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Mecaquartz chronographs use movements of a hybrid construction. These movements join a
quartz-regulated electronic timekeeping engine and a mechanical chronograph module.
Mecaquartz chronographs have the accuracy and stability of quartz, the handling of a mechanical
chronograph, and a physically compact package. The biggest disadvantage of these movements is
the dependence on a battery.
Mecaquartz Construction
Quartz watches with an "analog" display use a small stepper motor to drive the watch hands.
Mecaquartz movements use a second, separate stepper motor to drive the chronograph module.
A gear-train translates the motor drive into movement of the chronograph hands.
The chronograph motor operates at a higher frequency than the one-tick-per-second
of the timekeeping motor. This gives the chronograph a smoother sweep and allows
the measurement of intervals with greater precision than full seconds.
The reset lever operates on a heart-shaped cam so reset is mechanical and instantaneous.
By way of contrast, a conventional quartz chronograph uses separate motors to drive each
counter on the dial.
The hands are advanced by the circuitry when the chronograph is activated by the pusher.
When the chronograph is reset the motors move their hands to zero.
(Apparently the Seiko Sportura Kinetic Chronograph is an exception and
also uses a mechanical system for an instantanous reset.)
Note: Mecaquartz chronographs should not be confused with a different type of mechanical-quartz pairing.
There are quartz movements that use a rotor driven by wrist movement to power an electrical generator that
charges the movement power source (battery or capacitor). Seiko calls this technology "Kinetic";
ETA calls their system "Autoquartz" (named "Omegamatic" by Omega and "SPARC" by Ventura).
Confusingly, Festina calls their rotor-powered Miyota (Citizen) quartz movements "Mecaquartz".
Gallery
There are two mecaquartz movement families used by the Swiss watch industry, one made by
Jaeger-LeCoultre and one made by Frederic Piguet. The JLC family uses a 1 Hz timekeeping and
a 4 Hz chronograph frequency; the Piguet family uses 1 Hz and 16 Hz.
Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 631
(IWC cal. 631) |
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| 23.3 x 3.7 mm, 25 jewels |
JLC Heraion Chronograph |
JLC Kyros Chronograph |
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| JLC Odysseus Chronograph |
JLC Master Chronograph |
IWC Porsche Design Sportivo 02 Chronograph Ref. 3720 |
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IWC Porsche Design Titan
Ref. 3738 |
IWC Ref. 3739 |
IWC Ingenieur Chronograph |
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| IWC Portofino Chronograph (35 mm) |
IWC Ladies Portofino Chronograph (29 mm) |
IWC Fliegerchronograph
Ref. 3741 |
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| IWC SL Chronograph |
IWC GST Chronograph |
Chopard Happy Sport Chronograph |
Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 630 with Moonphase
(IWC cal. 630) |
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The JLC/IWC cal. 630 and cal. 631 were introduced in 1988. |
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| 23.3 x 3.7 mm, 25 jewels |
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JLC Ladies Odysseus Chronograph |
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| IWC Porsche Design Titan Moonphase |
IWC Ladies Da Vinci |
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Jaeger-LeCoultre cal. 633 with Alarm
(IWC cal. 633) |
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| 23.3 x 3.7 mm, 27 jewels |
JLC Heraion Chronographe Reveil |
IWC Ingenieur Chrono Alarm |
F. Piguet
cal. 1270 |
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| 27.6 x 4.75 mm, 22 jewels |
Breitling Chrono Jetstream (Breitling cal. 55) |
Breitling Chrono Sextant (Breitling cal. 55) |
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| Omega Constellation Chronograph (Omega cal. 1270) |
Hublot Chronograph |
Chopard Ladies Imperiale Chronograph |
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| Daniel Roth Rotating Bezel Chronograph |
Robergé M 31 Chronograph |
Robergé Andromède II Chronograph |
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| MHR Britannia Chronograph |
MHR Britannia Chronograph |
Bulgari Chronograph |
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Not shown:
Robergé Andromede RS Chronograph
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| Bugatti Chronograph |
Thorr Chronograph |
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F. Piguet cal. 1271
with Rattrapante |
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| 27.6 x 6.1 mm, 23 jewels |
Breitling Chronoracer Rattrapante (Breitling cal. 69) |
Breitling Avenger Sixty Nine (Breitling cal. 69)
Edition of 600 |
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The Piguet Cal. 1271 has a rattrapante (split-second) complication.
The rattrapante uses a mechanism that is similar to one in the fully-mechanical Piguet cal. 1181, including
the use of a column wheel to control its operation.
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References
- Jim Connell, Review
of Jaeger-le-Coultre Master Black Chronograph, November 17, 1998.
- Walter Giezendanner, "Little Workhorse," International Wristwatch,
no. 37, pp. 102-103, 1998.
- Gilles Lhote and Jean Lassaussois, The World of Watches, Chartwell Book, Edison NJ, 1995.
- Watches, Volume 3, World Watch Publishing, Inc., 1998.
- Wristwatch Annual 1999, Abbeville Press, 1999.
Images are from various sources including
Breitling,
Finer Times,
Michael Friedberg,
IWC,
Mike Margolis,
Omega,
Orologi,
and the references above.
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