Do you know your module from your ebauche?

The bits inside a watch have many names and most people don't know what they are. Unless you are a watchmaker do you really need to know what a click spring or fourth wheel is? There are a few things that are useful to know.

For example, did you know the workings of a mechanical watch are called a movement whereas that of a quartz (battery or the more correct, cell) is called a module?

Calibre is the type or model of a movement from any manufacturer, for example ETA Valjoux 7750. ETA is the company that this very good chronograph (stopwatch and timepiece) movement is made by. Valjoux is the series and 7750 is the particular type. This could just as easily be a Ford (ETA) Focus (Valjoux) Expression (7750). So the calibre is Valjoux 7750.

Ebauche is when someone uses a movement not of their manufacture but give it a "tickle" to make it their own. This can be anything from a different finish to a few upgraded parts. The Valjoux 7750 is found in a Tissot for less than £500. This is a straight forward calibre out of the box. This same movement is also found in the Omega Seamaster although this has had the whole escapement replaced and upgraded as well as having a nice circular grained finish applied to the entire movement, this is ebauche.

Manufacture. When a watch house makes the movement "in house". Parts may be bought in but the movement will be exclusive to the manufacturer. This can mean many things but mostly means that a watch house has the technology and finances to make a manufacture movement. It does not mean it will be better. Hence Omega using the Lemania movement in the "Moonwatch" and Rolex using Zenith's "El Primero" in the Daytona. Some people already make the best.

Quartz modules or "battery movements" have a thin slice of quartz, through which the current from the cell (battery) flows. This causes it to vibrate at 32,768 times per second. This pulse is passed through a small computer chip that divides it in half 15 times to produce one pulse per second, very useful in a watch. Quartz is the only, readily available, crystaline substance that a small voltage can pass through a produce a whole number that relates to timekeeping.

Went into a little more than I intended for this post, but I hope its helpful.

Take care,
Damian