That chronograph is undoubtedly one of the most desired complications in the watchmaking scene. Achieving success from the youngest up to a more mature and aware audience, it is perhaps the only complication capable of bringing about one of the largest slices of the international market.
Without giving in to melancholy, I try to close my eyes and become a child again. I can’t imagine without my inseparable Casio DW-6600B G-SHOCK, which more than a watch looked like a spaceship, but it didn’t matter, it timed practically everything, and each of us kids owned one almost as if it were the real one. distinctive trait of the pack.
I can’t do it, too many memories … cit.
I open my eyes and here I am, at 36, more aware and mature (maybe …), aiming for a 2005 Breitling Chronomat Evolution … yes, chrono’s charm.
But where does all this attraction come from in your opinion?
Probably from the history that distinguishes this magnificent complication, made up of great challenges, great characters and great maison to contend for the scepter of the best to the sound of incredible timepieces.
Well, dear friends of IWS, today we want you to enjoy a slice of this extraordinary story by reliving what we believe was the most exciting challenge ever in the world of watchmaking: the race for the first automatic chronograph …
Siete pronti? 3… 2… 1…si parte!
A New Need
Although the measurement of time to perform a certain action was already in vogue during the seventeenth century, the first real Epiphany in the sector (others will follow which we will see later) took place around 1844 when the little more than thirty years old Charles Victor Adolphe Nicole fresh from marriage, Nicole patented a chronograph equipped with a particular cam that allowed the second hand to return to zero position, so as to be able to make chronometric measurements with greater simplicity and immediacy. Later, again the visionary Nicole in 1862, perfected his invention by introducing the start, stop and reset functions of the second hand, practically the three necessary and fundamental functions of every chrono.
Seeing the immense potential of this complication, numerous fashion houses in the sector became interested in the invention of Monsieur Nicole with the aim of perfecting the mechanism and making it commercially attractive for distribution on the large market.
We are at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it is a phase of transition within which the European reality is starting a complex process of mutation under many aspects.
The second industrial revolution is in full swing, the cities, to the detriment of the countryside, are becoming more and more populated, and what today we would call frenzy begins to come to life. If until then, or almost, time was conceived exclusively through seasonality, today it becomes a precious asset to be measured and taken into account, on which to distribute activities and resources wisely.
You understand that for the first time in history we are united by the need to keep time under control and with it the activities through which we have to spend it.
The First Specimens
Provided the historical context in which we are moving, and without going into too much specific with respect to models and functions (for that I refer you to the complete article concerning the various types of chronographs by clicking here) let’s go further and try to find out the first chronographs of the time.
Let’s start by saying that in reality the first wrist chronographs in history were nothing more than adapted pocket watches, therefore characterized by rather large dimensions, not so comfortable to wear. The very first maison to engineer a chrono model with gentler dimensions was Moeris SA, a noble family of the time particularly inclined to the creation of high-precision chronometers.
In the footsteps of Moeris, maisons like Lemania, Universal Genève and Eberhard did not stand by, and in a short time patented and launched on the market some of the most interesting single-button chronographs in history.
The turning point, considered a true second Epiphany in the world of watchmaking in the sector, was the advent of two-button chronographs. The very first, needless to say, was Breitling in 1933, which introduced on the market the progenitor of the Chronograph line characterized by the iconic double buttons, one dedicated to start and stop, and the other instead to reset, respectively located on the side right of the case at 2 and 4 o’clock.
The third Epiphany in the sector occurs with the introduction of the Flyback complication, created for the first time on a large scale by Longines in 1936. The origins of this mechanism derive from the world of military aeronautics, which has always been involved in the research and development of chronograph instruments able to facilitate the measurement of time intervals, thus allowing to detect also the intermediate times referring to a specific event. Basically, by pressing and holding the second button, the hands are reset, allowing you to detect the timing. Once the button is released the chronograph will start a new measurement and so on. The convenience clearly lies in the greater ease with which the chrono buttons are operated, substantially instead of three times it will be sufficient to operate them only twice.
Almost parallel to the Epiphany that brought the Flyback complication as a gift, the fourth Epiphany of the sector develops, which brings with it the introduction of the split-seconds chronograph. Although the invention had already appeared on pocket watches and belonged to Monsieur Perrelet, father of the automatic movement, the very first wrist chronograph in the category seems to have been a Patek Philippe from 1923. The rattrappante denomination refers to a second central seconds hand deputy to count the intermediate times.
In fact, by activating the split-seconds function, both seconds hands start running at the same time. Once the third button is pressed, the one seconds-hand stops while the other continues timing, allowing the intermediate time to be measured. By pressing the button again, the sphere restarts going to recover (and hence the term rattrappante from French rattraper, to recover) the distance lost with the hand remaining in the running, overlapping.
The race to the first automatic chronograph
We retraced the history of the first chronographs, appreciated the different complications with which they were fitted, and why not we also imagined them on the wrist, piloting a stratospheric Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Spider from ’39 …
But let’s go further and take a leap into the 60s.
We are in the middle of the cold war, the constant battle between East and West, unfortunately still in fashion today, sees the United States and Russia compete for the conquest of space, kids from all over the world let themselves be carried away by the notes of the Beatles, of the Rolling Stones and Elvis‘ rock & roll, all while Neil Armstrong is training for his special “first dance on the Moon”.
And what is happening in the world of timepieces? Well guys, if the space race represents one of the most exciting races that the history of technology has to offer us, the tussle that develops in the watchmaking world towards the creation of the first automatic chronograph is no exception, undoubtedly representing the main objective of the most famous players of that period.
The Chronomatic Consortium
At the starting blocks the role of the favorite was occupied by the Chronomatic consortium, an association set up ad hoc by the top of the sector: Heuer, Hamilton-Buren, Breitling, and finally Dubois Depraz. To be clear, it’s a bit like forming a team by drawing champions from Real, Barça, Manchester United, City, PSG and Milan … not bad right? …
To be honest, Breitling showed up later, called upon to give new economic life to the Chronomatic project.
In fact, in full swing, it was realized that the requested funds were no longer sufficient to cover the continuation of the project, therefore the consortium decided to contact Breitling directly, which, although historical rival of Heuer, put aside the disagreements and accepted enthusiastic about the proposal probably sensing the magnitude of the challenge.
Years of experimentation, research and development begin, years of fundamental importance that culminate with the presentation to the world, on March 3, 1969 (keep in mind the date for the purpose of the race), of the Caliber 12 flanked by the Caliber 11 variants, Caliber 14 and 15.
These are clearly self-winding mechanical movements equipped with a micro-rotor. Despite their modular conformation, the chrono is considered by many as “integrated” and not as an additional module. In reality, the concept is a little jarring if we think that the chronograph functions are entrusted to a block in its own right. The balance wheel oscillates at approximately 21,600 vibrations / hour while the power reserve is equal to 42 hours.
A big peculiarity that distinguishes this movement is the arrangement of the controls. The winding crown is in fact found on the left while the pushers that drive the chrono are classically arranged on the right.
Zenith El Primero
Modesty is not a known quality in the Zenith house, and perhaps this is also good, considering the allure that Heuer and his snack companions brought with them in the Chronomatic house … if we add the fact that the Le Locle maison does not at that time it enjoyed the same popularity as its competitors, you understand well that a high-sounding name was needed, a name that stood out even before the technical aspect, even before the aesthetics, and perhaps, why not, even before the brand… a brilliant idea gentlemen, El Primero arrives …
Zenith engineers do not betray expectations: the chrono, unlike the competition, is truly integrated into the mechanism, and not entrusted to an additional module. The number of components is approximately 280, 225 of which are different. The smooth balance wheel oscillates at a frequency equal to 36,000 vibrations / hour, about 1.5 times higher than the Caliber 12, thus allowing to reach a measurement precision equal to 1/10 of a second, against the precision of the competition equal to about 1/8 of a second.
The chronograph functions are piloted and managed through a column wheel, definitively abandoning levers and cams. The central rotor allows bidirectional winding and the power reserve is approximately 55 hours.
The overall dimensions of the mechanism complete the work of art, which with its 30 mm diameter and 5.7 mm thickness, is more contained than the competition.
Not only a question of technique, but also of marketing speed, so much so that the smart people of Zenith thought it best to anticipate Heuer & co. presenting El Primero to the press about two months earlier than its rival Caliber 12, on January 10, 1969. A further curiosity that adds fire to the company is represented by the collaboration with Movado. Towards the end of 1968, knowing that the Chronomatic consortium was not far from the company, Zenith turned to Movado with the aim of obtaining both economic and technical help for the realization of the new caliber. Movado, skilled and intelligent producer, given the importance of the challenge, but above all the historical rivalry with Hamilton, does not allow himself to be formulated twice by actively joining the El Primero company as a protagonist.
The good old Japanese style… Seiko
In a nutshell, Seiko’s Japanese style? Savoir-faire, technical competence, aesthetic taste and that damn way of doing things typical of the first of the class.
While everyone is busy celebrating the conquest of the first automatic chronograph, the Japanese maison, headed by President Hattori San, because in the Nihongo language the word “Signor” is categorically indicated by the syllable San preceding the family name, first congratulates Heuer and the his brothers in the consortium for the results achieved in typical oriental style, then, again in typical oriental style, he drops the piece of ninety, presenting to the international watchmaking scene the Caliber 6139, also chronograph, also automatic …
In good company with the first automatic chronographs in history, this Seiko masterpiece has some really interesting features. First of all is the column wheel with vertical engagement, the very first to mount it in the sector. The balance wheel oscillates at about 21,600 vibrations / hour allowing the subdivision of the second into quarters. The measurement also allows you to record times of up to 30 minutes. Worthy of praise, given the size of the mechanism, 27.4 mm in diameter and 7.9 mm thick, the integration of the date and day of the week complication.
Un aneddoto abbastanza affascinante: sapevate che il calibro 6139 è stato il primo cronografo automatico a viaggiare nello spazio? La storia racconta che la NASA, non riuscendo a fornire a tutti gli astronauti del programma spaziale l’orologio ufficiale per le missioni Apollo, l’Omega Speedmaster, permise l’utilizzo di altri segnatempo personali. Su tutti viene ricordato il colonnello William Bill Pogue il quale portò con se per tutti gli 84 giorni nello spazio nel corso della missione Skylab4 il suo inseparabile Seiko 6139 dimostrando al mondo intero il perfetto funzionamento di un orologio automatico anche a gravità zero.
Conclusions
What to add friends of IWS, after having tasted one of the most fascinating and incredible stories that the world of watchmaking has ever known, and relived, through the trident of wonders Heuer, Zenith and Seiko, the enterprising spirit that characterized the legendary 60s , the time has come to leave room for budgets, trying to better focus the meaning of this breathtaking ride on the first automatic chronograph in history.
To do this, I undertake to be concise, therefore, to a specific question “with which and how many words would you summarize this story” I could only answer in this way:
Three words:
Vision because there is nothing more concrete than having dreams (remember this well).
Determination because the synthesis of success undoubtedly goes through hard work.
Competition because the healthy one is beneficial for everyone, and these are the results…
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