I normally only look at vintage watches from 50's to 70's, but I like the idea of a power reserve indicator on more modern watches. I guess it adds an extra complexity to the mechanism, but does it make it less reliable or have any other problems?

I've only just started looking at them and can't judge the prices being asked, but there seem to be a lot available?

 

A Réserve de Marche (power reserve indicator) is not universally good or bad for complexity or reliability, as there are many different designs out there. Speaking to the example you have shown, this watch uses an Omega Cal. 2627, which is the Omega co-axial version of the ETA 2895-2. This execution is relatively simple, with a pinion added to the mainspring barrel and some gearing that ends up moving the hand that indicates the level of wind.

It's not a mechanism that in my experience has given any extra cause for concern.

Cheers, Al

 

This 16-size Waltham Vanguard with the up/down indicator is an example of a watch with quite a complex system to drive the indicator hand. These are only a problem if the watch falls into the hands of a bad technician. I serviced the one in the images for a friend. His watch had been in the hands of an incompetent who was afraid to dismantle it, so he doused it in WD 40! THAT one was a problem! It also came with three teeth out of the pinion on the barrel arbor. I was able to acquire a barrel arbor from an 18-size Waltham with the indicator. A tricky bit of lathe work modified it so the arbor fit the 16-size Vanguard. This is a before shot, pictures taken when I found the watch for him, so they aren’t great. I have one, as well, but no pictures of it.

 

I have a Panerai 233 with a power reserve. It’s useful as it has an 8 day movement and sometimes you can forget to wind it!!

 

Here's my Longines Conquest Power Reserve (9035) It is the pride of my collection.

 

Really elegant design and the power reserve is beautifully integrated in my view

 

This is my JLC Reserve deMarche

 

I completely agree. There’s a lot to say about symmetry in design - not always but here it works perfectly!

 

When I was a young engineering student, I believed the best designs were based on stress/strain calcs, fatigue life, physical properties, safety factors etc. Then we had a series of lectures from a potty art professor who said that things that looked right probably worked right.

We thought he was mad, but as I got older I decided there is some truth in that and the best designs DO work well and DO look right...

 

With a background in design I could agree with him! Art in itself is a science. If we look at the works of Leonardo Da Vinci for example, they mostly follow the proportions of the divine principle, or golden ratio. Likewise, all natural things can be seen to relate to the golden ratio and perhaps that is why man made objects that are objectively beautiful usually follow these same principles. Whilst some designers always have the golden ration in mind, often it is subconscious, just because it "looks right".



The above painting might not be your taste, but it demonstrates how these principles can make things "seem right". These proportions can also be seen in his anatomical drawings of the human body and wildlife, as well as his engineering designs.

 

Power reserve is not exactly a new idea and if well executed, should not bring any reliability issues.

My Seiko Marine Master 600 Springdrive has a power reserve as also a true GMT hand.

Photo of it using as background a clock made by Master Tompion (I think he would be amazed with a water proof wrist watch made of Titanium with a precision of 0.1s/day).

 

one of my two watches in my box with the power reserve feature...

 

Are there any vintage (50's to 70's) omega watches with a power reserve feature?

 

You definitely sound like that Art Professor!

He was the first to tell us about the golden ratio. I definitely agree with you and whether designing a watch, car or process/chemical plant (my background) then elegance in layout and proportion usually lead to good function/performance/efficiency. (provided you get your sums right on the basic engineering of course!)

 

have fun
kfw

 

I wonder what was the first watch to introduce a power reserve indicator?

 

No idea but I do like 4863.31.32 and posted on this site
Has anyone got this mid size de Ville variant? 4863.31.32 and hells teeth put a nice picture up.

I have a thing about the sixties jlc power reserve but over my budget