The Zenith El Primero, the Omega Co-Axial 3861, the Rolex Whatever…even the ETA 2824/2892! It’s the same old culprits that we horology enthusiasts tend to talk about over and over, for better or worse. But did you know there are other calibres out there worth our discussion? I’ve put together a list of 10 calibres that that we as a horology community ought to be mentioning more frequently in our echo chambered conversations.
Some ground rules: I’ve deliberately left out any high horology stuff, and I’ve only considered current production “in-house” calibres (will take some liberties with the definition though) since sourced calibres tend to be a fountain of chatter anyway, even if mostly negative chatter (might I mention, undeservedly so!). Without further ado, here we go!
Seagull ST19 Series
Clones of the manual-wind Venus chronograph calibres of old, this Chinese brand has found a way to miraculously economize the chronograph movement, and has included it in a few pretty cool pieces of their own (looking at you, you thrifty 1963 collection). Featuring a column wheel and a vertical clutch is otherwise unheard of in the <$1000 segment, and it doesn’t even look bad from a display caseback either. The only downside? Quality control is perceived to be inconsistent at best and it’s so cheap it’s uneconomical to repair it versus just replacing it. But otherwise, well done, Seagull! (Why are you called Seagull? They’re demon birds.)
Seiko 8R46/8R48
Next up we have the Seiko 8R46/48, the least expensive automatic, column-wheeled vertical clutch chronograph on the market, probably. Zenith loves to lay claim to being the manufacturer of the first automatic chronograph, but did you know this fact is actually debated? In fact, it’s a 3-way debate with Zenith in one corner, a Breitling/Heuer/Buren/Hamilton/Dubois-Depraz alliance in another, and Seiko in the third! The Seiko 8R46/48 is a successor to the original Seiko 6139 that claims a piece of the first-automatic-chronograph pie, and functions most iconically as the engine to Seiko’s Speedtimer collection.
Breitling B01
Get used to seeing chronographs on this list, because whether you like it or not, chronographs are kind of a miracle movement. So much complexity industrialized into *relatively* affordable packages. So here’s another one, the Breitling B01. It may not have claim for being the most affordable column-wheeled, vertical clutch automatic chronograph, but I believe it’s the most affordable Swiss one (at least if we’re counting its use in the Tudor Black Bay Chrono). And its implementation within the Premier or Navitimer lineups is a lot better finished than any of the downmarket options too. Breitling might be a polarizing brand to some, but there’s no denying the importance of the B01 movement, and it definitely doesn’t get talked about enough.
Nomos Alpha
Stepping away from chronograph land for a bit (we’ll be back, don’t worry), we have the Nomos Alpha calibre. I feel there’s relatively a bit more chatter about Nomos’s DUW/Neomatik Swing System stuff (not a clue what the Swing System actually is), but the Nomos Alpha is the backbone of modern Nomos. This is the one that started it all. It vaulted Nomos into the hallowed halls of manufacture. The first all-vertically integrated movement to come out the humble Glashütte-based maison. It’s manual-wind, has only 43 hours of power reserve, and I have no idea how accurate it is, but I don’t care. The Nomos Alpha is more than just a movement. It’s a whole origin story for a brand.
Oris Calibre 400
I don’t know why we’re not talking about the Oris Calibre 400 that much. A 120-Hour power reserve, anti-magnetic up to 2,250 Gauss, better-than-COSC accurate, and all that in packages that damage the wallet less than a lot of ETA/Sellita-clad watches out there. Oris works for the little guy. Least we could do is generate a bit more love and buzz for their darling Calibre 400.
Omega Calibre 321
We dip our toes back in chronograph land for our next two, starting with the Omega Calibre 321, a hand-assembled recreation of the movement that went to the moon (did you know the Speedmaster went to the moon???). Based on the Lemania 2310, this movement spares no details; it’s beautifully finished, hand-crafted from a specialized sector in the Omega factory, and it’s just plain cool looking. I’ve gone on a mini-tirade about how today’s Calibre 3861 equipped Moonwatches are so uninspiring…well drop a 321 in it and it’s a new ballgame, even with the still-printed indices and 2x the price tag. It at least warrants a bit more discussion I’d say.
Jaeger-LeCoultre 761
Did you know that Jaeger-LeCoultre released its first ever chronograph movement, the JLC 751, only in 2004? That’s insane considering JLC’s bread and butter have been movements since its founding in 18-something-something. The successor to the 751, the current circulation 761, is what you’d expect from such a high-end calibre specialist such as JLC. Column wheel, vertical clutch, nice finishing…but the real kicker is its thickness: 5.76mm. That’s the thinnest automatic chronograph I know of barring any bourgeois, high-horology tea and crumpets.
Vulcain V10 H0
Next we take a sharp left onto Uniqueness Blvd into Vulcain’s domain. Vulcain, as far as movements are concerned, are known for one thing: the mechanical alarm. The Vulcain V10 H0 is the movement that lives burrowed in the Cricket watch, and with that 2 o’clock crown you can set an alarm that sounds like a…well I’ll let you guess. It’s a shame though because not only do we too scarcely talk about this movement when we engage in discourse about esteemed movements (you know, as one does), but honestly Vulcain flies a bit too under the radar as a brand in general. Make Vulcain great again! Trump probably has one anyway!
Chopard Calibre L.U.C 96.40-L
For our last two we shall flirt with the boundaries of high horology, but still solidly respect the border. Chopard’s Calibre L.U.C 96.40-L, the modern day successor to the legendary Calibre 1.96, features the Geneva Seal, along with gorgeous finishes and a handsome 22K gold micro-rotor said to have healing properties. Sure, the watches that house this movement aren’t cheap, but they’re not exactly Hublot Richard Mille prices either. In fact, if Chopard wasn’t preoccupied with making jewelry and other such vain, frivolous, and superfluous goods, they might be regarded as a high horology house already!!
Glashütte Original Calibre 90-02
Thank goodness A. Lange & Söhne exist because if they didn’t, people might’ve started seeing GO as high horology by now. If you presented both the GO Calibre 90-02 (found in the PanoMaticLunar) and some Patek Philippe Calatrava calibre side-by-side to a layman (read: non watch person) and asked them to pick which one they thought was the “prettier looking movement”, I’d wager they’ll pick the GO 9 out of 10 times. It’s that good, and it’s that ridiculous how relatively little people know about GO in general. But hey, if that’s what’s gonna keep the PanoMaticLunar and the SeaQ and the Seventies all attainable, I suppose it’s not the worst trade-off.
Well there you have it folks! I know there are more movements out there also worth talking about, but these are just ten of the more obvious ones. Which ones did I leave out? Let me know in the comments below!