HEART BEAT MANUFACTURE
|
 Discussões
internas sobre o desenvolvimento de novos recursos no Heart Beat,
na Frédérique Constant, sempre se concentraram nos relógios Heart Beat
originais. Como esses relógios Heart Beat eram todos produzidos com
base nos ébauches de calibre existentes, o design do Heart Beat foi
vinculado pela arquitetura básica desses calibres. Um dos problemas era
que a roda de balanço era muito profunda dentro da abertura do Heart
Beat. Um grande aprimoramento seria colocar a roda de balanço mais
perto da parte frontal do calibre, tornando-a mais visível. Outro
problema era que a espiral, componente mais importante de um relógio de
pulso mecânico, estava na parte de trás do calibre. Depois de muitas
discussões, a Frédérique Constant finalmente concluiu que desenvolveria
seu próprio calibre para resolver todos esses problemas de uma vez por
todas. Em 2001, o desenvolvimento da Heart Beat Manufacture foi
iniciado com a ponte característica da roda de balanço na parte frontal
do calibre. Isso possibilitou que a espiral e a regulação fossem para a
parte frontal também, criando um design mais atraente para o Heart
Beat. Essa construção era uma completa novidade, permitindo que a
Frédérique Constant solicitasse uma patente. Dessa vez, todos os
designs foram propriamente registrados antes de irem para o mercado.
O desenvolvimento e a produção do primeiro Heart Beat
Manufacture levaram três anos. Foi um importante desenvolvimento em
cooperação com a École d'Horlogerie de Genève, a École d'Ingenieurs de
Genève e a Horloge Vakschool Zadkine. Em 2004, a versão manual do Heart
Beat Manufacture foi apresentada, com grande sucesso. Em 2005, o Heart
Beat Manufacture da Frédérique Constant com fases da lua e data, também
feito manualmente, foi lançado. Em 2006, a primeira série de relógios
Heart Beat Manufacture automáticos foi lançada.
|
TOURBILLON MANUFACTURE
|
Frédérique Constant is proud to introduce a
World Premiere: a Tourbillon watch with Silicium Escapement Wheel.
Based on its award-winning Heart Beat Manufacture Calibre, Frédérique
Constant developed its Tourbillon fully in-house with a number of
unique features:
- Silicium Escapement Wheel
- Fast Oscillation at 28’800 BpH
- Tourbillon Cage individually numbered
 With
its three main advantages compared to a regular escapement wheel, a
Silicium escapement wheel is particularly useful in a Tourbillon
mechanism. In particular, the reduced weight of the Silicium
escapement wheel and the better friction properties result in a
substantially higher energy efficiency. As a result, the Frédérique
Constant Tourbillon with Silicium escapement wheel has an amplitude of
over 300 degrees in dial-up and dial-down positions. Even in the
crown-down position, the is over 275 degrees, which is substantially
better than the performance of other high-end tourbillons.
Smart Weight Balancing
  The
Frédérique Constant Tourbillon Cage consists of 80 parts. Each of these
parts is produced to the highest possible tolerance, with a precision
of 1-2 micron (0.001-0.002 mm). Many of the parts are produced on
Frédérique Constant’s ultra precise CNC machine in Plan-les-Ouates.
This CNC machine of the latest custom-made generation has a tolerance
of 1 micron on the X and Y axes and 2 micron on the Z axe. Even with
such a high degree of precision, it is impossible to have a 100% equal
distribution of weight in the individual parts; for a Tourbillon to run
accurately, an equal distribution of weight is essential. Frédérique
Constant solved this problem by a “Smart Screw” system on the outer
edge of the Tourbillon cage. At first, the Tourbillon cage is
constructed with a slight over-weight opposite the Smart Screw system
on the main Cage Wheel. Thereafter, a highly skilled watchmaker is able
to balance the weight into the center of the Tourbillon cage by adding
or exchanging tiny metal rings under the two screws on the main cage
wheel. Typically, 8 hours are required for a watchmaker to adjust the
tiny rings and balance the weight perfectly for the entire Tourbillon
cage.
Fast Oscillation
The Frédérique Constant Tourbillon runs at 4 Hertz whereby the balance
wheel beats 28’800 times per hour. Hence, in a Frédérique Constant
Tourbillon, the balance wheel swings 28,800 times an hour and the gear
train moves forward 691,200 times in 24 hours. In four years, this
represents over one billion impulses.
Most competing Tourbillons run at 3 Hertz only. The higher ‘Beats per
Hour’ (BpH) enable a higher accuracy of the Tourbillon calibre. The
higher oscillation also makes the calibre less susceptible to gyration
effects.
Individually Numbered
Each Tourbillon cage is individually numbered to show the Limited
Edition of 188 pieces. The minuscule top plate in the center of the
Tourbillon cage is sequentially numbered during production on the
Frédérique Constant CNC machine. The number on the cage will match the
Limited Edition number on the case, making the combination of calibre
and case unique. |
|
SILICIUM MANUFACTURE
|
 A
precisão dos movimentos mecânicos depende da precisão do dispositivo de
marcação de hora. O dispositivo de marcação de hora para o calibre do
Heart Beat mecânico da Frédérique Constant é a roda de balanço, a mola
de balanço e o escapamento. A roda de balanço gira para frente e para
trás com uma freqüência de 4Hz. O período de movimentação da roda de
balanço determina a precisão. O elemento crucial no design do
escapamento é fornecer energia suficiente para manter a roda de balanço
em movimento e interferir no balanço livre da roda de balanço o mínimo
possível. Conforme a lubrificação do escapamento vai acabando, a
fricção aumenta e menos energia é transferida à roda de balanço.
O escapamento deve manter a mola enrolando e desenrolando. Em grande
parte do histórico de produção de relógios, esses requisitos envolviam
uma fricção considerável do escapamento. Os dentes da roda de
escapamento são alimentados pela fonte de energia da mola principal e
eles, na realidade, deslizam no dente do roquete antes de eles
travarem. Essa fricção impulsiona a âncora, mas requer lubrificação. Em
um escapamento moderno, os dentes do roquete são feitos de uma pedra
muito rígida e polida, mas a lubrificação ainda é essencial. O som de
tique-taque de um relógio Frédérique Constant é o som do contato da
engrenagem da mola de balanço e os dentes do escapamento. Se houver
falha de lubrificação (decorrente de secura ou afinamento por tempo de
vida útil), o escapamento pode sofrer danos e as peças de metal deverão
ser trocadas. A incrível confiabilidade dos relógios modernos se deve
principalmente à qualidade mais alta dos óleos usados para lubrificar o
escapamento. Normalmente, o calibre mecânico precisa ser limpo e
novamente lubrificado a cada quatro anos.
 Research & Development
In line with watch industry developments, Frédérique Constant
researched the application of new materials for its Heart Beat
Manufacture calibres. Obviously, a major improvement would be an
escapement that does not require regular lubrication. Frédérique Constant is proud to introduce a limited edition series that
incorporates a silicium escapement wheel that will no longer need
lubrication. Silicium is the ideal material for use in watch making as
it is not magnetic, is extremely hard (1100 Vickers compared to 700
Vickers for steel), and is highly resistant to corrosion. The biggest
advantage of a silicium escapement wheel is that it does not need to be
lubricated. As it does not need to be lubricated, previously mentioned
disadvantages such as age-related thinning and drying of lubrication
will no longer occur.
Silicium
Silicium is the chemical element in the periodic table that has
the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, Silicium
is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon. It does not occur
free in nature. It mainly occurs in minerals consisting of
(practically) pure Silicium dioxide in different crystalline forms
(quartz, chalcedony, opal) and as silicates (various minerals
containing Silicium, oxygen and one or another metal), for example
feldspar. Silicium is the principal component of most semiconductor
devices and, in the form of silica and silicates, in glass, cement, and
ceramics. Silicium is widely used in semiconductors because it remains
a semiconductor at higher temperatures than the semiconductor Germanium
and because its native oxide is easily grown in a furnace and forms a
better semiconductor/ dielectric interface than almost all other
material combinations. In its crystalline form, Silicium has a dark
grey color and a metallic luster. It is similar to glass in that it is
rather strong. Pure Silicium has a negative temperature coefficient of
resistance, since the number of free charge carriers increases with
temperature.
Manufacturing
The crafting of silicium escapement wheels requires a new technology
called Deep ReactiveIon Etching (DRIE). A multiple image of the
escapement wheels is produced and projected onto a round silicium wafer
measuring 100 mm in diameter by 0.5 mm in thickness. Typically, wafers
are made in various sizes ranging from 1 inch (25.4 mm) to 11.8 inches
(300 mm), and thickness of the order of 0.5 mm. Generally, they are cut
from a boule of semiconductor using a diamond saw or diamond wire, then
polished on one or both faces. Using a 100 mm wafer, approximately 250
wheels can be produced. The wafer is composed of three different
substrates or layers of silicium. The central substrate functions as a
separation layer. After the image of the escapement wheels has been
projected on the wafer, the exposed lacquered substrate is cleaned
away, leaving the non-exposed parts on the wafer. Then, the non-exposed
lacquered substrate is etched with plasma down to the separation layer.
The silicium escapement wheels are thereafter released by isotropic
etching. The pieces that come out of this operation have only to be
cleaned on the surface. They are all identical and do not need
balancing, centring or polishing. Wafers are thus of key importance in
the fabrication of the Frédérique Constant silicium escapement wheels.
|
|
