The St.Petersburg Centre of Watch & Clock Restoration

Does a tourbillon “fly” in Russia?

In May 2004 there appeared in Russia the first and so far unique desk-top clock with a flying tourbillon - the device, which is considered to be the most interesting and expensive by the world of Haute Horlogerie. They are made by a petersburgian, a free-lance watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin.

Konstantin, now 28, got interested in clockwork 3 years ago when with a companion he started a small clock wholesale company. Some time later there appeared an idea to create something of their own, a unique thing.
Firstly, he started designing a case and a clock-dial for a small consignment of wall clock, which were made of stainless steel. After that he designed an exterior for an exclusive golden watch.

There is an idea!

Nevertheless there was a wish to do something more than decorating of a clock exterior. It happened that the craftsman who was a beginner was carried away by the idea to create a replica of the finest and the most beautiful mechanisms created in former USSR for the Soviet watch “Raketa 2209”.

While Konstantin was working on processing of watch bridges and plates he learnt in practice different kinds of ornamentation – “pearl” and “Geneva wave” – and how to put a rhodium film. Gradually he was getting the experience needed for a watchmaker.

The special literature on clocks was of great help. Some research work concerning the basic types of clockworks aroused Konstantin to complicate them. When the indicators of operation reserve, a large date and an escapement were added Konstantin by himself was getting closer to the creation of clockwork with a non-standard scheme.

Having studied thoroughly the principle of a vortical escapement Konstantin Chaykin started considering seriously the possibility of creating a unique clock with a tourbillon. Due to the fact that the work had aroused a lot of problems he invited to participate in the project one of the oldest and most experienced craftsman of St.-Petersburg who was able to not only replace a component in a clockwork during its restoration but also to recreate a new detail. But even this expert did not risk starting a work on the unique clock. As Chaykin did not manage to find a person sharing the same ideas, he decided to fulfill his project on his own, without anybody’s help.

Keep going ahead!

All at once the first complications revealed. In order to prepare a clock workshop, some rare equipment was required. Both luck and insistence of the young watch-maker helped. The first machine-tool – a small Wolf Jahn to produce axles was found by mere chance through a newspaper advertisement. Later when the idea of tourbillon had ultimately shaped, a clock machine-tool Bergeon was acquired. In this way, step-by-step, some machine-tools appeared in the workshop: 8 engine lathes, 2 milling machines and a drilling machine. However, apart from all the machines mentioned above, Konstantin needed some special devices and tools for making the clock with a tourbillon. The devices were needed for polishing pivots and for enlarging by drilling of axles, potances (including those for installing of some stones), angrenage-machines, digital heads, gear milling cutter, flat drills, micrometers, microscopes and reamers. It was only after collecting all this required items that the work on the project could be started.

- I could not evaluate my possibilities then, - Konstantin says. – I realized that I had to get some additional skills. But how time-consuming the process of working out the technique was and how much patience was needed I learnt only when I absolutely dedicated myself for the tourbillon.

Tourbillon and “Vesna”

- The designing began with some sketches and drafts. At that time I did not have any appropriate tools to make pocket and wrist watches with their minute components, - Konstantin Chaikyn says. – That is why I started searching for the largest sample of anchor escapement.

He did not manage to find anything better than added movement because an additional spring power is required for a tourbillon operation. The Soviet desktop clock “Vesna” can boast of their basing operation reserve of 3 weeks. To mention it beforehand we would say that a half of its operation reserve was “used up” by a tourbillon.

- I also took into consideration that a desktop clock in accordance to their function is placed inevitably vertically. It symbolic that such kinnd of clock position was taken into account by Bregeut when he was inventing his tourbillon, - Konstantin explains.

We cannot state that only “Vesna” served as a pure base of the Russian tourbillon. A mechanism can be thought of as a base once a superstructure is created for it. But Konstantin has borrowed from “Vesna” only the angrenage scheme up to the second wheel: several wheels, fork, anchor and balance. Besides he decided to stretch this wheel system into one line thus lessening the width of bridges (in his opinion it is more appealing from an aesthetic viewpoint than in “Vesna” clockwork).

When the master was drawing up the drafts for his model he used some basic data. He calculated the location for the carriage axle, having measured the distance between the original balance pivot, an anchor fork and anchor wheel. Maintaining of the precision was of great importance. Then he decided on the tourbillon type – the flying one (“flying” – fixed only in one point, not in two).

Transforming of the angrenage led to the modification of axles and pinions. The master constructed with his own hands the bridges of the clockwork, the carriage, supports, second wheel, as well as the clock-dial, hands and the case.

As a result there were left about 10% components from “Vesna” out of 146 details, which made up the unique clock with a tourbillon. However some additional grinding and polishing was needed.

Using a trial-and-error method

It took a month working under a lot of pressure to make a carriage model and to confirm that it works which was of utmost importance to the young craftsman.

- It is hard to explain my feelings, when the carriage started to stir. I was excited about the sight of it. Looking at this clumsy and uneven model in action I was assured that the tourbillon, much written about and which has been made somewhere far away, works here as well.

The components of the clock being massive the carriage could appear to be rather heavy. Therefore Konstantin decided on producing the bridges out of light titanium. – Titanium is a solid and hard material. It is not easy to process it. I had to use 4 taps to cut out the threading. A stone got broken during the pressing up so I prepared some brass bouchons for them. It took me 6 hours to make one wheel starting from a blank up to the cogs grinding not taking into account the time for calculations, laying out and adjustment the tool-machine, - the craftsman says. - There was a dramatic lack of experience. To make the first axle for the anchor wheel (the width of a pivot is 0.1 mm) at a turner lathe I had to spend two days and there were no less than 20 rejected details left.

All the components were nearly ready and the clockwork assembled when it was found out that coincidence of axles does not work properly. Konstantin had to make a lot of details once more including all the bridges.

We need to emphasize that only after the forth assembly of the clockwork there was a success. After that the clock had to be regulated. Konstantin took the carriage off no less than a hundred times! It was necessary to make it perfect controlling it with some precision apparatus. The functioning of the tourbillon had to be checked every 5 minutes.

Finally the clockwork started working steadily and after making its dial, hands and a transparent case the clock of Grand Complication class with a titanium tourbillon got its shape. The intensive and thorough work of Konstantin Chaykin took 5 months and finally the project was completed.

Made in Russia:
to be continued

The master from St.-Petersburg evaluates his product the first and foremost as “a jumping-off place of a sort into the world of new complicated clockworks”. Having gained some experience, at present the master is working on a clock, which has not existed in Russia before and there are only a few of them in the world. This is the astronomic clock equipped with a tourbillon, fusion, eternal calendar and an equation of time, repeater and an indicator of the Moon phases.

A model of such class is a real rarity and there is no literature with all the calculations in Russian. - You have to pick the precious pieces of information thoroughly from various sources in order to learn about all the secrets of clockmaking, - Chaykin comments. – Only after a year of searching I managed to find some extremely rare published materials. Unfortunately, the Internet lacks any material on the topic, even in English French and German sites.

The usage of standard details in the process of clockmaking is absolutely impossible. Using some formulas and high mathematics the master has prepared the drafts taking into account the peculiarities of the transmission ratio in the wheel system. It took a month to calculate the eternal calendar. Konstantin had to disassemble one of a quarter pocket repeater – a sample from his own collection. He did it in order to identify the proper position for the repeater in his future clock.

At present the talented master has all the equipment required, the experience, the knowledge of some technique and the possibility to produce the most complicated details even for wrist and pocket watches.

- The things I am dealing with are in demand. It is a labor-consuming job and a challenging one when you make a complicated clock (on an individual basis) as a single sample but the results are encouraging. The feedback comes to my site from all over the world. They write: “At last Russia did it!” I am aware of the fact that it is impossible for one person to revive the country industrial production of the clock. But I well do my best to make it sound meaningfully when they see the inscription on the clock “made in Russia”, - Konstantin says with confidence.
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Kseniya Beketova
«Kotoruy Chas?», No 10/2004