In 1882, Ariste Calame founded a workshop for the production of watches in Le Locle Switzerland. The original name of the company was Ariste Calame and would later become Zodiac. The name Zodiac was not registered until 1908. The founder’s son, Louis Ariste Calame, was sent to watchmaking school and took over the company in 1895. The first flat pocket watch, launched in 1928, used the Zodiac calibre 1617 movement. In 1930, the.. Read More

Accurate timekeeping supports much of our modern world. Global positioning systems, for example, need to be accurate to within about a billionth of a second in order to keep users from getting lost. Satellites for these systems rely on high precision measurements coming from atomic clocks at the U.S. Naval Observatory. GPS are also used for synchronizing digital networks like cell phones and the NTP servers needed to maintain the internet. An atomic clock.. Read More

Just about everyone has a favorite pair of blue jeans. What wardrobe would be complete without a great pair of jeans? Most of us rarely notice that “extra pocket” on the right side of our jeans. Since it has always been there, we don’t give it a second thought. How many of us really know what it was designed for?? The fifth pocket was introduced in the 1800s as a.. Read More

The Omega Seamaster may be most quickly recognized as the “James Bond watch,” but the watch’s history dates back to 1948 when it debuted in celebration of Omega’s 100th anniversary. The model was an immediate hit and became the brand’s best seller. Today it remains the oldest model in Omega’s current collection. The first Omega Seamaster was modeled after the waterproof wristwatches made for and worn by the British military during World War.. Read More

Invented around 1974 and patented in 1980 by English watchmaker George Daniels, the co-axial escapement is a modification of the lever escapement. Considered to be one of the most significant horological advancements since the invention of the lever escapement, the co-axial escapement functions with a system of three pallets that separate the locking function from the impulse, avoiding the sliding friction of the lever escapement. This makes lubrication of the pallets unnecessary and thereby eliminates one.. Read More

  I have been a watchmaker for the past 45 years. I provide top quality watch repair at a very reasonable price with a quick turnaround time. Rolex watches are my specialty. I am very experienced with vintage mechanical watches and evaluating those watches that can be affordably repaired. I am always available by telephone or email to answer questions about your next watch repair project. My son Tom joined.. Read More

Traditionally tactical products are designed for use in a non-standard military or police environments. They are robust, water resistant and master the difficult technical characteristics of being subtle and non-reflective yet highly legible Tactical watches are built with strong materials and can often withstand great depth ratings when underwater. Some tactical watches are designed to do much more than just tell time and include extra functionality.  What makes a tactical.. Read More

The Omega Constellation watch was once the flagship in the Omega collection. This particular family within their collection dates back to 1952. The first Omega Constellation models had bumper movements and distinctive diamond-shaped hour markers. The Dauphin’s hands were used till the late 1960s. After a few years, around 1955, the Omega caliber 354 bumper movement with chronometer rating was replaced by the caliber 50x series. This movement had a.. Read More

A panda dial is distinct for its black-on-white dial appearance, which often features a white or silver dial with two or three black subdials. The idea is that it resembles a panda’s face. A “reverse panda,” has a black main dial and white subdials. The 1957 Breitling Superocean Chronograph is often regarded as the earliest panda dial. 1957 Breitling Super Ocean, the first Panda Dial The most famous Panda dial watch is the.. Read More

One of the most important parts of any mechanical watch is a Cannon Pinion. The cannon pinion is the heart of the motion works. This piece is what translates the movement of the train wheels into the timekeeping display on the dial side.  It is attached to the center wheel by friction fit and it is the post that the minute hand is set on. How to remove Cannon Pinion for service.. Read More