that had to do with precision mechanics over the years. I know
nothing about this particular balance, but did work for Paillard for 2
years (under the name they took at sometime in the last century, Hermes
Precisa). Paillard was founded around 1815 in Ste.-Croix and made
music boxes. They also made watches, and through the years
followed all the technological inventions, grammaphones,
phonographs, office machines, mechanical calculators, etc. In the
21st century they were best known for the Hermes Baby typewriters, but
also Thorens phonographs and Bolex movie cameras.
In their last years, when I worked for them, they made printers and
were bought by the competition from Italy, Olivetti, who closed the
company. A year or two before they closed their doors all the
employees received a Certina watch inscribed with Paillard 175
years. That was my first Swiss watch, all previous watches having
been Seiko. If I can find it I will post a picture.
It doesn't surprise me that they did work in that direction, although I
have never heard of it. They believed in total vertical
integration and had all the knowledge and production in house.
Metalurgy, optics, chemistry, electronics, you name it, they had a
lab. They never bought a single screw. A totally non-modern
place that didn't survive the end of the last century.
Don