Welcome to the final episode of Watch World's first series β Aevitas UK's celebration of the art, history, and obsession of fine watchmaking. We've covered fascinating facts, tourbillons and independents, record auctions, the greatest movements ever made, and women in watchmaking. This final episode looks forward β to the innovations, materials, and ideas that are redefining what a mechanical watch can be.
Why Innovation Matters in a 500-Year-Old Craft
Mechanical watchmaking is one of the oldest precision crafts in human history. The fundamental principles β a coiled mainspring releasing energy through a gear train, regulated by an oscillating balance wheel β have remained essentially unchanged since the 16th century. And yet the finest watches being made today are more accurate, more durable, and more technically sophisticated than anything produced at any previous point in history.
This is the paradox at the heart of modern horology: a craft defined by tradition that is simultaneously being transformed by materials science, engineering, and manufacturing technology. The watchmakers pushing these boundaries are not abandoning the past β they are building on it, using new tools to achieve what their predecessors could only imagine.
Silicon: The Material That Changed Everything
The single most significant material innovation in watchmaking over the past three decades is silicon. Introduced into production movements in the early 2000s β first by Patek Philippe, then by Rolex, Omega, and others β silicon has transformed the performance of the escapement, the component responsible for regulating the release of energy from the mainspring.
Silicon offers extraordinary advantages over traditional metal components. It is paramagnetic β completely unaffected by magnetic fields, which are one of the primary causes of inaccuracy in mechanical watches. It is extremely light, reducing the energy required to oscillate the balance wheel. It can be manufactured to tolerances impossible to achieve by hand. And crucially, it requires no lubrication β eliminating one of the primary causes of long-term accuracy degradation as lubricants age and dry out.
Rolex's Parachrom hairspring, Patek Philippe's Silinvar components, and Omega's Co-Axial escapement all use silicon or silicon-derived materials. The result is movements that are more accurate, more resistant to environmental factors, and longer-lasting between services than any previous generation of mechanical calibres.
Carbon Composites: Strength Without Weight
Richard Mille pioneered the use of carbon composite materials in watchmaking, and the results have been extraordinary. Carbon TPT (Thin Ply Technology) β a material developed for Formula 1 and aerospace applications β is used in Richard Mille cases to create structures that are simultaneously stronger than steel and lighter than titanium. The RM 27-04 Tourbillon, designed for Rafael Nadal, weighs just 30 grams complete with strap and can withstand shocks of 10,000g.
Carbon composites have since been adopted by other manufacturers. Hublot's Big Bang Unico Carbon, Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Offshore in forged carbon, and Zenith's Defy collection all use carbon-derived materials to achieve performance characteristics impossible with traditional metals. The aesthetic β distinctive woven or layered patterns visible through the case β has also become a design language in its own right.
The Lubrication-Free Movement
One of the most ambitious goals in modern watchmaking is the elimination of lubricants from mechanical movements entirely. Lubricants are necessary to reduce friction between metal components β but they degrade over time, thickening, drying, or migrating to where they are not needed. This degradation is the primary reason mechanical watches require periodic servicing.
Cartier's ID One concept movement, developed under Carole Forestier-Kasapi, achieved lubrication-free operation through the use of diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings on all friction surfaces. The movement demonstrated that a mechanical watch could run indefinitely without lubricants β a development that, if commercialised, would fundamentally change the economics of watch ownership.
Jaeger-LeCoultre's Isograph hairspring, made from carbon crystal, similarly eliminates the need for lubrication at the balance wheel β one of the most critical lubrication points in any movement. The technology is now used in production movements across the JLC range.
Ultra-Thin: The Race to the Bottom
The pursuit of extreme thinness has become one of the defining competitions in contemporary watchmaking. Bulgari has broken the world record for the thinnest mechanical watch multiple times in the past decade β the Octo Finissimo Ultra, at 1.50mm, is currently the thinnest mechanical watch ever made. Its movement is thinner than a standard coin.
Achieving such thinness requires extraordinary engineering compromises. Components must be redesigned from first principles; traditional solutions β a separate mainplate and bridges, for example β must be replaced with integrated structures where the case itself becomes part of the movement architecture. The result is watches of breathtaking elegance that represent genuine technical achievement.
Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Audemars Piguet have all pursued ultra-thin movements with similar ambition. The competition has produced some of the most beautiful and technically impressive watches of the modern era.
High-Frequency Movements: Accuracy Redefined
Traditional mechanical movements oscillate at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz) β a frequency that balances accuracy with power reserve. Higher frequency movements β oscillating at 36,000 vph (5Hz) or above β are more accurate and more resistant to positional errors, but consume more energy and are more difficult to manufacture and service.
Zenith's El Primero chronograph movement, introduced in 1969, oscillates at 36,000 vph and remains one of the most accurate mechanical chronograph movements in production. Zenith's Defy Lab concept movement oscillated at 108,000 vph β using a revolutionary monolithic oscillator that replaced the traditional balance wheel and escapement with a single silicon component. The accuracy achieved was extraordinary: Β±0.3 seconds per day, approaching the performance of a quartz movement.
What's Next: The Next Decade of Watchmaking
Looking ahead, several developments are likely to define the next decade of mechanical watchmaking.
Additive manufacturing β 3D printing of metal and ceramic components β is already being used in prototyping and will increasingly be used in production, enabling geometries impossible to achieve by traditional machining. Components with internal lattice structures, optimised for strength and weight, will become more common.
Artificial intelligence in quality control is already transforming manufacturing. AI-powered vision systems can inspect components to tolerances beyond human perception, identifying defects invisible to the naked eye. The result will be higher consistency and fewer warranty issues across the industry.
Sustainable materials are becoming increasingly important as collectors and brands alike become more conscious of environmental impact. Recycled metals, bio-sourced straps, and reduced-chemical finishing processes are already being adopted by forward-thinking manufacturers. This trend will accelerate significantly over the next decade.
The co-existence of mechanical and connected is perhaps the most interesting long-term question. Hybrid watches β mechanical movements with connected functionality β have been attempted by several manufacturers with mixed results. The challenge is philosophical as much as technical: the appeal of a mechanical watch is precisely its independence from technology. Whether collectors will embrace connected functionality in a mechanical context remains genuinely open.
Storing the Watches of Tomorrow β and Today
Whatever materials and technologies define the next generation of luxury watches, the fundamentals of proper storage remain unchanged. Automatic movements need winding; valuable pieces need protection; travelling collectors need secure, elegant transport solutions.
Our premium watch winder range is built to handle any automatic movement β from a traditional Rolex Calibre 3235 to the most advanced silicon-escapement calibres. The Premium 6 Watch Winder with Touch Screen offers individual programme control for each bay, making it ideal for collectors with multiple automatics requiring different TPD settings β use our TPD settings database to find the correct specification for any movement.
For collections that represent significant financial value, our insurance-rated watch winder safes provide certified security alongside precision winding β with ratings from Β£100,000 to Β£1,000,000.
You May Also Like
β Premium Watch Winders β precision winding for every automatic calibre.
β Watch Winder Safes β insurance-rated security for valuable collections.
β TPD Settings Database β correct winder settings for every brand.
β Watch World Episode 1 β where the series began.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a silicon escapement?
A silicon escapement replaces traditional metal components in the regulating organ of a watch movement with parts made from silicon. Silicon is paramagnetic (unaffected by magnetism), extremely light, and requires no lubrication β making movements more accurate, more durable, and longer-lasting between services.
What is carbon TPT?
Carbon TPT (Thin Ply Technology) is a composite material made from layers of carbon fibre just 45 microns thick, bonded with resin and compressed under heat. Originally developed for Formula 1 and aerospace, it is used by Richard Mille and others to create watch cases that are stronger than steel and lighter than titanium.
Will mechanical watches become obsolete?
No. The appeal of a mechanical watch is precisely its independence from technology β a self-contained, hand-crafted object that tells the time through the interaction of physical components. This appeal is not diminished by the existence of smartwatches; if anything, it is enhanced. Mechanical watch sales have grown consistently over the past decade alongside the rise of connected devices.
Do new-material watches still need a watch winder?
Yes β if the movement is automatic, it needs winding when not being worn. Silicon escapements and carbon cases do not change the fundamental requirement for a power reserve. A quality watch winder keeps any automatic movement running perfectly between wears, regardless of the materials used in its construction.
Will there be a Series 2 of Watch World?
Absolutely. Series 2 is coming β with more fascinating facts, more brand deep-dives, more auction stories, and more of the horological obsession that makes this hobby so endlessly compelling. Follow the Aevitas blog to be the first to know when it launches.
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