Innovation
Ronald Held unveils a unique CSA pocket watch, sparking a discussion that highlights the intriguing blend of horological craftsmanship and advanced technology. The post, accompanied by an 'End User Undertaking' form, hints at the watch's specialized nature and the regulatory considerations involved in its acquisition.
End User Undertaking
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Continued
In order that Hoptroff Ltd ensure compliance with international export regulations please
provide the following information.
Purchaser Order No: _________________________ Hoptroff Reference: _____________________
1.Purchaser/Consignee Information
Purchaser Name:______________________________________________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Website:_______________________________
We certify that the products supplied against this order will not be resold, transferred or exported contrary
to international law.
Signed: ____________________________ Print Name:__________________________
Title: _______________________________ Date: ______________________________
2. Ultimate Consignee/End User (if the purchaser is the ultimate consignee/end user please enter ‘As above’
and sign the declaration)
Ultimate Consignee Name:______________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________________
Website: ______________________________
We certify that we are the end-user of the products supplied and that they will not be resold, transferred or
exported contrary to international law and without the approval of the manufacturer. We further certify that
we shall use the products as described in sections 4 & 5, and they will not be used for any purpose
connected with chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, or missiles capable of delivering such weapons.
Signed: __________________________ Print Name: _________________________
Title: _____________________________ Date: _______________________________
3. Specific location where goods will be used or based (if as above please indicate as section 1 or 2):
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
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4. a) Is the end-use military? Y/N
b) Is the end-user armed forces or internal security forces of its country? Y/N
5. Please specify the purposes for which the product will be used
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Should the information provided indicate that we are required to make a license
application to supply this product we may require a further undertaking from you
in accordance with the relevant authorities’ procedures.
First atomic pocket watch starts to tick in London
Timepiece 1000s of times more accurate than any Swiss or Japanese watch
London, UK – 7th May 2013– Hoptroff, the London-based manufacturer of extraordinary watch
movements, today announced a quantum leap in luxury timepiece for connoisseurs. The Hoptroff
No. 10 movement, which is destined for the world’s first atomic-powered pocket watch has started
ticking for the first time. The result is a safe way to tell the time which is more accurate than any luxury
mechanical or quartz watch ever produced.
Containing a highly accurate atomic clock, this first-of-a-kind thoroughly modern timepiece is not to be
confused with radio-receiving watches, which have existed for decades. The No.10 actually contains
a caesium gas chamber inside a temperature controlled oven, a laser to excite the atoms and a
microwave resonator to measure their atomic transitions in order to measure time.
The No.10 watch has a self-contained accuracy of one and a half seconds per thousand years. "It
would be nice to strive for even greater accuracy," said Richard Hoptroff, managing director of
Hoptroff Ltd, "but relativistic effects start to kick in and time becomes subjective -in the eye of the
beholder, so to speak."
The atomic physics package is supplied by Symmetricom, who originally developed it in collaboration
with the US Department of Defense for use in cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles where it
is needed to continue navigating in the presence of GPS radio jamming. "
“As far as we know it is the first time an atomic time source has been used in a pocket watch
movement," added Richard Hoptroff, managing director of Hoptroff, "and it delights me that it was
achieved right here in London, not Le Locle or Tokyo."
The watch will have a formidable number of complications. The front dial is designed for marine
navigation. With the aid only of a sextant, it can determine longitude to within a nautical mile, even
after years at sea. The rear face is still under development. "Up to this point,” says Hoptroff, “we've
been developing the movement secretly under the codename Atom Heart Mother, after the Pink Floyd
album."
Measuring 82mm in diameter and 25mm thick, the watch is expected to be completed later this year.
Only twelve examples are due to be manufactured initially, costing "well into five figures". Customers
will also be subject to security clearances due to the nature of the device.
Teardown.
. Symmetricom Chip Scale Atomic Clock
. USB socket
. 4 x pusher actuators
. 9 x Soprod bimotors
. 10 x Soprod monomotors
. 6 x PIC microcontrollers
. 60 x side-emitting LEDs
. Flexipanel Bluetooth Low Energy radio
. Sensirion humidity / temperature sensor
. Measurement Specialties pressure sensor
. Freescale magnetometer
Union Fortune Lithium Polymer battery pack sandwiched between circuit boards (not visible)
Front dial prototype design
. Hours 15. Temperature
. Minutes 16. Atmospheric pressure
. Seconds 17. Latitude – minutes
. Annual wheel 18. Latitude – degrees
. Magnetic compass 19. Sidereal hours
. Longitude – coarse scale 20. Sidereal minutes
. Not shown due to patent applications 21. Longitude – minutes
. Day of week 22. Longitude – degrees
. Humidity 23. Microwave resonator status
. Date 24. Charge status
. Sidereal seconds 25. Atomic resonance lock indicator
. Power remaining 26. Clock status – atomic / ACXO / TCXO
. Tide forecast 27. Caesium oven status
. Tide height 28. Laser status
[ENDS]
Soory for the hurried conversion of PDF files to text.
Interesting! Any more spec (size, etc.) / list price info or website? Intriguing fro those accuracy buff :-) Thanks for info! Ken
Size. I do not know if I am permitted to state the cost but it is at the higher end on 6 figures USD
.. maybe a bit big.... Would like to see in person, though. Just to take a look. I am a pocket watch buff, too :-) Ken
Ken, That is why there is a licencing application form to fill in. The technology may be restricted to Friendly Nations and also banned in some countries. Some countires with a history of radioactive 'sensitivity' may have issues. It is not Science but Sentiment that is important. I made my name in my business by conducting radio-labelled human clinical studies in UK (less rules) and EU (nobody can agree rules) because such studies are banned in Japan. Funky watch though! Regards, MTF
Press release: "Only twelve examples are due to be manufactured initially, costing "well into five figures". Customers will also be subject to security clearances due to the nature of the device." :-) MTF
.. yet, interesting still, indeed! Ken
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