I'm not sure this is really useful for watchmaking....

This seems to me to only be valid for a system that is running at a constant rate.
The gear train in a watch is mostly stopped, not moving at all. Then several times a second it accelerates, turns a small bit and then has a negative acceleration back to the stopped state.
I have done no calculations, but I would expect that the states of acceleration would dominate the energy balance, thus even if the inertia of the different wheels is different, the lowest inertia possible would be advantagous.
Having many wheels would automatically increase the inertia, thus being a disadvantage.
This may be a way to reduce the friction in the bearings by some amount.
Having the same inertia for all the wheels, which is the result of their stipulation, is fine and may work as long as the rotation is constant. This is, however, not the case for a watch.
Don

Physicists on the trail of the 'perfect movement'?

By: Ornatus-Mundi : March 12th, 2013-10:04

Rarely do basic sciences advance an age-old area of applied technology such as watchmaking, but here we have an exception. An exception that is even more remarkable since it does not bring any fancy modern material and extraordinary new concepts but focus...

Is my mind playing games

By: Bill : March 12th, 2013-11:16

That picture is static yet I am sure I see the wheels turning. Tell me I am dreaming. Bill

I showed the picture to my wife

By: dr.kol : March 12th, 2013-16:13

and told: "The scientist have finally found a way to separate healthy people from insane ones. People who think they see some movement in the picture are either crazy or about to become crazy. Thanks God I do not see any movement." My wife is now very wor...

Great joke Dr. Kol

By: ik-sok-amoul : March 12th, 2013-16:54

If your wife would know the true..... ...

Now I am scared!

By: dr.kol : March 12th, 2013-22:24

1. My Porsche is having export plates and thus, a full insurance is not available 2. Every now and then my wife takes the car. Best, Kari

Dr. Kol

By: ik-sok-amoul : March 13th, 2013-02:04

Oh, dear Dr. Kol Porche is a wonderful car! There is a way to insure your Porche :) ...

Great report

By: xiaobiaomi : March 13th, 2013-16:08

Thanks for sharing Magnus, Does the watchmaker use the same theory or do they follow other rules to make the wheel train? Many thanks HT

Interesting

By: Ophiuchus : March 13th, 2013-21:46

Articles like this, not the fluff of industry ads, are why I read the purists. I begin work on a new watch movement next week, in my small shop, and will keep this in mind.

Isn't your conclusion....

By: BDLJ : March 13th, 2013-21:49

....on spoking based more on watchmakers (and nearly all wheel makers) wanting to maximise Mass to Stiffness, rather than the happy concidence of a constant mass to radius leading to improved synchronicity? (After some quick calcs) minor differences in di...