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SWEET AND SIMPLE:
A PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT OF THE PATEK CALIBER 240 (base cal.)
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by Walt Odets
[ Go to Patek Philippe website! ]
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[ Patek Philippe calibre 240 ]
First released by Patek Philippe in 1977, the caliber 240 was born as a thin base movement for the company's perpetual calendars.  With a thickness of 2.4 millimeters, the movement allowed a perpetual automatic caliber with a total thickness of only 3.75 millimeters, almost two millimeters thinner than its predecessor.  Today, the caliber 240 finds itself in a variety of simple and complex watches from Patek.

Conceptually, the caliber 240 is unremarkable, with the exception of a much improved design for the cannon pinion, and the Gyromax balance.  But this 21,600 beat per hour, 27 jewel movement is almost lyrically beautiful in the quality of workmanship and finish.
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[ Automatic winding mechanism ]
[ ] The elegantly simple automatic winding system rides in two ball bearings and six jewels. It winds in one direction (rotor counterclockwise).
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[ Rotor ]

The recessed microrotor, which allows the caliber's thinness, is 22 karat gold for density and improved winding performance.
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[ Winding bridge ]
The entire winding train runs under a simple, beautifully crafted bridge. Like all the bridges in the movement, finish is flawless.
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The keyless works, for winding and hand setting, is simple and immaculate, with its cover on  . . . [ ]
[ Keyless works ]
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. . . and off. Every gear, wheel, and pinion in the movement is perfectly and beautifully finished.
[ Keyless works ]
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[ Ratchet wheel ]
[ ] The full wheel train, from barrel (upper right) to escape wheel.  The center wheel rides in the barrel bridge. The power flow sweeps in an elegant, almost a perfect circle from the winding rotor at 2 o'clock, counterclockwise to the balance at 6.
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[ Wheel train ]
The barrel and ratchet wheel teeth.
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[ Barrel ]
The barrel itself.
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The escapement, with Gyromax balance.  The eight rim weights allow adjustment of poise and rate. [ ]
[ Gyromax balance wheel ]
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The Gyromax singing the sweet, precise song of beautiful mechanical watch movements.
[ Gyromax balance wheel in motion ]
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The product of authentic attention to detail and quality is unmistakable. Really beautiful movements have an immediate and distinct appearance on visual inspection, even to the naked eye. The perfect color, gloss, and sheen on all surfaces gives the movement an immaculate, silvery-black, almost ethereal quality. And closer inspection, with a loupe or with the extreme magnification used in this article (and used by good watchmakers), only improves the impression.

Whether the expense of excellent watch finishing is worth the cost is an issue that each must decide for himself and in respect of his budget. What does it take to make a good watch? A wonderful watch? A superb watch? That all depends on what you are looking for. Almost any watch, these days, will tell you the time, and many will look good, on the outside, while doing that. But very few watches tell you about craft, beauty, and excellence expressed in one of the most interesting mechanisms to come from the hand of man.  

(from: "The A-B-C's Of Watch Finish", by Walt Odets)

 

 

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