skyeriding
900
The watch nerd in me favours one underrated element of the LF micro-rotor: its natural escapement.
Jul 25, 2019,05:53 AM
While finishing is arguably the most prominent feature of the LF, I find a natural escapement always fascinating. It was originally Breguet's idea two centuries ago, to have an escapement with (little to no) sliding friction, back in the days when modern lubricants didn't exist.
It wasn't commercially viable during that era due to tolerance issues and the precision required - the backlash of two escape wheels meant it can lock up unexpectedly (and this was in larger pocket watches!). Thus, only in the 21st century were we able to see the escapement shrunk down into a wristwatch, and also work reliably.
This was made possible thanks to the precision of modern manufacturing methods; with a mix of silicon and nickel-phosphorous lever and escape wheels. While the modern mix of tech into a classically (and highly) finished wristwatch may seem out of place, I think this is still an excellent tribute to the old days, which was about the pursuit of better timekeeping devices.
Finishing-wise I'd think both the LF and MG are on similar level; just one styled Swiss and the other German. Naturally though, the MG has one of the most unique (attractive) aesthetics and mechanisms of an automatic winding in recent years. That single steel hammer must have some of the longest anglage to finish on a single part in modern watchmaking ever!
Regards,
skyeriding