Eberhard & Co has always had a focus on the age old challenge of ensuring the watch actually keeps its time.
In rising to that challenge on magnetic fields specifically, it was one of the first manufacturers to offer a product perfectly able to satisfy this new demand, introducing the ‘Scientigraf’ timepiece in 1961.
The main solution introduced by the Swiss watchmaking industry was the Faraday cage, a device named after the brilliant scientist who developed it during the first half of the 19th century, well before electrical appliances became a domestic feature throughout the western world.
Watch-movement magnetisation, a phenomenon which affects watch precision and in extreme cases may even cause a timepiece to stop, is caused by the fact that some of the movement’s mechanical components are extremely sensitive to magnetism.
Exposure to it may cause disruption, impairing their ability to function.
The softer a metal is, the greater its capacity to absorb magnetic waves. A Faraday cage is a structure made of soft iron which acts as a shield for watch movements. Its function is to absorb electromagnetic waves, preventing them from reaching the mechanisms.
However, a simple principle is not necessarily always easy to apply in practice, especially when we are dealing with micromechanics, as in the case of watchmaking.
The ‘Scientigraf’ model of 1961 was one of the timepieces that pioneered this technology, and was extremely successful at the time thanks to the reliability of its performance.
Nowadays, the presence of magnetic fields is much more widespread than in the past owing to the multiplicity of devices we use, such as computers, mobile phones, loudspeakers and so on.
Watch movement magnetisation is increasingly a problem which – although it can be resolved through specialised equipment available at any service centre – nevertheless remains a source of inconvenience and a loss of valuable time.
Eberhard & Co. says it has seized this market demand by creating a new edition of its historical ‘antimagnetic’ watch.
Modelled on the features of its predecessor, the new version also offers all the enhancements derived from the application of modern technology and contemporary design.
The new ‘Scientigraf’ measures 41 mm in diameter, is water-resistant to 100 m and is powered by a selfwinding mechanical movement with dial readings for hours, minutes and seconds at the centre.
