How Does a Mechanical Watch Work?

.Rolex Shopping Guide.
In doing research before purchasing a luxury mechanical watch, I was overwhelmed by the jargon used to describe all of the working parts of a wristwatch movement. Aside from style and aesthetic, most watchmakers differentiate their products from one another based on what, quite literally, makes them tick. 

Parts of a Rolex Movement
After I figured out what a movement was, I became curious as to how the inner workings of the movement manage to precisely keep track of time. I poured over diagrams and blog posts, but I was still confused about what each part of the movement does.

Why does Rolex advertise their blue Parachrom hairspring technology? What is an escapement and why do they need to make it better? How do you power a self-winding mechanical movement without a battery?

Though I still consider myself a novice when it comes to horology, I do feel that I now have a basic understanding of how a mechanical watch works. The inner workings of a mechanical wristwatch are quite impressive, even in a time where most technology is based on silicon chips and global positioning systems.

The video below was produced by Hamilton Watch Company in 1949 to explain how a watch works. Much of what the video presents is still a part of how mechanical watches work today. It is the most comprehensive, detailed demonstration that I've found on YouTube to explain the mechanics of a watch movement in layman's terms.

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Rolex Paraflex Shock Absorber

.Tech.
In what seems like another effort to fully vertically integrate their wristwatch production, Rolex developed and patented its Paraflex Shock Absorber in 2005. This replaced the KIF shock absorption system is some of their models. 

Rolex Paraflex Shock Absorber
Rolex Paraflex Shock Absorber
Shock absorption is a very important part of maintaining the accuracy of mechanical watch movements. The oscillator is what regulates the time in the movement and that very fragile piece must be protected from shock in order to keep proper time.

Rolex asserts that their Paraflex absorbs up to 50% more shock than other shock protection systems. It is easier to manufacture and service than other shock absorbers and is meant to avoid deformation.

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Rolex Blue Parachrom Hairspring

.Tech.
Finer than a human hair, Rolex's patented blue Parachrom hairspring is manufactured completely in-house. Historically, blue hairsprings are known as the most precise and reserved for the most prestigious timepieces. The watchmaker introduced this hairspring in the 4130 movement of the Cosmograph Daytona in 2000. 

The oscillator is composed of a balance wheel and a hairspring. This is the part of a mechanical watch movement that regulates electric current that is delivered to the oscillator from the mainspring through the escapement. The precision of frequency determines the precision of the watch, in this case within one second a day.  

Rolex Parachrom Blue Hairspring oscillator
Rolex Parachrom Blue Hairspring
Hairsprings are generally composed of ferromagnetic alloys such as iron, nickel, cobalt and chrome, however, these alloys are sensitive to magnetism and shock. Rolex developed the blue Parachrom hairspring buy fusing niobium and zirconium with a precise quantity of oxygen then introduced to obtain this specific alloy. The use of this alloy makes this hairspring up to ten times more accurate than traditional hairsprings.

Rolex has two patents on their blue Parachrom hairspring. One is for the chemical composition of the alloy and the other is for the surface treatment that was developed in 2005 that gives the hairspring its blue color.

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