Tourbillons, one of the most animated of mechanical complications, like ideas, will always defy gravity.
Viewing entries in
History
Found in this Cartier pocket watch is an unusual system for assembly of the case. Resulting from the onyx material used in the main body, the onyx was in essence hollowed out forming a cup for the mechanism and dial. The system was often executed by Cartier but few others.
George Graham, an English clockmaker, inventor, geophysicist and a Fellow of the Royal Society, was born in 1673 in the Cumberland town of Kirklinton.
…he was awarded the commission to build the Great Clock for the House of Parliament in Westminster in 1852, but passed away before the project was completed.
Charles Frodsham, a distinguished English horologist was born in April 1810 in Bloomsbury, London, England. He attended the Bluecoat School in Newgate, London, before becoming an apprentice to his father, William James Frodsham FRS, a well-known chronometer manufacturer and co-founder of Parkinson & Frodsham.
In his lifetime, he won numerous prestigious awards. One of those was the British Horological Institute’s Gold Medal.
In 1763, he created a novel repeating mechanism. The new design was a huge improvement, as it did away with the flimsy winding chain, improved stability and reduced friction, all while reducing space and simplifying the mechanism.
In 1807, he left Copenhagen for Neuchâtel, where he resided for two and a half years only to return to Denmark with a massive collection of equipment and instruments
Jacques opted to continue working alone at the age of 75, honing his skills in designing accurate pocket chronometers and custom-made goods were his specialties, this was when…
From 1831 to 1836, Earnshaw chronometers no. 509 was aboard HMS Beagle commanded by Captain Robert FitzRoy
Christiaan Huygens, a Dutch scientist from the 17th century, was a pioneer in developing the field of horology.
Daniel Quare – the visionary horologist
an English watchmaker, mechanician and clockmaker born in Bedfordshire, England and is fondly regarded as the “Father of English Clockmaking
Mudge invented the detached lever escapement, which he originally used in a clock and can be considered the greatest single innovation ever applied to watches, around 1755.
One of his most important recommendations was to count the hours from 1 to 24 instead of 1 to 12 as was being done at the time. Sandford Fleming also suggested a worldwide time system that would be independent of sunny or dark conditions.
John Harrison (April 3, 1693 - March 24, 1776) was an English horologist, born in Foulby, Yorkshire, England. He invented the first accurate marine chronometer, enabling navigators to calculate their longitude accurately at sea.
Blued steel hands, the most classic of hands
Consistency in power transmission to the escapement through the fusee.
There are many steps to ensure precision in timekeeping and every link in the chain from the power supply to the ticking balance plays a part. The consistency of the power transmission from the watches barrel through to the isochronism of the balance wheel all plays a part.
Bulova’s "Accutron" tuning fork watches, were first sold in October 1960, using a 360 Hz tuning fork replaced the balance wheel as the regulating element. Invented by Max Hetzel, born in Basel, Switzerland, and joined the Bulova Watch Company in 1948.