Regulating organs, from past to present – Part ten

During the 1960s, brands such as Hamilton in the United States and LIP in France experimented with magnetism, developing and producing some rather interesting timepieces - Ventura at Hamilton and the Nautic-Ski at LIP - that used electromechanical means to oscillate the balance Rather than a conventional balance spring, a magnetic field oscillates the balance at a frequency of 6Hz TAG Heuer unveiled the concept in 2010 with an optimised version slated for the following year.

Currently, the reference in magnetic escapements is the Seiko Spring Drive The balance makes 28,800 revolutions per hour and is part of an innovative regulating system that the Japanese firm calls Tri-synchro Its role is to ensure the balance rotates at constant speed by applying an electromechanical brake to the staff when operating too fast.

Spring Drive movements equip only limited editions that are hand-assembled by the Manufacture's most experienced watchmakers We're not there yet, whereas quartz technologies have absolute precision - nanoseconds then femtoseconds - within their grasp. . Source