KMII
[Montblanc Moderator]
38364
Overview of high frequency watches and calibres - contributions highly welcome
For some reason I have gotten bitten by the frenetic sound and the romantic promise of high frequency watches - i.e. those beating faster than 28.800 vph.
I started my journey in the topic with my Eterna Sevenday Fastbeat, which got joined by the Grand Seiko SBGH035 soon after and the Elprimero powered P15 more recently. One more joined in the meantime - on which more shortly.
I was wondering if there was a good overview of which manufacturers used or use hi frequency movements (book or thread form)? If not I would find it quite exciting compiling something of the sort here 
So, the ones I know of so far:
- A. Dunhill (5Hz, EP)
- AP (6Hz, Cal. 2908)
- AS (5Hz, Cal. 1852, 1854, 1855, 1920)
- Bettlach (5Hz, Cal. 8040)
- Blancpain (5Hz, F385)
- Breguet (10Hz, 589F, 574DR)
- Buren (5Hz, Cal. 82)
- Carl F. Bucherer (5Hz, ETA2824)
- Citizen (5Hz, Cal. 7230, 6Hz, Cal. 5800)
- Chopard (8Hz, Cal. 01.09-L)
- Cyma (5Hz, AS1852, ETA2732)
- Czapek (5Hz, Vaucher SXH3)
- Daniel Roth (5Hz, EP)
- De Bethune (5Hz, DB28MC CHR)
- Doxa (5Hz, Cal. 72, AS1855, ETA2732)
- Ebel (5Hz, 215, AS1920, Cal 134, Cal 136 (EP Cal. 3019PHC, Cal. 40.0, Cal 400))
- Eberhard (5Hz, Cal. 257)
- Ernest Borel (5Hz)
- Eterna (5Hz, Cal. 2732)
- Excelsior Park (5Hz)
- Favre-Leuba (5Hz, FL1164)
- Felca (5Hz, Cal. 4177)
- GP (5Hz, Gyromatic Cal. 30, 32, 42.1, 42.4 440, 444, 444-427)
- Hamilton (5Hz, AS1920)
- Longines (5Hz, Ultrachron Cal. 430, 431, 432, 433, 6952, 6972)
- Lucien Piccard (5Hz, AS1920)
- Mido (5Hz, Cal. 1157, ETA2837)
- Minerva (50Hz, Cal. 42)
- Montblanc (50Hz but only for chronograph, not the movement, MB M66-25 & MB M66.26)
- Movado (5Hz, Cal. 405, 408, 3019PHC)
- Orient (5Hz, 12,5 Ligne)
- Panerai (5Hz, EP)
- Parmigiani Fleurier (5Hz, Cal. 400Z, 14Hz, Senfine - prototype)
- Piaget (5Hz, 4P, 6N, 6P1)
- Seiko (5Hz (5740C, 614x, 615x, 618x, 452x, 458x, 8800, 9S85, 9S86) & 6Hz in Credor GBBX998, and up to 16Hz on chronometric trial Cal. 52, 8Hz in the King Seiko 49999 (not serially produced) & 50Hz in Cal. 8941 (10 minute stopwatch))
- Synchron (5Hz, AS1855)
- TAG Heuer (5Hz, Cal. 36 (EP), 6Hz (Grand Carrera Pendulum - prototype only) and 50Hz for chronograph, Cal. 360)
- Technos (5Hz, ETA2734)
- Titoni (5Hz, ETA2832)
- UN (5Hz, NB11QU, based on ETA2826)
- Zenith (5Hz, El Primero, 15Hz, Defy Lab, 18 Hz for Cal. 9100 and 50Hz for chronograph)
- XiangYiang (5Hz, SD2)
- Zodiac (5Hz, Cal. 88, 86)
Here is a list of ETA Hi-Beat movements in addition (some seen above, for others still looking for watches that used them):
- 1510, 1536, 2732, 2734, 2738, 2806, 2807, 2812, 2813, 2817, 2819, 2823, 2826 (not to be confused with 2826-2, which is not Hi-Beat), 2827, 2832, 2837, 2838, 2839, 2850, 2878.
There are others that made use of the ElPrimero movement, too.
But what else am I missing? Any ideas on sources or additional brands / watches highly welcome!
Thanks in advance 
Overview of high frequency watches and calibres - contributions highly welcome
For some reason I have gotten bitten by the frenetic sound and the romantic promise of high frequency watches - i.e. those beating faster than 28.800 vph. I started my journey in the topic with my Eterna Sevenday Fastbeat, which got joined by the Grand Se...
Rolex used El Primero
I guess we should define high-beat ourselves, or should we use the Mfr's terminology? You are calling watches that are faster than 28,800 High Beat, yet Seiko used the term Hi-Beat quite loosely in some instances, when they moved from 21,600 to 28,800. I ...
That's a fabulous idea :)
Rolex did use an El Primero but in a de-tuned, 28,800 vph version. And yes, I am talking about faster than 28,800 Seiko was not the only one to use the term in this way, JLC for instance did, too
The Parmigiani Senfine? Not yet marketed i think ? Longines Calibre 431 ?
One of the first was the 1935 introduction by Minerva of a 360,000 A/h movement, Calibre number 42. This allowed the sweep second hand to complete one sweep each second with 1/100 second precision. (from watch-wiki.net ) This will make an impressive l...
Thought of the Senfine...
But it's still in prototype stage, like the new Zenith Defy Lab, IIRC. Thanks a lot! Added the Longines in the meantime and the Minerva will follow 👍🏻
Interesting my friend
The AP is the Jules Audemars Chronometer with AP escapement. I found the Buren Calibre 82 (5 Hz) Best wishes Alkiro
Thanks Alkiro!
Do you know of any others, too? You seem to shoot such things from the hip
Here are 3:
All very different and based on AS cal's, as also used with FL & Eberharfor. The UN was based on ETA as your Eterna. Piaget & Movado also did high beats - but not sure if in house. Citizen & Orient too - a Seiko link? Felca also had a standalo...
Thanks a lot!
Will add them. Movado was El Primero, IIRC? And three wonderful specimen you have! 👌🏻
Did you buy it in 1989?
The logo sure looks like the 90's logo (note the slight difference with the logo on the example I posted, which also has a Zenith 40.0), but I didn't think the chronograph came with the wave bracelet after 1986, when the 1911 bracelet came out. I'm always...
GP high beat cals are:
30, 32, 42.1, 42.4, 440, Ernest Borel had a high beat offering in the 70s too?
Variations on the AS1687/1688...
include members of the Communaute de Precision Horlogere, formed in 1957 at the promotion of Charles Blum of Ebel. They worked together with A. Schild to develop a 5-Hz version of those ebauches (also, I believe, an automatic winder for it). Gerard-Perreg...
Wow - thanks for that, Rick!
Glad for all this additional information - will add it to the post above ASAP! The beauty of Puristspro, I guess - the learning never ends
I found a couple more...
I did indeed find an example of an Ebel FastBeat with the caliber 215, which is the high-beat version of the AS1687: This was in an auction ad. The Fast Beat also came with the AS 1920, which was only supplied as a 5-Hz movement. We also know it as the Gi...
You are a star, Rick!
Have added the Mido, the GPs I did not have and the others that were new. 👍🏻 Thank you so much! If you come across any others...
Added more Longines calibres
- 430: central seconds - 431: central seconds, date - 432: time only - 433: small seconds - 6952: date - 6972: day date
Seiko calls this a Hi-Beat...
It's the "Seiko SUS Military" released in 1996. With a 25 jewel 4S15 movement operating at 28,800 vph based on a King Seiko movement from the 1970s. There were two versions, a black dial (SCFF001) and a silver dial (SCFF003). I understand that 'SUS' stand...
Several manufacturers used to call 28800 vph watches Hi-Beat at some point
This includes Seiko and JLC amongst others. Your SUS was part of the return of high end mechanical movements for Seiko in the 1990s and I believe the 4S15 movement was a modern version of the 52 series of movements from the 1970s. And the watch is definit...
hahaha...
I searched for many years as well... found this one in December 2003 in a small second used watch shop under the tracks in Ueno, Tokyo... I just happened to be wearing it this weekend. Thanks for the additional information ; )
