Imagine a power reserve that never ran out; a mechanical watch that ran forever. Imagine a timepiece that needed winding a few times a year, rather than several times a week; whose autonomy was calculated in months rather than hours. And finally, imagine a revolution that shattered watchmaking taboos and permanently changed an order of magnitude that seemed inviolable.
You should now have a hint of Parmigiani Fleurier's latest
project, launched on the eve of its 20-year anniversary – the SENFINE.
With a name meaning "eternally" in Esperanto, this
movement is powered by a conventional energy source but has a regulating organ
that offers unprecedented autonomy. The project is still in the development
stage, and Parmigiani Fleurier has now opened up its research department to
reveal the extraordinary story of the Senfine and the steps leading towards the
launch of a revolution.
Toward A High Power Reserve
The race to achieve an extraordinary power reserve is not
new in watchmaking, however, it has been quite monotonous until today. It has
focused solely on increasing the supply - that is, the size or number of
barrels - in the same way that a car's range can be doubled by doubling the
size of its fuel tank.
The second half of the equation, namely the movement's
energy use, has thus far remained fruitless, since the consumption of the
traditional mechanical regulator is incompressible. Friction - the main factor
in energy consumption - primarily affects the oscillator, which loses energy
with each vibration; it then affects the escapement, at each of its
interactions with the balance; and finally, the pallet fork, as it engages and
disengages with the escapement wheel, generating a loss with each contact.
The second factor in energy consumption is the impacts that
are a normal part of the escapement's operation. The interaction of the pallet
fork, escapement wheel and balance produces inevitable impacts, which take a
heavy toll on the power reserve.
It is impossible to reduce the friction and impacts on a classic
mechanical regulator. Impossible, that is, without a complete redesign and a
brand new conception of a watch's regulating organ, in which the unshakeable
fundamentals of watchmaking are overturned.
The invention at the heart of the Senfine serves to
eliminate all the energy-consuming factors inherent in a classic regulator,
replacing them with a system of flexible, frictionless joints. The design does
not involve changes to any of the motor components; the watch's barrel -
equivalent to the fuel tank of a car - remains the same. Instead, it addresses
the movement's energy consumption factors - the second part of the delicate
equation, which, until now, has seemed inalterable.
The idea and basis for the invention at the heart of the
Senfine came from Pierre Genequand, a Genevese engineer and former employee at
CSEM (Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology). This brilliant
scientist specialized in spatial engineering technology using the frictionless
properties of flexible joints. Having worked in this field for several years,
by the end of his career, Pierre Genequand was convinced that this technology
offered strong potential for the watchmaking sector.
After retiring in 2004, he dedicated his time to developing
this idea. The first stage was a 20:1 scale wooden model, which he built in a
corner of his kitchen using spools of thread and makeshift counterweights. He
presented this creation to his former employer, who began the search for a
manufacture capable of bringing the concept to life.
Paradoxically, what gave Pierre Genequand his edge - aside
from his scientific genius - was that he never worked as a watchmaker. Within
the industry, an almost sacred aura surrounds the classic regulator, a type of
taboo instilled in watchmakers with regard to any change in its parameters.
Freed from these conventions thanks simply to his ignorance of them, Pierre
Genequand addressed the issue from the reverse angle, applying aerospace
technology to the world of watchmaking with no regard for the sacrosanct
structures it was set to dismantle. However, his idea would have remained a
mere concept were it not for the involvement of a watch manufacture.
Parmigiani Fleurier responded to the call from CSEM via its
watch movement division, Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, appreciating the immense
potential of this invention and confident in its ability to bring it to life in
the form of a watch.
On the eve of SIHH 2016, we reveal the progress of this
spectacular project, as well as the hugely significant convergence of science
and watchmaking that results from it.
Principles Of The Concept - Senfine Movement
Below are the fundamental principles of Pierre Genequand's
invention which have been transposed into a watch regulator to provide a power
reserve of several weeks:
- The use of flexible guides and structures with negligible friction derived from aerospace technology for all of the regulator's components
- The exclusive use of silicon, machined to micron level for each component, offering excellent mechanical properties thanks to its elasticity, durability and low density and friction coefficient.
- A monolithic oscillator, which provides all the functions of the balance, balance-spring and pallet fork, to which it is connected via a common attachment
- A constant contact grasshopper type escapement wheel.
The Senfine Oscillator
The Senfine regulator is made from guides with flexible
structures, and oscillates at an amplitude of 16 degrees. This amplitude
limitation is the basis of the invention, since it enables minimal dissipation
of energy caused by friction. It is in stark contrast to the 300 degrees of
rotation of the balance on a classic regulator.
The pallet fork on the Senfine oscillator is connected to
the balance via a common attachment. This balance is a circular component, in
the center of which two flexible blades cross without touching. During
oscillation, these blades function as a return spring, thus replacing the
balance-spring on a traditional balance.
The monolithic nature of this silicon structure – which
brings together the balance, balance-spring and pallet fork – means there are
none of the pivots or rotating arbors found on a classic regulator. The Senfine
regulator is suspended, oscillating on its virtual axis, under the movement of
the pallet fork, with no points of friction and with a negligible friction
coefficient.
In classic watchmaking, the escapement supplies the movement
energy, from the barrel to the oscillator. It is the key component in
maintaining and counting the oscillations of the regulating organ. The Senfine
movement contains an escapement adapted to the specific characteristics of the
system: the constant contact grasshopper escapement.
In this design, the two flexible blades on the pallet fork
interact with the escapement, storing and discharging their elastic deformation
energy as they engage and disengage with the wheel. Interference from friction
is reduced and the escapement's energy consumption matches that of the Senfine
oscillator.
2008 to 2014
The six years of research that led to the development of the
Senfine were probably the most difficult. The Parmigiani Fleurier manufacture
began by familiarizing itself with the invention, learning the terms, examining
each detail and understanding the underlying physical theory. The watchmakers
immersed themselves in the aerospace world and, once prepared, led the project,
step by step, towards tangible reality in the form of a watch head, with all
the miniaturization and assembly challenges this demanded.
They notified the scientists of the constraints of the
watchmaking world, highlighting in particular any instances where they could go
against the theory. For example, at the very start of the project, the CSEM
engineers were delighted that their prototype could withstand acceleration of
20G (equivalent to that of a rocket on take-off). Under normal wearing
conditions, a wristwatch is subject to acceleration of between 500 and 5000G –
an order of magnitude never anticipated during modeling at CSEM. The challenges
thrown up by this lively dialogue were resolved one by one, delicately bridging
the gap between theory and practice as the Senfine was brought to life.
In 2014, the Parmigiani Fleurier watchmaking center unveiled
its full scale prototype of this regulator. When associated with a conventional
caliber, it offered a power reserve of 45 days - and that was only the start of
its potential. The final power reserve, once development is complete, will be much
greater.
In terms of research and development, the focus in 2015 was
on reducing the Senfine's sensitivity to impacts. Given its very low running
amplitude (16 degrees) and the fact that it is suspended, with no physical
contact, the operation of the regulator was significantly affected by the
slightest impact.
This work began with an empirical characterization of all
the impact factors. Very often, the theory predicted that the system would
withstand impacts, which was confirmed by simulations, but in practice, this
was not the case. There is a world of difference between virtual or simulated
wearing and real-life wearing.
By characterizing each impact and stoppage factor, the
engineers found solutions which involved damping and discharging the impact for
each stoppage factor. To further reinforce this victory, the watchmakers
decided to supply the movement with a frequency of 16 Hertz, or 115,200
vibrations per hour. The effect of this spectacular frequency is to reduce the
effect of the impacts on the regulator and guarantee stable operation.
2015 was also dedicated to the escapement adjustment
procedure. In a classic movement, adjustment is a formality, as it is a
completely separate and independent structure. In the Senfine, the escapement
is in constant contact with the pallet fork, which is integral with the
oscillator in a monolithic structure. To adjust the escapement, a device had to
be invented to bring together the calibration functions for all the regulator
components in a single part. This development is now complete, and in
production.
The focus for 2016 will be on thermal considerations. This
will involve ensuring the Senfine's compliance with the COSC standard, which
stipulates constant isochronism for any temperature inside the movement between
8 and 38 degrees. Silicon reacts to temperature variations in a complex way. A
theoretical solution has already been validated and will soon be applied.
The production process and tools for the Senfine project
will also be defined in 2016. In addition to the Senfine system itself, the
watchmaker/constructors are in the process of creating the entire product
environment. The adjustment devices need to be invented, and the measuring
tools do not yet exist.
For example, how will the Senfine's operation be evaluated,
given that it does not tick? This is a whole new avenue to be explored.
However, the challenge is perfectly in keeping with the thrill of the adventure
and, in particular, the revolution to come. Once these issues are resolved, and
once the external parameters have been defined, the Parmigiani manufacture will
define the Senfine’s power reserve and its potential. It will be counted in
months, and will transform the face of mechanical watchmaking forever.
The Parmigiani watchmaking center looks forward to seeing
you in a year's time for another update on this great adventure.
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