10 Years Heart Beat Manufacture – Introducing the Heart Beat Manufacture Calibre FC-945 Silicium

Following the success of the launch of the first Heart Beat Manufacture Calibre in 2004, Frederique Constant has presented every year an additional version to its Heart Beat Manufacture range. Some features remained constant, such as the signature aperture, perfectly centred at the 6 o’clock position. Each year, however, new design features have been added; the Heart Beat is constantly being revised, updated and technically advanced.

In 2014, Frederique Constant will introduce the new FC-945 Silicium Heart Beat Calibre, improved in terms of reliability, durability and pure technical excellence. For the past two years, the R&D Department at Frederique Constant has been designing, developing and improving the 126 components contained in the all-new Heart Beat Manufacture. Now, our company is delighted to introduce its implementation of the newest, most technologically superior materials available in the world today.

Solving old problems

The accuracy of any mechanical timepiece is utterly dependent on the accuracy of the actual timing device, the balance wheel, balance spring and the escapement. The balance wheel’s job is to spin back and forth at a frequency of 4Hz. It is the frequency of the swing of the balance wheel, which determines the watch’s accuracy.

The escapement’s most critical function is to keep the balance spring winding and unwinding. Since watches were first invented, the requirements assigned to the escapement have involved high levels of friction. The teeth of the escapement wheel are driven by the mainspring’s power source. They slide against the teeth of the ratchet a nano-second before they lock together. This is the friction, which kicks the anchor. It is also the friction that means lubrication will be necessary.