Ulysse Nardin is an ETA 2892 madman in the eyes of many cousins. Ulysse Nardin has played a trick on ETA 2892. It has modified ETA 2892 with moving figures, minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and even abnormal things like a timepiece trilogy. He is undoubtedly a madman. However, Athens released its own basic universal movement UN 118 movement in 2011 as the successor of 2892. Let’s see if this movement can inherit the metamorphosis. The history of
UN 160 movement
UN-118 can be traced back to In 2006, in order to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the founding of the factory, Athens launched its own movement UN-160. Although UN-160 has excellent design and advanced technology, it does not Extensive mass production, but to start a research plan for another movement based on the UN-160 movement. Athens released a new UN-118 automatic movement in 2011, and its architecture continues the basic design of the UN-160.
UN-118 movement
Judging from the appearance of the UN-118 movement, it uses the same two-arm horizontal balance wheel bridge and four-arm screw fine-tuning balance wheel as the UN-160 movement. The two movements have a full-plane splint design. Closer to the style of three-quarter plywood. However, a careful comparison of the bearing positions and screw hole positioning of the two movements shows that the UN-118 has been significantly improved.
two-way automatic winding structure. The green circle is the gear next to the automatic disc bearing connected to the V-shaped winding pawl, and the hook is leaning on the left winding ratchet, which is provided by pulling and pushing. Winding in both directions. Especially in the early stages of winding, the efficiency is significantly better than that of a multi-gear set winding structure. So who does this structure remind you of? The four-arm screw fine-tuning balance wheel used in the
UN-118 movement was first used on the Freak Carrousel. However, with the improvement, the fine-tuning screw groove originally located at the top of the arm was changed to the center of the two arms.
Sigatec Company
Ulysse Nardin, as a silicon pioneer, is optimistic about the future application of silicon parts. In 2006, Ulysse Nardin cooperated with Mimotec to establish Sigatec Company, which specializes in the development and production of silicon crystal parts. In addition to being used by its own watch factory, it is also provided to other watches. Factory, Sigatec also launched the Sonata silicon watch for the first time in 2008 with a complete set of silicon components (hairspring, escapement fork and escapement wheel). So of course this time the UN-118 movement must also be made of silicon!
Silicon Magic Athens also used silicon hairspring and silicon escapement on UN-118 this time. Moreover, Athens has developed DIAMonSIL diamond technology on the surface of silicon parts. As early as 2007, it launched DIAMonSIL diamond silicon crystal parts, which is the result of cooperation with Diamaze MicroTechnologies microtechnology diamond production company. Through CVD chemical vapor deposition technology, three-dimensional diamond planting technology is carried out on the surface of silicon parts. Therefore, diamond silicon crystal parts have the characteristics of diamond being 25% lighter than titanium and having high surface hardness. According to actual research results, its wear The efficiency is only 20% of that of stainless steel escape wheel and ruby, and it is self-lubricating. The end of the patented silicon 1.1.1 hairspring flat hairspring also uses a pin design to solve the problem of offset of the hairspring's center of gravity.
Although UN-118 learned from UN-160. However, the UN-118 movement does not use the Athens two-way escapement , but uses the Swiss lever escapement.
UN-118 movement adopts a single barrel design. Since the diameter of the movement is 31.60mm, the barrel size is larger and the power reserve can reach 60 hours.
UN-118 movement and UN-160 movement also use a small three-hand structure, and the second wheel (quad wheel) is located at six o'clock. Compared with the UN-26 movement (ETA2892 movement) that uses a small second hand module ), the operation of the gear train will naturally be smoother and the efficiency will be improved. However, in terms of function settings of the UN-118 movement, in addition to the date window, a power reserve display function is also added, which is different from the large date window used in the UN-160.
When Athens was in the Kering Group, it greatly promoted high-tech manufacturing and automated production. Take the assembly line of the UN-118 movement as an example, the assembly line is like a closed track. , when the movement motherboard to be assembled is sent to the assembly station of each part on the conveyor belt , it will be pushed onto the workbench, and then the components will be assembled by machine or manually. After completing an assembly, they will sneak back The conveying pipeline automatically moves to the next station. Each pallet carrying the movement is equipped with a tracking chip, which can clearly record the various problems experienced by the movement during the assembly process. This is a modern assembly line that is dustproof and very precise and efficient. The fully assembled movement must undergo various tests. If the movement is to obtain an observatory certificate, it must be sent out for testing.
Basic data: 28800 vibration frequency / 50 diamonds / 60 hours power reserve / silicon balance spring / silicon escapement / two-way winding / diameter 31.6mm / thickness 6.45mm / 248 parts
