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Mecanisme montre automatique

Understand the mechanisms of an automatic watch? Beaubleu tells you everything

Understanding how a watch mechanism works is not always easy. In the common mind, a watch runs on a battery or is wound manually. However, automatic watches have a very particular specialty. Let's find out together.

What is the automatic mechanism?

The automatic watch has its origins in the manual watch. Its mechanism is made up of numerous elements which, when assembled together, make it possible to implement this marvelous mechanism. Its centerpiece? The rotor (also called “oscillating mass” or “flyweight”). It is he who facilitates the starting of the cogs of the watch via the swing of the wrist

So, as long as it is worn, the watch mechanism winds itself. If its owner does not wear it on their wrist, this type of frame has a battery life of 40 hours on average. This is why if the device stops, these models are equipped with a crown allowing them to be adjusted again.

If you opt for this mechanical gem, you will have to be careful not to exhaust the power reserve in order to avoid having to resort to manual winding.

mouvement automatique beaubleu

 

Focus on the automatic watch mechanism

To fully understand the mechanism of an automatic watch, let's dissect its components and how they work.

The rotor: this is the weight we talked about above. In the form of a semi-circle rotating 360 degrees when in motion, it provides energy to the watch mechanism.

The spring: in the form of a ribbon wrapped around the barrel (cylindrical part), it plays the role of the motor. In short, it accumulates all the energy produced by the rotor in order to release it to the rest of the mechanism.

The transmission system: the mission of this small cog is to transmit the mechanical energy distributed by the spring directly to the escape wheel.

The escape wheel: after receiving the energy from the transmission system, this gear will let it diffuse intermittently in a regular manner.

The pendulum: with a beat ranging from 5 to 10 times per second, it is the heart of the movement. It allows you to regulate the circular swing of the hands.

Ruby: These are not real gemstones. Synthetic, hard and resistant, they reduce friction and therefore wear.

The crown: it is used to manually wind the watch mechanism. It is a kind of button external to the device which also allows you to set the time precisely.