First-Hand:The First Quartz Wrist Watch: Difference between revisions
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== [[Image:Prototyp 27 mm.jpg|center|625x500px]]<br>With the change of the strategy Roger Wellinger terminated abruptly Max Forrer's low frequencies Beta project with the metallic tuning fork and electromagnetic and piezoelectric actuators. – The situation at Seiko, the Japanese competitor, had been much different. They could rely on the experience with quartz clocks and electronic time keeping which they collected since 1956 (Olympics). They were developing their own quartz technology since 1958 and gradually developed quartz resonators for clocks, pocket watches and then for men's wrist watches successively.<br><br><br>'''<u>4. The first Quartz Wrist Watch: Beta 1</u>'''<br><br><u>4.1 World first:</u> == | == [[Image:Prototyp 27 mm.jpg|center|625x500px]]<br>With the change of the strategy Roger Wellinger terminated abruptly Max Forrer's low frequencies Beta project with the metallic tuning fork and electromagnetic and piezoelectric actuators. – The situation at Seiko, the Japanese competitor, had been much different. They could rely on the experience with quartz clocks and electronic time keeping which they collected since 1956 (Olympics). They were developing their own quartz technology since 1958 and gradually developed quartz resonators for clocks, pocket watches and then for men's wrist watches successively.<br><br><br>'''<u>4. The first Quartz Wrist Watch: Beta 1</u>'''<br><br><u>4.1 World first:</u> == | ||
== The first quartz wrist watch was Beta 1 and it had been built at the Centre Electronique Horloger. The first unit of a series of five was assembled and tested at the CEH in July 1967. Since Seiko does not communicate any details about their first quartz wrist watch, we can firmly conclude that Beta 1 was the world's first quartz wrist watch world wide. The new watch was packed into a standard square [[Image:Image006.jpg|thumb|right]]case (picture), this was necessary because the quartz case itself was straight with a length of 27 mm. However, the overall dimensions satisfied perfectly the requirements set by the watch industry to qualify for a men's wrist watch. The watch with the identification number CEH-1020 was tested at the Observatory in Neuchâtel as of August 13, 1967,<sup>4) </sup> and reached a classification of 0.189, which means an improvement of about one order of magnitude as compared to classical chronometers.<sup>5)</sup> The classification was also much better than the one which was reached by tuning fork watches during the same period. Beta 1 was equipped with a stepping motor activating the seconds hand step by step. The alternative and later model Beta 2 was equipped with the same quartz oscillator like Beta 1, but the second hand was actuated by a 256 Hz vibrating motor and a ratchet wheel. <br><br><br><u>5. Components of Beta 1</u><br><br><u>5.1 Beta 1:</u> | == The first quartz wrist watch was Beta 1 and it had been built at the Centre Electronique Horloger. The first unit of a series of five was assembled and tested at the CEH in July 1967. Since Seiko does not communicate any details about their first quartz wrist watch, we can firmly conclude that Beta 1 was the world's first quartz wrist watch world wide. The new watch was packed into a standard square [[Image:Image006.jpg|thumb|right]]case (picture), this was necessary because the quartz case itself was straight with a length of 27 mm. However, the overall dimensions satisfied perfectly the requirements set by the watch industry to qualify for a men's wrist watch. The watch with the identification number CEH-1020 was tested at the Observatory in Neuchâtel as of August 13, 1967,<sup>4) </sup> and reached a classification of 0.189, which means an improvement of about one order of magnitude as compared to classical chronometers.<sup>5)</sup> The classification was also much better than the one which was reached by tuning fork watches during the same period. Beta 1 was equipped with a stepping motor activating the seconds hand step by step. The alternative and later model Beta 2 was equipped with the same quartz oscillator like Beta 1, but the second hand was actuated by a 256 Hz vibrating motor and a ratchet wheel. <br><br><br>'''<u>5. Components of Beta 1</u>'''<br><br><u>5.1 Beta 1:</u> == | ||
== Beta 1 became the code name of the first quartz wrist watch. The miniaturized quartz oscillator was developed 1965/66 by Armin Frei. The same setup was used for Beta 2, a current saving alternative quartz wrist watch and later on with minor improvements in the industrial version Beta 21. The first working prototype of Beta 1, CEH 1020 had been assembled by Jean Hermann and Fraçois Niklès in July 1967.<sup>3)</sup> The main elements of the watch and their primary contributors, including parts and as well as concepts are described below:<br><br><u>5.2 Quartzresonator:</u> == | == Beta 1 became the code name of the first quartz wrist watch. The miniaturized quartz oscillator was developed 1965/66 by Armin Frei. The same setup was used for Beta 2, a current saving alternative quartz wrist watch and later on with minor improvements in the industrial version Beta 21. The first working prototype of Beta 1, CEH 1020 had been assembled by Jean Hermann and Fraçois Niklès in July 1967.<sup>3)</sup> The main elements of the watch and their primary contributors, including parts and as well as concepts are described below:<br><br><u>5.2 Quartzresonator:</u> == |
Revision as of 07:34, 15 March 2009
The First Quartz Wrist Watch
by Armin H. Frei, LSM
Former Research Staff Member Centre Electronique Horloger
Content:
1. Introduction
2. Centre Eléctronique Horloger (CEH), Neuchâtel
2.1 Foundation
2.2 Goal and Strategy
3. Change of Strategy: Montre-bracelet à Quartz
3.1 Status
3.2 Initiative
3.3 Change of Strategy
4. The First Quartz Wrist Watch: Beta 1
4.1 World First
5. Components of Beta 1
5.1 Beta 1
5.2 Quartz Resonator
5.3 Driver Circuit
5.4 Frequency Adjustment
5.5 Temperature Compensation
5.6 Frequency Divider
5.7 Stepping Motor
6. Beta 2
6.1 Autonomy
6.2 Wrong Strategy
7. Beta 21
7.1 Industrial Version
7.2 Phase-out Model
8. Chronology of the First Quartz Wrist Watch
9. Rectification
10. Bibliography