Tourbillon Escapement

[Deacon]

Here is my latest... rendering generated in Keyshot 3 Pro from Solidworks drawing (with minor modifications) by banyuanxui (from GrabCad).  The Tourbillon, developed ca. 1795 by French-Swiss watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet, puts the escapement (escape wheel with its pallet fork) and the balance wheel into a cage that revolves on the fourth wheel (the wheel that turns the second hand one revolution per minute). This means that the balance wheel is carried in a 360-degree circle each minute, eliminating variations in timekeeping rate that are caused by changes in gravity's pull on the balance wheel, balance spring and pallet fork depending upon the axis position of the watch. The concept is simple but it is one of the most difficult escapement systems to make and get right. They are amazing mechanisms given they are small enough to fit within a typical high-end watch case. This is a single-axis Tourbillon. There are more complex multiple-axis versions such as the Gyrotourbillon produced by Jaeger LeCoultre which sells for a cool $400,000... A larger view can be seen on my site at Tourbillon Watch Escapement.



Paul

[feher]

WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This looks fantastic.
What do you think about giving that spring a metal material that isn't so shiny. Just to break it up some.
Thanks for sharing Keep up the great work.
Tim

[Dylan]

Amazing detail in there, well done.

[Speedster]

I agree- beautiful render of banyuanxui's incredible model!  Kudos to you both.  As a guy who's a real watch and clock fan, and has actually made several from scratch, I do have some simple suggestions.

1)  For the spring, escapement and screw heads, try a more "blue" color.  Maybe start with black or dark chrome, but more blued as is typical with heat-treated steel bluing.  Add a tiny bit of roughness, like maybe .005 to .002.

2)  For the brass, try adding just the very smallest amount of roughness.  I know a high polish is a sign of master craftsmanship, but I think this would add definition to your rendering.

3) Although the balance screws are often brass, they are usually blued steel, and this would really make the model pop.  Too bad there's no threads, though.  If it's mapped, or you can map it, you could fake threads with a KS texture.

Great job, guys!

Bill G

[Deacon]

Thanks for the good words and tips guys, very much appreciated.

Bill & Tim: the balance spring is the one component I'm not entirely happy with. The colour and texture are not right yet, and I'm working on fixing that. You're right, it's currently much too shiny and doesn't look like spring steel. The balance wheel in this case is patterned after those used by Jaeger-LeCoultre which are 14 kt. gold throughout including the balance screws. The gold is used because it increases the functional mass during oscillation, making it comparable to a more typical larger brass and steel assembly. I do agree though that adding the tiniest bit of roughness will add definition.

Like you Bill, I love mechanical clocks and watches. My father and grandfather were both watchmakers and I inherited their enthusiasm along with a collection of clocks, watches and tools. I haven't built any clocks but service those that have been passed down to my sister and myself. I'm currently making a couple of parts for my sister's Vienna Regulator (a clock from the collection). I made a trip to Ontario, Canada last month to pick up two antique clocks (and a few other things) from my father's house and drove them back to California. I have three personal clock drawing projects in the works right now: the movement from a 19th century pin-wheel escapement regulator (one of the clocks I brought back from Canada), the GyroTourbillon escapement from Jaeger-LeCoultre (unbelievably complex) and just for fun, Congreve's Rolling Ball clock (an amusing but unreliable timepiece). All that's needed is more time... a somewhat ironic statement from a house full of clocks... 

Paul

[Speedster]

Hey, Paul- we're all waiting for your animation of the Congreve Rolling Ball clock!  Talk about driving everybody nuts! 

Never thought about gold adding mass during oscillation.  Great idea.  My favorite is the marine chronometer, but I never had time to attempt making one!  One of my ancestors was a famous French clockmaker, Pierre LeRoy, from whom I got my middle name of LeRoy.  He was the first to apply temperature compensation to the balance wheel.

I did make an "English Regulator" (real) and then modeled it in SolidWorks, and rendered in KeyShot, of course.  It was a cover photo and feature article in ASME's Mechanical Engineering Magazine.  You can see it at http://www.gouldstudios.com/si_EngRegClock.html.  I also have a Dominy clock (1810)  in SW and KS that I have not put on my website, but is on my TurboSquid (Gould Studios) page.  http://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/nathaniel-dominy-iv-clock-3d-model/546206

Bill G

[Deacon]

Well don't hold your breath for that animation Bill... it's going to be a while. I haven't even begun to work with Keyshot's animation capabilities yet. Thanks for the links to your clock models... very nice indeed. FYI, below is a snapshot of my English Regulator. Clock is 5 1/2 feet tall, case is solid walnut. Movement is absolutely elegant in its simplicity and beautiful workmanship. Though it doesn't show very well in the photo, the gridiron pendulum is made from brass and steel to compensate for thermal expansion.

One of the clocks I picked up on my trip was my great uncle's (also a watchmaker) 8-Day Marine Chronometer which my grandfather and father used as a bench regulator in their shop. It sits on my desk, running perfectly. I've always loved this clock... when I was a child I was never allowed to touch it. Funny how things turn out...

Paul

[Deacon]

Here's another rendering incorporating some of the changes suggested by Tim & Bill. I'm still not entirely happy with the balance spring material but I think it's getting closer. Thanks again for the suggestions guys.



Paul