Omega's new regulation system

[spectre6000]

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/heres-how-the-new-omega-spirate-system-works

The author gets a few things wrong. Clearly a game of telephone, as he admits to not being a watchmaker, and only having talked to one who is not actually involved in the engineering of the system, so it's possible some things are lost in translation. To wit as an example, he states that the adjustment tail of the hairspring goes 270° all the way around to the "0.1s/d" cam screw, when one can clearly see that leg of the spring only goes 180° to the "+/-" adjustment screw.

I [i]think[/i] what's happening is the balance screws are a coarse adjustment as in a free sprung balance. Then you have the "+/-" screw for sort of a medium adjustment. Then the "0.1s/d" cam acts on the mounting point through the lever terminating in the "+/-" screw point (obviously not directly on the tail as the author states) for the fine adjustment.

The flexure of the flexible frame at the origin on the hairspring is not quite defogging for me. The author states that the spring is made more or less stiff by this adjustment, but I think that's part of the telephony, and a red herring. I think what's happening is that the balance screws get the timing >90% of the way to in beat. The screw/cam flex the origin of the hair spring and physically move the tail around to get the last few seconds of regulation. Anyone feel able to confirm/refute/clarify any of that?

[JohnR725]

I suspect if you go looking there should be a patent on the design that would explain things in excruciating detail I give you a large headache which is what typically happens when you read patents. Then part of this comes about because that's a silicon hairspring which means their pre-made to very exacting specifications and that means things end up being done differently with them than a conventional hairspring.

Yes I met reading the description is a bit confusing I wonder if they got the press release? In any case you'll notice it is a silicon hairspring it's premade this is why you have to have the timing screws to match the balance wheel to the hairspring because they hairspring is what it is and is not much into the change it except thou add a magical something?

Okay went start off with the vintage silicon we get a video.

https://youtu.be/MZ9j-MYDs9Y

Now the question is if I look the same source will we be lucky and get a new video? Probably not Then I don't see a video yet

So casually reading through the description I don't think the description is actually right at all. I think something else is going on here. But as you point out when you're talking to someone remotely and getting a description of how something works I think it just doesn't quite come out right

Okay let's see if descriptions better here it does make a reference that there is a patent I'm sure there's a patents on the original silicon hairspring and there's probably a patent on this. If you actually look up horological patents I think it basically is impossible make anything in horology without stepping on somebody's patents either current or past.

Yes the description reads like a patent it's wonderful we have it and it works with magic. Note the word magic does not appear at the link below but we need a better description and this isn't it.

https://cpp-luxury.com/omega-reveals-the-speedmaster-super-racing-with-a-new-hairspring/

Okay this one is a much better description because I think something isn't quite being explained to write oh and you will note the patent is pending us we can't look at that yet and because this is brand-new there should be better descriptions out there eventually.

https://timeandtidewatches.com/omega-ousts-rolex-with-brand-new-spirate-system-technology-that-promises-0-2-second-accuracy-a-day/

Okay amusement in that the balance wheel still has the timing screws the evil screws that have to be absolute perfect as they point out of look at our wonderful new system and avoid you touching those screws that we still have to have because otherwise you can't regulate the balance wheel.

We don't get enough pictures but if you look at the end of the hairspring not the new flexible part but the other end there is a bit of a tail and I'm wondering if by pushing on the blade you're pushing detail in an out of something which basically changes the effective length of the hairspring. Because otherwise the description they have just isn't quite right. But maybe more press release material will come out eventually

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Endeavor]

How funny, yesterday we had a discussion about vibration point, timing screws and regulator.

Omega must have had the same, be it more in-depth, discussion

Interesting developments. Quartz has had its negative influence on the mechanical watch industry, but in order for the mechanical watch industry to survive, quartz has "forced" it to re-think.

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

Interesting development

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by Endeavor

[JohnR725]

11 minutes ago, Endeavor said:

Interesting developments. Quartz has had its negative influence on the mechanical watch industry, but in order for the mechanical watch industry to survive, quartz has "forced" it to re-think.

It wasn't just quartz it was basically a electric watches. For instance when Elgin had a press conference and 52 about their working on electric watch almost immediately they had to send out a letter to the watchmaker is reassuring of them that they still have jobs the watch still needed maintenance and the world would be good for watchmakers. So it's not just quartz it's all electric watches upset the world of mechanical timepieces. Especially when in the case of quartz watches they can be made way cheaper than mechanical.

Oh and here's another interesting hairspring free sprung balance and over coil hairspring. Notice how the silicon hairsprings don't have an over coil as it would basically be impossible to make. Although right is I'm saying that I have a weird feeling I've seen in over coil but not going to want to think about that

https://youtu.be/W7r-lxpSv2M

What would be interesting to see is the numbers a while back I had seen where Seiko and citizen make a very huge quantity of movements but I do know they both have mechanical movements. Then the Swiss make less but whatever is looking at indicated that the Swiss make more money because their watches cost more. So you purchase a Rolex watch several thousands versus 10 or more Seiko watches.

I suppose sort of hijacking the discussion but another link to a video.You want to pay attention at eight minutes and four seconds what do you see? Then an enhanced version shown a few seconds later with the balance wheel that looks like that's a silicon hairspring but one of those objects on the balance arm?  What you're looking at is no regulator free sprung balance wheel. With regulating weights on each arm. In both standard hairspring and silicon. Also I believe that one version with synthetic escapement which is basically plastic. They can compete in all markets from very cheap to very expensive.

https://youtu.be/rpPvaFiGzWg

It would be nice to see the percentages of quartz versus mechanical as I suspect over the last couple years were seeing a little more mechanical watches.

 

[spectre6000]

It just occurred to me... If the flexure is working as I described above, where the end point of the hairspring is sort of moving along an arc in/out to fine tune the timing of the balance, it would affect the beat error at least a little... Looking closely, it looks like as the adjustment arm of the hairspring is moved along its adjustment arc, the end of the hairspring is going to move in and out rather than fore and aft... What does that do to the spring?