Dear Friends, could you please help me appreciate the British style of movement finishing?
With something like a Dufour, there is anglage to a crazy degree, black polishing, etc. It seems easy for me, a beginner, to appreciate. A high-end watch like a Charles Frodsham (pictured) or RWSmith, has a different style, with relatively little anglage,...
It’s all about style …
or a particular style. Understated, beautifully finished but not as fussy or flamboyant. I hope that this helps.
Hmm, I guess I am looking for equivalent levels of hand-finishing
Versus a swiss/german finished watch of a similar price/horological level and not quite finding it. The Credor Eichi II is super understated, but thar be anglage ahoy!
Not sure of the historical reason (someone will be along in a moment)
but personally I just don't find gilded frosting and lack of anglage on the plates either appealing nor demonstrative of enough workload for the money! I'm expecting Jimi duetting with Janis with the Loon drumming behind Jaco on bass. For similar reasons ...
That's helpful, thanks.
My first impression is the same. I think I am sure to be missing something!
I think frosted gilt finishing was a decoration
popular in historical British watchmaking (and German, too). The Geneva stripes and anglage was historically found in Swiss watches while damascene was perfected by the American manufacturers. Some examples of the former I can recall at the top of my head...
Finishing might be important
but a movement needs to be coherent. If you know they developed this one for 10 years, you might understand the approach they took. I did send a mail almost 10 years ago to Frodsham, amazing journey. And indeed more with the British approach to watchmakin...
I hope you will please take pictures!
...and post then here! Also, could you ask about estimated time between services? And issues with shock for the movement (there is extremely low tolerance for shock with this movement)? And, as a final question: what took them so long? Was there an issue ...
Interesting question. The British style...
My interpretation of the data suggests that the British watch industry coalesced around the gilded 3/4 plate design around 1840, when Nicole & Capt relocated from Le Sentier to London, and began supplying ebauches to a number of influential London bra...
Excellently put, Brandon! Both have their place, both have their respective merits...
Thanks for taking the time to put this short summary together. Magnus
I can't discuss too technical questions because I'm not so knowledgeable
What I know for sure is that today, with modern technologies, machineries and alloys, watchmaker could avoid to finish a watch. Level of precision is close to micron, but centuries ago a well executed cote de Genève was absolutely helpful in "grabbing" du...
I believe the English..
..in the 19th & early 20th century concentrated on the performance of the watch and not what it looked like. Just my humble opinion. John.
Smith was Daniels' apprentice, just as the latter was Breguet's. The outcome here can surely be no surprise. :-)
Each has followed, but also developed, the work of his master. ...