through the central axis of the movement and the jumping minute counter arbor likewise had to find its way through the seconds wheel pinion. Because of this, new, larger pinions were necessary and consequently, new jewels with larger holes.
Mr. Gerber found himself confronted with replacing excellently executed vintage jewels with modern ones, so shaping and polishing a jewel nearly from scratch was the best solution. Here you can see the movement side of the center bridge with old (left image) and new (right image) seconds jewel in place (the far left jewel on the center bridge). Note also the fine finishing on the underside of the bridge.
)
)
As
you can see from both images, the bearing surfaces of the jewels are slightly
domed. What is not apparent from the pictures is that the inside of the
holes in the jewels are also curved. These "olive" jewels have
two major aims: to minimize the friction between pivot and jewel and to
assure that the parsimoniously applied drop of oil will be held in place.
The next step was the construction of a new center wheel pinion that could allow the passage of the two new Chronograph arbors (for the Chronograph and split-seconds wheels). This turned out to be one of the most challenging parts to manufacture since incredibly small tolerances had to be handled with utmost precision.
In a "simple" watch, this central axis already bears center wheel, center wheel pinion, the cannon pinion (and minute hand), the hour wheel (and hour hand) and sometimes the seconds pinion (and second hand). In the case of a striking watch, the center axis also has to carry the respective control discs for the striking mechanism. In the end, the final center wheel pinion is a piece of art on its own right. It consists altogether of eight parts: the split-seconds arbor, the Chronograph wheel arbor, the center wheel pinion and the cannon pinion which carries the quarter snail, minute snail and surprise piece, and the four lobed trigger star for the Sonnerie. In the lower part of this picture you can see some of the arbors and pinions that had to be manufactured from scratch.
The next step was the construction of a new center wheel pinion that could allow the passage of the two new Chronograph arbors (for the Chronograph and split-seconds wheels). This turned out to be one of the most challenging parts to manufacture since incredibly small tolerances had to be handled with utmost precision.
In a "simple" watch, this central axis already bears center wheel, center wheel pinion, the cannon pinion (and minute hand), the hour wheel (and hour hand) and sometimes the seconds pinion (and second hand). In the case of a striking watch, the center axis also has to carry the respective control discs for the striking mechanism. In the end, the final center wheel pinion is a piece of art on its own right. It consists altogether of eight parts: the split-seconds arbor, the Chronograph wheel arbor, the center wheel pinion and the cannon pinion which carries the quarter snail, minute snail and surprise piece, and the four lobed trigger star for the Sonnerie. In the lower part of this picture you can see some of the arbors and pinions that had to be manufactured from scratch.
)
Put
together, this complicated piece looks a bit like something out of an
automobile engine:
)
The
Chronograph wheel arbor and the split-seconds arbor are exercises in precision
machining. Less than 0.3mm had to be drilled out of the Chronograph arbor
(for comparison: a human hair is about 0.1mm thick!). The following picture
shows the split-seconds arbor (bottom) and the Chronograph wheel arbor
(middle) and both arbors put together (top).
)
To
give an idea how tiny and finicky the split-seconds arbor is it is shown
together with a straight pin and a ruler with centimeter scale (the arbor
is about 1.4cm long!).
)
One
can imagine how many attempts Paul Gerber had to make to drill a precise
hole in the Chronograph arbor. In addition to the center wheel pinion,
the pinions for the wheel of the second and minute counter had to be made
from scratch. A much easier task, but nevertheless it had to be done
- several times!
)
)
)
The
Power reserve:
Lord Arran also wanted to have an indication for the power reserve of both the timekeeping train and the striking mechanism. Paul Gerber fulfilled this desire by placing these indications around the column wheel of the Chronograph.
The Power Reserve is a little complex in that it gets information from the barrel and the ratchet wheel with two differential gears (for each barrel). This made it necessary to add a pinion to each barrel to drive the differential gears (which are fixed with the original screws!).
Lord Arran also wanted to have an indication for the power reserve of both the timekeeping train and the striking mechanism. Paul Gerber fulfilled this desire by placing these indications around the column wheel of the Chronograph.
The Power Reserve is a little complex in that it gets information from the barrel and the ratchet wheel with two differential gears (for each barrel). This made it necessary to add a pinion to each barrel to drive the differential gears (which are fixed with the original screws!).
)
)
)
As
you can see in the CAD drawing, the bridge for the power reserve had to
curve around the column wheel. The next images show how this was done.
)
)
)
)
In
the end, as with the other complications, the Power Reserve fits perfectly,
with beautiful symmetry. It seems to unify the timekeeping and the striking
mechanism, and the initials of the owner preside over the complete movement.
)
)
We‘ll
leave you with a selection of pictures showing the completed movement
in the case. Maybe you can imagine the feelings Lord Arran experienced
when he had the chance to handle, hear and feel this masterpiece, after
14 years of waiting, fully completed for the first time!
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
The
Introduction
The History
The Challenges
The complicated Complications
The Interview with Paul Gerber