Mechanical movement is the oldest mode of operation for a watch. Now, for a few decades now, it has gradually replaced by Quartz movements (and therefore battery) on the range of watches. Today, mechanical calibres are therefore mainly used in mid-range or high-end timepieces.

And why ? Simply because this type of movement is considered more “noble” and because more complicated and more expensive to produce than its electronic counterpart, but also more durable if it is well maintained. You will find on this page all you need to know about the mechanical movement, its mode of operation, but also the difference between automatic mechanical movements and manual mechanical movements.

The functioning of the mechanical movement

Thanks to simple mechanical parts that use the energy stored by a spring, this type of caliber can give the time for several tens of hours, or even more than one hundred hours. But how do they work?

In a mechanical watch movement, we find:

• The motor organ: the latter will allow to give energy to the entire movement. In a mechanical watch, it is mainly a spring (that of the barrel) and in the clocks of a weight. The barrel spring will seek to return to its original shape by relaxing, distributing at the same time its energy (stored by reassembly) to the next step.
• Transmitting organ: we then find a set of wheels (most of the time in the form of gears, but sometimes also chains) which allows to transfer the energy of the motor organ to the rest of the movement and in particular the part maintenance member and resonator. It is also by its multiplicative wheels that the time is displayed via specific wheels (central, second and average).
• Maintenance member: the objective of this body is to receive the energy of the train which will then be maintained through an exhaust. The latter makes it possible to count the oscillations of the movement. There are several types of escapements, the best known being Swiss anchors.
• Resonator organ or regulator: very important, it allows to regulate the mechanical energy of the movement in equal time intervals (whose frequency is variable according to the models) thanks to an essential element, the balance and its spiral. It is thanks to him that one can obtain a reliable indication of time.
• Winding and setting body: this is where you find the main difference between manual and automatic movement. Indeed, for the reassembly of the watch, the two types will be able to be reassembled via the stem of winding, which is also used for setting time. However, the automatic version goes back especially thanks to an oscillating mass, or rotor, which is activated when one moves his wrist.

The two main types of movements

There are two main types of movement, the oldest hand-wound mechanical version and the self-winding version, which has been around for more than a century.

Automatic movement

Functioning as a standard mechanical movement, the big difference is therefore especially at the level of winding, it is no longer assured, but also by an oscillating weight or a rotor.

More information about the automatic movement

Manual movement

This is the basic version of the watchmaking mechanical movement. But how does it work or what is its history?

More information on manual movement

Lists of the different components of a template

In a watch movement for mechanical watches, we have a whole set of parts and components. The simplest calibers were then 500 or even 1000 for the exceptions.

Among the most common components, find the barrel, the escapement, the anchor, the pendulum, the wheels, etc.

Horological complications

Most watches offer you the reading of the time, with others: a little further, or even much further! A horological complication is therefore an additional function, offered by a mechanical watch. Among the best known are the display of the date (date), the whirlwind, the GMT time or the moon phase.

How to disassemble and reassemble a watch?

You How How does a watch move and you want to check for yourself? So, you can start disassembling and reassembling a watch and a watchmaker’s caliber.

More information on how to disassemble or reassemble a movement