Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie

[dragon]

Odličan tekst o Credor Sonnerie ručnom satu...

Part One: The Bell

The sound of a bell has a special place in life. At one time it is both soothing for the inner soul and gathering our attention. Surely we have all experienced the power of a bell, true and clean and peaceful. So it is that Credor (a branch of the SEIKO watch company) brings us their Spring Drive Sonnerie. The name Credor comes from two French words, “cret” meaning top and “d’or” meaning gold. I suppose “Crest of Gold” would be a good translation. By the way, for simplicity purposes I will refer to the Credor Spring-Drive Sonnerie as Credor Sonnerie in this article.

Let me begin by explaining what is a Sonnerie. The Sonnerie has a somewhat mythical status in the world of watches; it gathers our attention without the owner's intervention, unlike a typical repeating watch that requires the owner to actuate a button to experience the chimes. From the beginning, Sonneries have occupied the highest position amongst striking watches, and rightfully so as they are the most complicated of all striking mechanisms.

A large temple bell, struck from the left by a timber suspended by ropes...

... and an Orin bell, usually placed on the table and struck by a small mallet (bottom of frame).

Japan's love affair with the bell spans many centuries. From the temple bell to the Orin bell to the wind bell hanging from a tree, all are all highly regarded in life. Naturally, and I mean literally and figuratively, a bell is at the heart of the Credor Sonnerie.

In the pictures above we see a Credor Sonnerie bell on the left and a typical minute repeater gong on the right. The Sonnerie bell is a true bell while the repeater gong is comprised of two circular wires attached to a foot via two screws.. The sounds are quite different. The bell has a rather long, sustained note, while the gong is a bit more staccato.

Please click here to visit the Credor Sonnerie website, where you can experience the sound for yourself. Note: for more accurate sound reproduction, you may wish to let the file download once completely and then play it again - you won't be disappointed.

Let me expand on the idea and origins of the Credor Sonnerie. The SEIKO watch company has a long history of horology dating from 1881. And so it was that in 1881, Kintaro Hattori started a humble clock repair and sales enterprise in the Ginza area of Tokyo. By the late 1900s, the operation had grown to include clock manufacturing and watch manufacturing. The seed was sown and has been nurtured by three generations of the Hattori family since, and will certainly be for many generations to come. By the way, the word SEIKO means precision.

Micro Arts Studio

In the year 2000 the Micro Arts Studio was established by SEIKO-Epson. The main mission of the Micro Arts Studio is to preserve the heritage of watchmaking for the coming generations, and for the public. What is it that sets the Micro Arts Studio apart? Well, first of all it is comprised of a small group of people, only 8 at the moment, that have been hand selected for their particular skills as related to the group. But maybe its the passion that the Micro Arts Studio brings to their work that is most important.

Yours truly with the Micro Arts Artisans: Back row, left to right; Hirose Nobuyuki, Shiohara Kenji, Ron DeCorte, Maejima Masaaki, Yoshifusa Nakazawa. Front row, left to right: Oguchi Tetsuo, Moteki Masatoshi, Nakata Katsumi, Takahashi Osamu.

It was in early 1999 that Mr. Masatoshi of the Micro Arts Artisans was in Switzerland making a presentation. While on the train he experienced the sound of a sonnerie pocket watch worn by a gentleman nearby. Immediately upon returning to Japan the challenge of a Sonnerie was offered, and accepted, by the Micro Arts Studio. Challenge might be too light a word since very few watch companies have ever undertaken such a test. The Micro Arts Studio has certainly passed the test.

For me as a watchmaker, I've experienced countless striking watches (quarter repeaters, five minute repeaters, minute repeaters, and sonnerie), inside and out. The Credor Sonnerie is one of the finest I've ever heard. Believe me that statement was not easy to make, but I stand by my words.

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Izvor: timezone

 

[Vladan-Stevanovic]

Ovo je definitivno jedan od mojih omiljenih satova, cak mi je fotografija ovog sata nekada bila avatar. Mislim da ove dve close-up fotografije verno prikazuju svu lepotu ovoga sata, bar je to moj licni utisak iako sat nikada nisam video uzivo.

Respect Credor! :adore:

 

[dragon]

Nastavak priče...

The Details

Before we get into the details I should mention that the watch featured in this report is a prototype. Small changes may take place between now and when actual production watches become available in early 2007. I will return to Japan in late 2006 to make a detailed technical report on the sonnerie mechanism and photograph some actual production watches.

The Credor Sonnerie is a true sonnerie, striking the hours on passing. In other words, when set in Sonnerie mode, the watch automatically strikes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 at the zenith of each hour. When set toOriginal mode, the watch automatically makes three strikes on each of the following hours, 03:00, 06:00, 09:00, and 12:00. And of course Silence is Silence. But wait, there is more...

Located on the side of the watch at about the 8:00 position is a push button that will activate the sonnerie upon demand. Even if the watch is set to silence or original mode, the last hour will be struck. Example: if it is 7:20 and the upon-demand button is pressed, the watch will strike 7 times on the bell.

The sonnerie barrel has been decorated in the shape of a bell flower. Notice the hand polished screws and beveled jewel settings.

At the bottom portion of the face the sonnerie mode is indicated clearly.

The pierced front plate serves as a dial and provides an excellent view of the ultra complicated sonnerie mechanism.

The power reserve, or "MARCHE", is indicated in the upper left portion of the face. The Spring Drive movement that the Credor Sonnerie is built around has 48 hours of power reserve.

Power reserve for the sonnerie mechanism is located in the upper right portion of the face. The sonnerie mechanism has 60 hours of power reserve, or to be more precise about 400 strikes of the bell.

In this detailed 3-D view we get a good look at the excellent finishing and attention to detail.

In conclusion, the Credor Sonnerie is a fine work of art that pays tribute to the Japanese traditions of craftsmanship. The SEIKO watch company should be proud, and anyone interested in striking watches should certainly give the Credor Sonnerie a serious look, and listen.

Izvor: timezone

 

[dragon]

Ovo je definitivno jedan od mojih omiljenih satova, cak mi je fotografija ovog sata nekada bila avatar. Mislim da ove dve close-up fotografije verno prikazuju svu lepotu ovoga sata, bar je to moj licni utisak iako sat nikada nisam video uzivo.

Respect Credor! :adore:

Da, Credor Sonnerie je zaista prelep sat, zajedno sa novim Spring Drive Minute Repeater modelom. Lepo je videti da, iako Švajcarci i Nemci dominiraju u ovom segmentu časovničarske industrije, ipak postoji još neko ko može da im parira ukoliko to poželi. Uzgred, fotografije u izvornom tekstu su u većoj rezoluciji.


link

No, priča se tu ne zaustavlja...

 

[dragon]

Credor Sonnerie: A Detailed Analysis

As promised, this is the technical follow-up to my September ’06 review of the Credor Sonnerie. Over the past 6 months I’ve had ample opportunity to think about this watch and study its technical details. Now I would like to share my observations and a second opinion in retrospect.

When I first saw the Credor Sonnerie I was a bit surprised by the design, especially the dial (or lack of a dial). For the first time in my experience a watch was showing the intricate detail of the striking mechanism without resorting to exaggerated skeletenization of the plates and bridges, or a sapphire dial. Finally I can clearly see what is happening.

A great deal of thought and study went into the design and construction of this sonnerie. It astounds me that such a watch was spawned from such a young team at the Micro Arts Studio and in such a short time.

Moving to some of the finer details: in my first review I wasn’t able to photograph the movement except through the front crystal. This time around I had total access to the movement, and later we will make a complete disassembly of the Sonnerie.

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Izvor: timezone

 

[dragon]

Rasklopljen mehanizam...

...

Now for a more detailed look at the complexity of the Sonnerie movement; For those with high speed internet access please click below to see a complete disassembly of the Sonnerie. Please note that this is quite a large .mov file and could take several minutes to download, but well worth the wait!

Click here to view the Sonnerie slide show
For those who don’t have high speed internet, or if you want to see a bit more detail than is provided in the slide show, you may view and click to enlarge the photographs used below.











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Izvor: timezone

 

[dragon]

Velika je šteta što fotografije nisu profesionalnije odrađene ili što barem podloga koja je korišćena nije bila svetlija kako bi 7R06 kalibar došao do boljeg izražaja ali šta je tu je... opet naglašavam da su fotografije na izvornom linku postavljene u daleko većoj rezoluciji.

...











I hope you’ve enjoyed the preceding photographs and short disassembly movie. Let's move on and explore the technical fundamentals of the Credor Sonnerie in greater detail.

...

Izvor: timezone

 

[dragon]

Na kraju još malo tehničkih detalja...

...

First I should start with a basic overview of what a sonnerie is, and what differentiates it from other striking watches. Unlike a repeater watch that strikes the time (hour, quarter, minute, and other variations) only upon demand, the sonnerie is capable of striking totally upon its own, similar to a clock. Hence sonnerie watches are often called “clock watches”. There are many different types of sonnerie watches, but they all share one similarity in that they are capable of striking at least the hours without user interaction, automatically or in-passing you might say. Some sonnerie watches called “grand sonnerie” are capable of striking not only the hours but also the quarter hour on-passing. Generally a grand sonnerie has three modes; silence (no striking), grand (striking the hours and quarter hours), and petite (striking only the hours).
The Credor Sonnerie falls into a category that reflects its Japanese heritage. It is capable of striking the hours or being silent as is the case with sonnerie watches in general. But it also has a special function called “Original” that enables it to strike three times every three hours. In other words the watch will strike dong-dong-dong at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, and 9:00 while the other hours are silent. This Original mode is a most intriguing aspect of the Credor Sonnerie and had me baffled for a short period of time trying to figure how they accomplished the task.
At this point I’d like to move ahead with a detailed technical review of the Credor Sonnerie pointing out its unique mechanical achievements and giving you at least a basic idea of how complicated it is to produce a sonnerie watch. I’ll try to keep the message simple, but that’s not always easy in this case…

All sonnerie watches have a second barrel with mainspring “A” to power the on-passing (automatic) strike. The power from this barrel is passed in two different directions. The wheels “B” deliver power to the silent governor “C”. It is the silent governor that is quite special in this watch as it silently regulates the speed of the striking. In the other direction power is transferred via wheels “D” to the release/return mechanism “E”. Rack assembly “F” drops finger “G” onto snail “H” to signal the number of hours to be struck, and Hammer “J” strikes the bell in indication of the hours.

Another characteristic feature of a sonnerie watch is the release/return mechanism, sometimes called a ratchet. As it is that the sonnerie is capable of striking automatically there needs to be an automatic method of releasing power from the striking mainspring barrel to accomplish the striking sequence. It’s the release/return mechanism that is responsible for this automatic action and in my opinion is the heart of a sonnerie watch, not to mention the most complicated component. Finger “A” is in charge of the release function. On the left it is in a static position as it is most of every hour, and on the right it is in the act of pushing the release ratchet 25 degrees, as it does near the end of each hour, until pin “B” raises click “C” high enough to release ratchet “D” allowing the hour rack to fall (not shown yet).

In this example the release mechanism has not released yet. Rack assembly “A” is being held back, finger “B” has not contacted hour snail “C”, and a long tooth “D” of the strike ratchet (unlike the other 12 teeth “E”) is holding the strike hammer “F” away from the bell. This later holding back of the hammer prevents the hammer from striking the bell if the watch is being used during vigorous activity.

At this point, exactly on the hour, the release mechanism has released hour rack “A” allowing finger “B” to contact hour snail “C” at the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] lobe, or 6:00 o’clock. Also notice that the strike ratchet has rotated CW allowing 6 teeth “D” to pass past the hammer trip “E”. The “release” has taken place and the watch is ready to strike, now the “return” operation will commence…

Let the music begin. Now it’s time for the release/return mechanism to reverse roles and begin the “return” process. The hour rack has fallen onto the hour snail and the number of hours to be struck is determined, as well the hammer has been released and is now in much closer proximity to the bell (but not quite touching). At this stage the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] tooth “A” of the strike ratchet is about to engage the hammer trip “B” lifting the hammer until…

…their engagement is completed and the hammer falls, striking the bell to record each hour of the sequence until the hour rack and hammer have been returned to their resting positions. (Notice that the hammer has been retracted, cocked, in order to make the strike).

Of course the sonnerie can be summoned at any time by simply pushing gently on the button located along the outside of the case at the 8:00 position. But that’s almost too simple, isn’t it?

One of the most intriguing things about the Credor Sonnerie is its ability to be shifted from full sonnerie mode to original mode easily (do you remember what “Original” mode is?). With most sonnerie watches, such as a grand sonnerie, silencing the hour and/or quarter hour strike is accomplished by a series of blocking levers. But the Credor is very different in that it goes from striking every hour in the sonnerie mode to only three strikes every third hour in the Original mode. It took me two or three minutes to realize that two different snails were needed for this to be possible. It took another minute or two to comprehend that the two different snails needed to be located in exactly the same space within the watch. So it is that the Credor Sonnerie has two different snails, one for sonnerie mode and another for original mode that are located concentrically on the same shaft and shifted up or down as required.
Above we see the two snails, the sonnerie mode snail “A” with 12 steps (one for each hour), and the original mode snail “B” with 4 steps (one for each 3 hour increment) mounted on the same assembly “D”. A split fork “C” moves the snail assembly up or down on shaft “E”, as seen left and right, to facilitate the required strike mode. Is this intelligent or what?
OK, I’d love to continue this conversation and possibly write a book. But I’m sure by this time you are falling asleep or your boss is looking over your shoulder. Hopefully I’ve shed some light on the attributes of the Credor Sonnerie and the extreme complexity of sonnerie watches in general.

Izvor: timezone

 

[23jewels]

日本のルール

:adore::drool::adore:

 

[VLADAN P]

そのため、動作 :dirol:

 

[Djordje]

Mislim da stvarno nije u redu da postujes ovakve satove i clanke!!!
Dok sam sve to ispregledao i onda jos i googlao po netu,pogledam na sat,a ono 2 ujutru.
Jel mislis ti da mi treba nekada i da spavamo?:lol:
A sat je...:congrats: :top: :adore:

 

[Vukas]

Kanpai Dragon san! Credor je samo još jedna reinkarnacija Bude. Sveti sat!

 

[milospinkfloyd]

strasna satina! izvinjavam se sto nisam citao text, jel ovo grande ili petit sonerie? i da li se podrzumeva da svaki grande/petit sonerie ima i klasican minute repeater?

 

[Marko 5]

:congrats:

時計は驚異的ですが、ランゲは依然として聖なるです

 

[skydiver]

:drool:

Mogao bi da ide gore umesto Zenith-a. Više se slaže sa ovom novom bronzano-sivom temom...

 

[Larosa]

Mislim da je Lange naišao na konkurenciju i to iz pravca na koji nije računao....:congrats:

 

[dragon]

izvinjavam se sto nisam citao text, jel ovo grande ili petit sonerie? i da li se podrzumeva da svaki grande/petit sonerie ima i klasican minute repeater?

Pa pročitaj tekst, sve piše.


Evo još par kvalitetnijih fotografija...

 

[Djordje]

Eto meni lepih wallpaper-a za komp.

 

[milospinkfloyd]

Pa pročitaj tekst, sve piše.

procitao sam, i pise lepo da je ovaj credor u stvari grand sonerie sto znaci da strajkuje svakih 15min jedan godng i svakih okruglih sat vremena drugi gong (i plus ovo njihovo specijalno na svakih 3 sata, opciono), i da ima klasicni minute repeater (dakle okines klizac i sat ti saopsti zvucno koliko ima sati), sto bi reklo da je ovo otprilike najkomplikovaniji strajking mehanizam koji postoji. ali ono sto ja sam ja hteo da pitam je sledece: znajuci da postoji satovi koji imaju minute repeater ali ne i sonerie (grand ili petit), zanima me da li svaki sat koji ima sonerie (znaci da stajkuje automatski) ima i obican minute repeater pod obavezno? hvala na odgovoru

 

[bursa]

Seiko Credor Limited Edition (GBBL999)

This skeleton watch is the real landmark of the Japanese watchmaking expertise and heritage. Made only in limited edition of 25 watches, this Seiko Credor has become a very very sought after and hard to find among the collectors. Both the case and the bracelet are solid white gold (18kt) in appealing weight of 231g! The gorgeously decorated movement is gold plated with blued screws and Tokyo stripes, empowering the mother of pearl sub-dials and the blued hands. Thru the see-thru dial and the caseback, the combination is absolutely remarkable and pure work of art. When this Seiko Credor hit the Japanese market on the year of 2000, the price was respectable 5.000.000yen (over 37500 EUR). As seen in the pictures, this beauty shows a very fine markings of the daily wear and the overall condition is 85%.

Movement: cal. 6S99, gold plated skeleton movement, blued screws, manual wind, 28800 bph, 35 jewels, power reserve indicator (60h), three register chronograph

Dial: see-thru dial with three sub "mother of pearl" dials for the sweeping second hand, minute registry and for the hour registry, 60 hour scale power reserve indicator

Hands: very elegant and attractive blued hands

Case: solid white gold with small markings of normal wear in the case and in the bezel (please see the pictures)

Caseback: see-thru glass in sapphire crystal, markings of the limited edition, number 22 of 25 watches produced, markings for 18kt white gold

Crystal: sapphire crystal

Crown: with the Credor logo

Measurement: 43mm x 46mm (excluding crown, lug to lug)

Band: original solid white gold jubilee styled bracelet with butterfly clasp signed with the Credor logo, markings for 18kt white gold, will fit approx. a 7.5" wrist (if an extension is needed, it can be done in matching white gold by the professional goldsmith for additional cost)

Dali može bolje od ovoga ?!? :congrats:

http://sometimeagofinland.com/watches/OK%20Seiko%20Credor%20GBBL999/index.html