Girard-Perregaux

Girard-Perregaux launched the Constant Escapement L.M. at Baselworld in 2013, putting into production an extraordinary feat of engineering and new technology while celebrating their venerable heritage. 

Achieving constant force is widely considered a holy grail of horology. A standard portable watch is powered by a balance spring, but the power exerted diminishes as the spring unwinds. As early as the 16th century, the fusee and chain was developed solely to counteract this inconsistency in the distribution of force. In 1999, F.P. Journe released his own constant force device, the remontoir d'égalité; the remontoir, or small spring, stores and releases a fixed amount of energy to the mainspring creating a more stable distribution of energy throughout the power reserve of the watch.

While these inventions created solutions outside of the escapement, Girard-Perregaux has integrated the mechanism within the escapement itself. A silicon escapement spring with a horizontal blade measuring only 14 microns thick is attached directly to the escapement. The silicon blade continuously distributes its own force through the snap back effect produced by the pure nickel escape wheels below. 

The endeavor would have been wholly impossible without the introduction of silicon. Within the dial, this silicon escapement flickers and shines an entire spectrum of spectacular colors, making this watch feel even more futuristic. The lore behind this feat of ingenuity places Nicholas Dehon, then a watchmaker for Rolex, at a train station idling with his train ticket between his fingers. Realizing that the stiff card always bends into a C and snaps into place inspired the Constant Escapement L.M. we see here.