The Past And Present Life Of The Balance Spring, Best Fake Watches

The unit cost of making hairsprings far exceeds the price of gold per ounce, and it isn’t easy to ensure the supply of special standard hairsprings, which has prompted some brands to become self-reliant and manufacture their products. Best fake watches.

Rolex movement balance wheel and hairspring assembly

Innovation achievements

In the world of watchmaking, Nivarox-Far is a familiar name. The Swiss company, part of the Swatch Group, is the country’s leading supplier of watchmaking components, more specifically hairsprings. Everyone knows about Rolex. Since the 1990s, Rolex has begun producing its ferromagnetic hairsprings, eliminating its dependence on external supplies. In 2000, Rolex launched an innovative invention – Parachrom hairspring. After five years of research and development, this blue hairspring is not only immune to magnetic field interference, but its impact resistance has increased tenfold. Also in 2000, Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier took over two companies specializing in precision micromechanics – Atokalpa and Elwin. Three years later, it delivered its first cast alloys, the composition of which is still closely guarded today. Thin wire forged from this alloy was wound into a spiral hairspring and was officially put into production in 2005.

Acquired by the Santos family in 2000, Atokalpa now specializes in manufacturing balance wheels and hairsprings.

Parmigiani Fleurier can rely on powerful industrial equipment to produce all watch components independently, including hairsprings.

The characteristic of “independence” also makes MELB Group particularly unique. MELB Group owns Precision Engineering AG and its subsidiaries MSG AG Manufacturing and H. Moser & Cie. The group independently applies Reinhard Straumann’s classic formula and milling technology to produce accessories and hairsprings. It is one of the few that masters the entire manufacturing process and can provide customers with high-quality movements (whether customized or not by one of the manufacturers using NiSpan-C or PE 3000 alloy). Developed by Dr. Straumann, PE 3000 (Nivarox CT) is an alloy of nickel, beryllium chromium, titanium, manganese, silicon, and iron that meets the high expectations of independent watchmakers. This alloy has excellent antimagnetic and thermal compensation properties, making it very suitable for manufacturing hairsprings for observatory-level watch movements. Replica watches review.

In 2014, Rolex launched the Syloxi silicon hairspring in the Caliber 2236 movement of the Oyster Perpetual Datejust Pearlmaster watch.

The road ahead

In 2002, Ulysse Nardin launched the industry’s first DIAMONSIL (DLC-coated silicon) hairspring, igniting a prairie fire of innovation and revolution. The design of Ludwig Oechslin, former director of the International Watch Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds, confirms this long-established brand’s vision and breakthrough creativity. Not to be outdone, Patek Philippe, Breguet, and Rolex joined forces in 2006 to develop a silicon escapement, including a silicon hairspring. Many watch brands now assemble watch movements with this “future” material, including Breguet, Frederique Constant, Ulysse Nardin, Patek Philippe (specific models), Tudor (in-house movements), Omega and Rolex (Syloxi hairspring ), etc.

Rolex balance wheel and Parachrom hairspring. Parachrom hairspring is made of niobium-zirconium alloy and was patented in 2000.

Silicon seems impeccable: durable, wear-resistant, thermally stable, extremely antimagnetic, it ticks all the boxes. Even so, traditional watchmakers are still unavoidable to be “nitpicky”: silicon is brittle, easy to age (without surface treatment for five to ten years, depending on the air humidity in the case), and cannot be repaired; in the face of silicon hairsprings, independent watches Maintenance personnel must have complete replacement components; silicon hairsprings cannot use traditional cleaning solutions; silicon hairsprings cannot withstand the mass of the balance wheel, so there is a high risk of damage when moving the balance cock. All in all, silicon hairsprings have stable quality, are cost-friendly, can be mass-produced, and can better match balance wheels. They are the answer to the prayers of industrialists. However, it still has not convinced purists who like metal hairsprings. Which one is right and which one is wrong? Time will tell.