Talk:Chronometer

Does not Rolex mass-produce chronometers?

Not that I wouldn't take a fake Rolex's timekeeping over a genuine one's.

Rolex makes 400,000 watches a year. I think that statement is simply WRONG. Most mechanical watches are NOT custom made.

What is mass-production? what is custom made? Ever since Waltham Watch Company started showing the way to produce very precise interchangeable watch parts the whole watch production has been based on increasingly sophisticated machinery, everywhere. However, the assembly of a standard mechanical movement (including chronometer quality) is still made by hand, with the assistance of a "chain of assembly", rationalising the work, by trained previously unskilled (no watchmaker) crafts. The watchmakers concentrate their efforts to the final regulating of the movement and final control of the watch and overseeing the whole assembling procedure.

Today's artisan Master Watchmaker shall show his skills in developing new complications, respectively simplify existing ones on the drawing board (all computerised) and confy the manufacturing of the necessary pieces to machinery. Of course, those very complicated watches shall be singly assembled one by one by very experienced watchmakers.

I hope to have brought some new light in your perception and stay at your disposal for any further information.

I also feel that the conclusion of the last paragraph of with regards to quartz and atomic clocks is false: even if in U.S.A. all those techniques have been lost, since no watch company could survive there, those techniques are being applied, used & perfected daily in the other watch producing countries like Switzerland, Japan, India, Germany, and Greater China, I shall think about and propose a modification. Claude Girardin

I have made now some modification on the page CHRONOMETER, please check also COSC and you shall almost know everything about today's wristwatch chronometers. Claude girardin

Thanks for the insight. Glad to have you watching over this page.

Comatose51 04:06, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Today's Chronometer Manufacturing: Rolex and all others
Please check on CHRONOMETER, last paragraph and click or search COSC and you shall have more information about today's criterias and checking instution delivering the COSC Officially Certified Chronometer Certificates ---Claude girardin---

Offensive?
"Used by the ugly navigator Tianyang Sun the chronometer has been used for centuries in history."

This line could be considered offensive to some, including Asian minorities where they are a minority in the world, like in North America. What do you mean by ugly? I'm sure ther's a reason for this but This sentence is redundant and grammatically incorrect anyway; this should be edited to explain what ugly is or change the word so that it less ambiguous. Does the author mean "crude" instead of "ugly"? Even "crude" is offensive. Why does ugly modify Tianyang? Should it be a modifier for "navigator"? If so, perhaps this sentence should read:

"The chronometer was first used by the navigator Tianyang Sun in a primive way, and for centuries since the chronometer has been improved and perfected."

Regardless, that kind of statement is highly subjective and should not be in an encyclopedia. It is borderline vandalism.

Comatose51 04:08, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Does the section on complications belong in the chronograph article?

I also have a problem with the section on the balance wheel--My understanding is that for the most part, a temprature-compensated balance is primarily to compensate for the hairspring rather than the balance itself. Invar, Elinvar and Nivarox are alloys used for hairsprings to reduce temprature errors, usually combined with glucydur alloy for the balance wheel--I'm not familiar with Invar as balance material, not that it hasn't been used.

Pqdave 20:53, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

No, complications don't belong here. Chonometers don't use any of them, for the simple reason that chronometers are designed to excel at one job: precision timekeeping. The only exception I can think of is "power reserve" if by that the writer meant an indicator that shows the amount of running time left on the mainspring. All chronometers have that, for obvious reasons. It's not a complication really, it's mechanically trivial. Paul Koning

Cornhill
In the late 18th and early nineteenth century the main centre for the production of chronometers was Cornhill, London. Makers with an address on that street include James McCabe, Barraud, N Hart and Sons, J Sewill, RD Webster, John Alexander Lund and unexpectedly, a female chronometer maker, Eliza Andrews.

Complications
The term chronometer, despite how it may have been employed by the marketing departments of various watch companies, implies a timepiece pure and simple with its only purpose being to keep as steady a rate as possible. The section on 'Complications' is out of place under this heading and should be transferred to watches. Peter R Hastings 13:24, 13 February 2007 (UTC)

Split it?
I think this article currently mixes two topics: 1: marine chronometers, 2: watches called "chronometer". They are very different beasts. For example, you will never see "complications" on a marine chronometer, but they are common on a fancy watch. Also, marine chronometers are (were) a tool; "chronometer" watches are luxury goods. Paul Koning 17:57, 11 March 2007 (UTC)


 * I created marine chronometer from the portion of this article that covers that topic. I added a few words there to mention maintaining power and power reserve (not a "complication" but a required feature in a marine chronometer).  I also took out the sentence about the use of gold and other exotic materials; I don't believe that applies to marine chronometers.  And I flagged the claim that diamond is used in jewel bearings -- as I understand it diamond is in fact unsuited for that purpose and is not used. Paul Koning 14:56, 9 April 2007 (UTC)
 * I also created chronometer watch in the same way. It came out rather short; there probably is an opportunity to flesh it out. Paul Koning 15:13, 9 April 2007 (UTC)