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An observatory chronometer is a timepiece that has passed stringent testing and a slate of accuracy tests. Thus, the "observatory trial" developed as the standard process for determining accuracy of timepiece movements. If the chronometer passed the stringent testing, it would be certified. In the world of mechanical timepieces, accuracy is paramount. In the times before electronics, mechanical timepieces called
marine chronometer A marine chronometer is a precision timepiece that is carried on a ship and employed in the determination of the ship's position by celestial navigation. It is used to determine longitude by comparing Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or in the mode ...
s were developed to a very high degree of accuracy for use in maritime navigation. To test the accuracy of such marine chronometers, watchmakers looked to a phalanx of
astronomical observatories An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
located in Western Europe to conduct assessments of timepieces.


History

Once mechanical timepiece movements developed sufficient precision to allow for accurate marine navigation, there eventually developed what became known as "chronometer competitions" at the astronomical observatories located in western Europe. The Neuchatel Observatory,
Geneva Observatory The Geneva Observatory (french: Observatoire de Genève, german: Observatorium von Genf) is an astronomical observatory at Sauverny (CH) in the municipality of Versoix, Canton of Geneva, in Switzerland. It shares its buildings with the astronomy ...
, Besancon Observatory, and
Kew Observatory The King's Observatory (called for many years the Kew Observatory) is a Grade I listed building in Richmond, London. Now a private dwelling, it formerly housed an astronomical and terrestrial magnetic observatory founded by King George III. ...
are prominent examples of observatories that certified the accuracy of mechanical timepieces. The observatory testing regime typically lasted for 30 to 50 days and contained accuracy standards that were far more stringent and difficult than modern standards such as those set by the COSC. When a movement passed the observatory, it became certified as an observatory chronometer and received a Bulletin de Marche from the observatory, stipulating the performance of the movement. Of the millions of watches produced in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
each year by all manufacturers in the mid-1960s, approximately 250,000 would receive official chronometer status (similar to what would be COSC standards today), and only a few hundred of the very best from the total production would be sent to an observatory for chronometer accuracy competitions. Watch movements that could compete for accuracy certification at the observatory had typically been specifically built for that purpose alone, they were slow beat movements, oscillating at from 18,000 to 21,600 bph, typically with oversized balance wheels, tweaked and prepared by the best watchmakers often for many years to render ultimate accuracy before they were submitted to the observatory. Typical examples of these specialized competition movements were the Peseux cal 260, the
Zenith The zenith (, ) is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction ( plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location (nadir). The zenith is the "highes ...
cal 135 and the Longines cal 360. Because of the development time to create and tweak such movements, watch manufacturers tended to enter very few movements at observatory competitions. Because only very few movements were ever given the attention and manufacturing level necessary to pass the observatory standards, there are very few observatory chronometers in existence. Most observatory chronometers had movements so specialized to accuracy that they could never withstand being used as wristwatches in normal usage. They were useful only for accuracy competitions, and so never were sold to the public for usage. However, in 1966 and 1967,
Girard-Perregaux Girard-Perregaux SA () is a luxury Swiss watch ''manufacture'' with its origins dating back to 1791. Since 2011, the Swiss holding group of Girard-Perregaux, Sowind Group, has been a subsidiary of the French luxury group Kering. Headquartered in ...
manufactured 662 wristwatches with the Calibre 32A High Frequency movements, which beat at 36,000 bpm. All 662 movements were sent to the Bureaux Officiels de Contrôle de la marche des montres (B.O), who certified them as chronometers and issued Bulletins de Marche for each unit with the additional commendation of 'especially good results'. Girard Perregaux selected 40 of these movements for further testing by the Neuchatel Observatory. These 40 movements were tested for another 45 days, it was these 40 that became the Girard Perregaux Observatory Chronometers. Similarly in 1968, 1969 and 1970
Seiko , commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical products. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced one of the first quartz watches and the ...
had 226 wristwatches with its 4520 and 4580 Calibres certified as observatory chronometers. In both cases these observatory chronometers were then sold to the public for normal usage as wristwatches, and some examples may still be found today, although they are very rare. The Girard-Perregaux Calibre 32A movement that went into its Observatory Chronometers heralded a shift in watchmaking technology to higher frequency movements, and thus greater accuracy, that is followed today by watch manufacturers such as
Seiko , commonly known as Seiko ( , ), is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, semiconductors, jewelry, and optical products. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced one of the first quartz watches and the ...
,
Patek Philippe Patek Philippe SA is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer, located in the Canton of Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. Established in 1839, it is named after two of its founders, Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe. Since 1932, the company has ...
,
Zenith The zenith (, ) is an imaginary point directly "above" a particular location, on the celestial sphere. "Above" means in the vertical direction ( plumb line) opposite to the gravity direction at that location (nadir). The zenith is the "highes ...
,
Audemars Piguet Audemars Piguet Holding SA () is a Swiss manufacturer of luxury watches and clocks, headquartered in Le Brassus, Switzerland. The company was founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, acquiring ...
,
Jaeger-LeCoultre Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre SA, or simply Jaeger-LeCoultre (), is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 and is based in Le Sentier, Switzerland. Since 2000, the company has been a fully owned subsidiary ...
,
Chopard Le Petit-Fils de L.-U. Chopard & Cie S.A., commonly known as Chopard, is a Swiss manufacturer and retailer of luxury watches, jewellery and accessories. Founded in 1860 by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in Sonvilier, Switzerland, Chopard has been owned by ...
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Vacheron Constantin Vacheron Constantin SA () is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer founded in 1755. Since 1996, it has been a subsidiary of the Swiss Richemont Group. Vacheron Constantin is the second oldest Swiss manufacturer and one of the oldest watch ...
,
Mathey-Tissot Mathey-Tissot is a Swiss watch maker of prestige watches, originally established in 1886 by Edmond Mathey-Tissot at Les Ponts-de-Martel in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. Mathey-Tissot is an independent watchmaker, headquarter is loca ...
and such. The move to higher-frequency movements was necessitated by the challenges posed to the Swiss mechanical watch industry by the advent of the quartz watch movement in the late 1960s. In recognition of a watchmaking achievement, Girard-Perregaux was granted the Centenary Certificate from the Neuchatel Observatory in 1967, the only time any manufacturer has ever been awarded such. The observatory competitions ended with the advent of the quartz watch movement, in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 2009, the Watch Museum of Le Locle has launched a new chronometry contest based on
ISO ISO is the most common abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization. ISO or Iso may also refer to: Business and finance * Iso (supermarket), a chain of Danish supermarkets incorporated into the SuperBest chain in 2007 * Is ...
3159 certification. In 2017 the Observatory Chronometer Database (OCD) went online, which contains all mechanical timepieces ("chronometres-mecaniques") certified as observatory chronometers by the observatory in Neuchatel from 1945 to 1967, due to a successful participation in the competition which resulted in the issuance of a "Bulletin de Marche". All database entries are submissions to the wristwatch category ("chronometres-bracelet") at the observatory competition.


See also

*
Chronometer watch A chronometer (; Literally, a measurer of time) is an extraordinarily accurate timepiece, with an original focus on the needs of maritime navigation. In Switzerland, timepieces certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres ( COSC) ...
*
List of watch manufacturers Watchmakers This list is a duplicate of :Watchmakers, which will likely be more up-to-date and complete. Manufacturers that are named after the founder are sorted by surname. Names in this list require an article about the watch brand or watchma ...


References

{{Reflist


External links


Observatory Chronometer Database (OCD)


Clocks