Wristwatches have long become a common everyday accessory in our lives. A common useful item by which we determine the current time. Have you ever wondered what parts your watch consists of and what makes it work?
You may not have realized that all types of watches consist of one set of required elements that interact with each other. The operation of mechanical, quartz and atomic watches is based on an oscillatory system.
What elements does a clock mechanism consist of?
In fact, a watch is not such a complicated product. The operation of the watch is based on the action of a clock mechanism, which consists of 4 main parts:
- Hourly engine- powers the remaining parts of the watch mechanism, providing them with energy. Actually, this is exactly the device that sets the clock hands in motion.
- Regulator clock - the part that is responsible for producing oscillations of the required frequency. The oscillation frequency is stable and long enough. Violation of the oscillation frequency leads to disruption of the clock.
- Counter counts the oscillations that the regulator makes, and these oscillations are then correlated with the movement of the hands: the number of oscillations is correlated with the value of the digital marks on the dial.
- Hourly indicator(in human language, the dial or display of electronic watch models) is a part that displays the passage of time in a watch.
In all types of wristwatches, the work is based on recording the vibrations of a physical object. The design of the watch varies depending on which main source of vibration is used in the mechanism.
IN mechanical watch the source of vibration is a pendulum or a balance-spiral system, the number of vibrations of which is counted by a complex system of gears. The main load falls on the entire wheel mechanism, since all elements act under the pressure of a twisted mainspring. This causes abrasion of parts, although not quickly.
IN quartz watch The basis of the vibrations is a similar system of gears and an electrical circuit that counts the vibrations of the quartz crystal. The energy source for oscillations is a battery. The wheel mechanism of a quartz watch is more durable than that of a mechanical one: the load on the mechanism occurs only when the stepper mechanism turns.
IN atomic clock vibrations reproduce hydrogen atoms, and the principle of operation is completely preserved.
Electronic circuits based on quartz crystal are used in most modern devices with time fixation: mobile phones, computers, navigation systems, heart rate monitors, etc.
Mechanical pocket watch
Craftsmen who make and repair watches are called watchmakers. In art, mechanical watches are a symbol of time.
Mechanical watches inferior in accuracy electronic And quartz(1st class accuracy of mechanical watches - from +40 to −20 seconds per day; the error of quartz watches ranges from 10 seconds per day to 10 seconds per year). Therefore, currently from an indispensable tool Mechanical watches become a symbol of prestige.
Story
The prototype of the first mechanical watch can be considered Antikythera Mechanism, discovered by archaeologists early XX century among the wreckage of an ancient trading ship and dated 2nd century BC.
The first mechanical watch with an anchor mechanism was made in Tanskom China V 725 AD by masters And Sin And Liang Lingzan. From China the secret of the device apparently got to Arabs.
On this moment Europe's oldest tower clock is located in Grodno , Republic of Belarus. They have been in working order for over 500 years. .
Later, pocket watches appeared, patented in 1675 H. Huygens, and then - much later - a wristwatch. At the beginning wrist watch There were only women's jewelry, richly decorated with precious stones, characterized by low precision. No self-respecting man of that time would have put a watch on his hand. But the wars changed the order of things and 1880 Girard-Perregaux began mass production of wristwatches for the army.
Mechanical watch design
A mechanical watch consists of several main parts:
- Source energy- wound up spring or a lifted weight.
- Trigger- a device that converts continuous rotary motion into oscillatory or reciprocating motion. The escapement determines the accuracy of the watch.
- Oscillatory system - pendulum or balancer (balance).
- The mechanism for winding and moving the hands is a remontoire.
- Gear system connecting the spring and trigger- angrenage.
- Dial with arrows.
Pendulum
Historically, the first oscillatory system was the pendulum. As is known, with the same amplitude and permanent acceleration of free fall frequency fluctuations pendulum unchangeable.
The pendulum mechanism includes:
- Pendulum;
- An anchor connected to a pendulum;
- Ratchet wheel (ratchet).
The accuracy of the stroke is adjusted by changing the length of the pendulum or the length of the spring.
The classic pendulum mechanism has three disadvantages. Firstly, the frequency of oscillations of the pendulum depends on the amplitude of the oscillations (this disadvantage was overcome Huygens, causing the pendulum to oscillate cycloid, not in an arc circle). (Galileo published a study of pendulum oscillations and stated that the period of oscillation was independent of its amplitude, which is approximately true for small amplitudes.) Second, pendulum clocks must be mounted motionless; They cannot be used on moving vehicles. Thirdly, the frequency depends on the acceleration of free fall, so watches calibrated on one latitude, will lag behind at lower latitudes and go ahead at higher latitudes.
Balance
Moon phases
In wrist watches it is set eccentric(in watchmaker's language rotor or sector, since it is made in the form of a light plate with an overlay in the shape of an arc sector made of heavy tungsten alloy; V expensive watch alloys are used gold, even heavier), which rotates when the hand moves and winds the spring. Therefore, if you wear your watch all the time, you don’t need to wind it at all. Self-winding mechanism and spring connected clutch.
Self-winding has a positive effect on accuracy (the spring is constantly in an almost wound state). In waterproof watches, the threads that tighten the crown wear out more slowly.
Automatic watches are thicker and heavier than manually wound watches. Women's self-winding calibers are quite capricious due to the miniature nature of their parts. Automatic winding is useless for people who are sedentary (for example, those who are elderly or in a sick condition), as well as for people who wear their watches only occasionally. However, if there is a special device for automatic winding of watches called a “winder”, the watch can be constantly wound. Winders operate from household electricity (220v or 110v) or from rechargeable batteries.
Tourbillon
In the first mechanical watches, the accuracy of time could depend on the position of the watch in space and the ambient temperature. To reduce the dependence on temperature, special alloys with low temperature coefficients began to be used.
Breguet V 1795 invented and patented the tourbillon ( fr. tourbillon- vortex) - device for partial compensation Earth's gravity. The tourbillon consists of a balance, an escape fork and an escape wheel located on a special rotating platform (the most common rotation speed: 1 revolution per minute). This is one of the most difficult and expensive additional mechanisms. The maximum accuracy of inexpensive mechanical watches reaches ±5 seconds per day; high-quality: up to ±1 sec per day, inexpensive quartz watches (this is a more modern mechanism, for comparison): ±1/2 sec. per day . The accuracy of watches with a tourbillon is: −1/+2 sec. per day . Often the tourbillon is made visible through a window in the dial. In fact, the tourbillon rotates the entire watch mechanism around its axis within one minute, which, due to the influence of the Earth's gravity, makes the watch rush for half a minute and lag for the next half a minute, which neutralizes the influence of the Earth's gravity on the accuracy of the time.
Designed to show not only the time, but also the status of their owner. Lightweight, colorful, plastic models lift your spirits and make you more inclined to relax in the fresh air. On the contrary, an expensive steel or gold watch on a leather strap or bracelet is more suitable for business meetings. They emphasize your status, style, and from some watches you can even draw a conclusion about the intelligence of the person wearing them). For a long time, watches from Swiss masters have been considered the most prestigious around the world. Exactly Swiss Watches recognized as the most reliable and high quality. In this regard, it becomes clear why Men's Watch most often also Swiss! There is a saying: “precise as a Swiss watch.” Previously, this accuracy was a luxury and was available only to a select few. Now times have changed and everyone can now afford to buy a watch.
Our watch shop offers a large selection Swiss And japanese men's wrist watches: Wainer, Adriatica, Orient, Casio etc. Today, not only Swiss, but also Japanese watches have won the sympathy of millions of people around the world thanks to highest quality, modern technologies, a large selection of watches with many functions of classic and sports models. Today, quality that is not inferior to Swiss ones and an affordable price have become the key to leadership positions in the global watch market and crazy popularity not only among men, but also among the fair sex.
Men's wrist watches
in our showroom MosClock presented in a wide range, you can buy watches from us in accordance with your taste, style, income and individual preferences.Women's wrist watches
- this is already a kind of work of art. A huge number of models of different shapes and colors makes it possible for a lady to choose a watch in accordance with her taste, style, mood, and character.IN store website you will find in large quantities gold plated watch (Romanson, Essence, Guess, Ladies Watch with precious stones ( Christina London).
It can definitely be said that women's wristwatch is an adornment, sometimes even a beautiful piece of jewelry, if you like. Our highly qualified salespeople can provide assistance in choosing, selecting and ordering women's watches, call us!
Historical reference:
First wrist watch were created at the beginning of the 19th century, but at that time the idea was not appreciated. At the end of the 19th century, due to the inconvenience of using pocket watches in combat conditions, the military began to wear watches on their wrists, and wristwatches received final recognition only at the beginning of the 20th century.
Types of wristwatches and how they work
:Mechanical watches- watches using a weight or spring energy source. A pendulum or balance regulator is used as an oscillatory system. Mechanical watches In terms of accuracy, they are inferior to electronic and quartz watches (1st accuracy class of mechanical watches - from +40 to −20 seconds per day; The error of quartz watches ranges from 10 seconds per day to 10 seconds per year). Therefore, at present, mechanical watches are turning from an indispensable tool into a symbol of prestige.
Quartz watch- a watch in which a quartz crystal is used as an oscillating system. Although electronic watches are also quartz, the expression " quartz watch» usually applies only to electromechanical clocks (clocks with hands). Typically household quartz clocks are accurate ±15 seconds/month(in specially designed chronometers up to 0.3 seconds/month). However, quartz crystal is subject to aging, and over time, the clock tends to rush. The first quartz watches were released in 1961. In 1978, the American company Hewlett Packard first released a quartz watch with a microcalculator. It was possible to perform mathematical operations with six-digit numbers. Its keys were pressed with a ballpoint pen. The size of this watch was several square centimeters.
What do wristwatches consist of and how do they work?
1. The source of energy is a wound spring.
2. Trigger - a device that converts continuous rotational motion into oscillatory or reciprocating motion. The escapement determines the accuracy of the watch.
3. Oscillatory system - balancer (balance).
4. The mechanism for winding and moving the hands is a remontoire.
5. A gear system connecting the spring and the trigger mechanism - angrenage.
6.Dial with arrows.
The electronic part of the watch consists of an oscillator stabilized by a quartz resonator and a divider. The oscillation frequency of the generator is usually 32768 Hz, which corresponds to an oscillation period of 2-15 seconds.
The choice of this particular frequency is due to the fact that in order to obtain the second clock cycle necessary for the operation of the mechanical part of the watch, the frequency of the quartz oscillator must be divided by 215. This is done with a simple binary counter, which simplifies the electronic part. Pulses with a period of 1 s are fed to a stepper motor, the shaft of which drives the arrows through a system of gear wheels.
This is not all we know about wristwatches. Come to our stores and we will answer all your questions (if you have any). And, of course, there is the opportunity to try on any model.