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Tissot Sonorous
The hot new 1950's Tech Gadget / Fashion Statement...
Wristwatches had begun to supplant pocket watches in popularity throughout the 1940's, but by the 1950's consumers were ready for the next new trend.
Enter the new Alarming Wristwatch.
Tissot Sonorous
Someone wore this watch for a long time.
It looks a little bit scruffy now, but we'll get it cleaned up & singing
just like back in the old days.
This Tissot came along later, circa 1970, but was still following the popular trend
for personal technology.
The timekeeping is not great but the watch is running, so that's an encouraging starting point for us.
The Ultra-Thin Wristwatch was one idea, but the Alarming Wristwatch made a statement
that all those around you could enjoy, too.
Two crowns.
One for winding & setting the watch,
one for winding & setting the alarm.
Removing the case back reveals the Alarm Resonator Plate
The Resonator Plate has a post that the Alarm Hammer bangs on, all in service of getting the most/best sound out of the alarm.
Alarming pocket watches (basically a portable alarm clock) had been around since the 1600's, but by the 1950's watchmaking had now evolved to the point where you could wear one of these on your wrist.
We can start the breakdown process by separating the movement from the case.
The dial-side of the movement is where we find
the 'Motion Works' for moving the hands, and
the 'Keyless Works' for winding & setting.
This Tissot Sonorous looks like it has two of everything compared to a regular watch, & that's not far off
from the truth...
For the alarm function, the Alarm Wheel
remains fixed at the user's chosen alarm
time. The Alarm Wheel has three recesses
that will wait on the three detents of the
Hour Wheel to align.
The Alarm Trigger Bar is under tension, & will assert a light lifting pressure from underneath
the Hour Wheel. The added height of the
detents cause the Hour Wheel to press
down on the Alarm Bar, & the Alarm Bar
being in the down position inhibits the alarm.
When the Hour Wheel time comes around to lining up with the Alarm time, the Hour Wheel detents then slip into place in the Alarm Wheel recesses.
The detents aligning with the recesses allow for the Hour Wheel to get lifted up slightly by the Alarm Bar, & this action of the Alarm Bar lifting up serves to activate the alarm which will then start sounding.
The alarm is truly integrated into the watch, in that the alarm function & the timekeeping function are mutually built into the shared mainplate.
However, apart from the Alarm Wheel aligning with the Hour Wheel once per 12 hours, the alarm function & the timekeeping function are completely separate.
One could remove every single component related to the alarm function & the base watch movement would not know or care in regards to normal timekeeping, & would happily go on functioning as a regular three-hand watch.
Cannon Pinion
Alarm Setting Wheel
Minute Wheel
Hour Wheel
Alarm Wheel
Motion Works Plate
That's as much disassembly as we want for now on the dial side.
Over to the watchmaker side to continue the breakdown...
Get the Balance removed & out of harm's way
Pallet Fork
Removing the Train Bridge gives us a view of the going train.
The Fourth Wheel in the center makes one revolution per minute. This wheel has a long pinion that passes through the movement over to the dial side, and the Second Hand attaches to this.
Fourth Wheel, Third Wheel, & Escape Wheel
The Winding Works covers up part of the rest of the going train underneath, but before taking this apart we'll want to finish off what's left of the Keyless Works.
Back over to the dial side.
Alarm Bar
With the Alarm Setting Works Cap removed we can get a look at the Alarm Arming Lever.
With the Alarm Crown in, the alarm is disarmed. Every 12 hours the Hour Wheel will come around to align with the Alarm Wheel, but if the Alarm Crown is in, then the Alarm Arming Lever will arrest the Alarm Hammer & prevent the alarm from sounding.
When the Alarm Crown is out, then the end of the Alarm Arming Lever is moved out of the way and the alarm is free to go off when the Alarm Bar gets triggered.
The Alarm Setting Wig-wag moves with
the Alarm Crown.
This will alternately engage or disengage with either the Alarm Wheel for setting the alarm time (crown out), or with the Alarm Crown Wheel to wind power into the Alarm Mainspring (crown in).
Alarm Winding Pinion
Alarm Crown Wheel
Alarm Setting Wig-wag
With the Setting Lever Cap removed we can get a view of the Keyless Works.
This parts group is just the same as any other conventional time-only watch.
Setting Lever
Clutch
Winding Pinion
Clutch Lever
Clutch Lever Spring
Time Setting Wheel
Setting Lever Cap
With both sets of Keyless Works out of the way we can now
finish off the breakdown back on the dial side.
The amber to yellow to orange colour variation is likely a mix of dried up old lubricant & patina deposited from decades of air exchange into the watch case via the two Crown Tubes.
The upcoming cleaning process should clear all this discolouration away.
Timekeeping Winding Works
The Click & Click Spring form a one-way ratcheting mechanism allowing power to be wound into the mainspring via the crown.
Click
Click Spring
Ratchet Wheel
Crown Wheel
Alarm Winding Works
Can see the similarity in construction to the
Timekeeping Winding Works
The Alarm Mainspring Barrel turns the Alarm Drive Sprocket, this in turn pushes the Alarm Hammer back & forth once the alarm is activated.
The discharge of power from the Alarm Mainspring does not have an escapement in the same sense as the timekeeping side of the movement. The winding down of the Alarm Mainspring is really only limited by the inertia of the Alarm Hammer changing direction, & the gearing of the Alarm Mainspring Barrel and the Alarm Drive Sprocket. Which is to say, the Alarm Mainspring winds down over a very short span of time compared to the Timekeeping Mainspring, typically around 20 seconds of alarming action from a full wind.
Lower Alarm Ratchet Wheel
Alarm Mainspring Barrel
Alarm Drive Sprocket
Alarm Hammer
Intermediate Second Wheel Bridge
Timekeeping Barrel Bridge
Getting down to the last
of the disassembly
The two Mainspring Barrels are different size & shape. This aids in the packaging for the movement component layout, & in the addressing the different power requirements for the two side of the movement.
The timekeeping side (l) needs long duration, even & steady power delivery, the alarm side (r) needs high power, short duration discharge.
That's it for the breakdown
Substantially higher number of individual components compared to your typical time-only watch movement.
Off to the ultrasonic cleaner for two cycles of cleaning & three cycles of rinse.
And on to the reassembly
Small amount of lubrication added to the Alarm Mainspring and Barrel.
Timekeeping Mainspring
Barrel and
Barrel Bridge.
Second Wheel
and Intermediate
Going Train Bridge.
Alarm Hammer, Drive Sprocket, Mainspring Barrell, Lower Ratchet Wheel, & Bridge.
Alarm Upper Ratchet Wheel & Click.
Timekeeping Click, Click Spring, Ratchet Wheel, and Crown Wheel.
Both sets of Winding Works
That's as much of the reassembly we want for right now on the
watchmaker side, switching over to the dial side.
Timekeeping Keyless Works
Alarm Keyless Works
The two sets of keyless works look "the same but different".
Alarm Setting Works Cap and Alarm Arming Lever.
With the Alarm Crown in the out position, the Alarm Arming Lever goes from arresting the Alarm Hammer to freeing it.
Now we're ready to finish off the timekeeping components back on
the watchmaker side of the movement.
Escape Wheel, Third Wheel, & Fourth Wheel
Going Train Bridge
Pallet Fork
Last look at the insides of the movement before the Balance goes back in...
Balance Wheel
Haven't even got the Upper Balance Jewel back in yet, & the balance is already off & running.
This is a good feeling for the watchmaker.
Tissot movements of this era are very attractive.
Fine quality & a pleasure to work on, especially one like this with the
interesting & unique alarm complication.
In the home stretch for the reassembly.
Ready to finish up the motion works & alarming mechanism back over on the dial side.
Alarm Bar
Alarm Setting Wheel
Cannon Pinion
Minute Wheel
Hour Wheel
Alarm Wheel
Down to the last of it.
Dial side
Watchmaker side
Fitting the dial & hands
Four hands all on the same axis.
Want to take care with this part of the process & ensure that all four hands end up parallel to the dial & to each other, & that none of the hands will get fouled up on one of its neighbours.
Casing up the movement
And it's done!
Timekeeping & amplitude are good.
Beat error could be better, but the risk in handling & adjusting the balance to address this is probably not worth the incremental benefit to the timekeeping. So we're happy with this outcome (& with the substantial improvement compared to where we started out from with this old watch).
OK, ...
But what does it sound like?
(Don't get your hopes up too high...)
In person, it's maybe a little bit louder, but not a lot...
Among the other popular alarm watches of this era, like the Vulcain Cricket or JLC Memovox, you could expect better alarm output. These & other watches like them have a perforated case back to let the sound escape, but then this introduces its own set of problems with dust, dirt, & all manner of other foreign contaminants finding easy access to the inside of the watch case.
Cool old watch.
It's of its era, & nice to have it back in good running order.
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