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Spring Drive Mechanism

Spring Drive Mechanism Num1

Taste of a Mechanical Watch
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High accuracy equivalent to a Quartz Watch
That is the concept of the Spring Drive.

 
 

Let’s start from the drive method of a watch.

The method for driving a watch is divided into two types.

They are mechanical type and quartz type.

In a mechanical watch, the mainspring is wound and its unwinding power moves the hands.

Amazing mechanism created by high quality craftsmanship, and admiration goes to skilled craftspersons with passion.

You can feel the appreciation and personal touch of the craftspersons in the ticking sound.

On the other hand, with quartz watches, the quartz is oscillated by a battery and the hands are turned by a motor.

It is characterized by accuracy using state-of-the-art technology.

 
 

What is the Spring Drive like?

This is not a mechanical watch or a quartz watch.

In one word, this is a “mechanical watch having accuracy equivalent to a quartz watch.”

The Spring Drive is a self-contained drive system that realizes accuracy equivalent to a quartz watch with only the power of the mainspring and has no battery, motor, or secondary battery.

Accuracy of monthly rate of ±15 seconds (daily rate of ±1 second)* equivalent to a quartz watch is achieved while using a mainspring.

The Spring Drive is Seiko’s proprietary mechanism which is made available only by SEIKO’s unique combination of skills in both mechanical and electronic micro-engineering.

 
 

Then, how could it be possible to achieve such a degree of accuracy?

 
 

For Cal. 9R01, the average monthly rate is ±10 seconds (equivalent to daily rate of ±0.5 second).

Spring Drive Mechanism Num2

The power of the mainspring is regulated by electronic control.
That is the essence of the Spring Drive.

 
 

What controls the accuracy of a mechanical watch is the balance spring, a part of the speed-regulating unit, called the balance.

This part influences the accuracy to some extent because it is made of metal which expands and contracts with changes in temperature.

 
 

The Spring Drive is completely different from a mechanical watch in this speed-regulating unit.

The Spring Drive is powered by a mainspring, but adopts an electronic speed-regulating unit comprising a generator, IC, and crystal oscillator.

 
 

In a little more detail, at the end of the train wheel that moves the hands, a series of speed increasing wheels with a glide wheel are provided.

The unwinding power of the mainspring rotates the glide wheel, generating electricity in the coil to drive the crystal oscillator and IC.

The IC controls the spinning speed of the glide wheel by applying and releasing the electromagnetic brake, while comparing the accuracy of the electric signals generated by the crystal oscillator and the spinning speed of the glide wheel.

 
 

In addition, by making the energy transfer of the train wheel efficient and adopting an IC that drives with low power consumption, power reserve far exceeding normal mechanical watches is realized.

An unprecedented drive system which offers quartz accuracy.

This is the Spring Drive.

Spring Drive Mechanism Num3

Here is the step-by-step description of the Spring Drive in an easy-to-understand manner.
This is how the Spring Drive works.

 

  1. Mainspring

  2. The mainspring is wound by rotation of the oscillating weight (or by turning of the crown), and its unwinding power is the sole power source.

  3. Gear train • hands

  4. The unwinding power of the mainspring is transmitted via the gear train to move the hands. No motor or battery is mounted.

  5. Tri-synchro regulator

  6. The unwinding power of the mainspring also rotates the glide wheel. This generates small electricity in the coil to drive the IC and crystal oscillator. At the same time, an electric magnetic field is generated on the glide wheel. The IC detects the spinning speed of the glide wheel based on the accuracy of the electric signals of the crystal oscillator, and adjusts the spinning speed of the glide wheel while applying and releasing the electromagnetic brake.

Spring Drive Mechanism-3 + Spring Drive Mechanism-3

Mainspring

Coil

Tri-synchro regulator

Glide Wheel

IC

Crystal Oscillator

Oscillating Weight

The illustration above is a schematic diagram showing a standard spring drive mechanism.