Parrenin 680
Description
The french manufacturer Parennin, which was in former times known for good quality movements, did an about-turn in the 1960s to produce very simple movements, mostly Roskopf-like constructions.
To this category beloged the Parennin 680, a 10 1/2 ligne pin lever movement, which is unknown in literature (even under its alternative name “CHP 680”) and therefor cannot be dated with security, but shall originate from the 1970s.
base plate
Except on the balance wheel bearing, there are no jewels at all. However, the winding stem is already beared in a plastic cage, which was absolutely up to date at that time. Today, the problems with aging plastics are well known.
gear train
The gear train is a mix between Roskopf and a traditional gear train. The lack of a missing directly driven center minute wheel and the usage of very large wheels for second, third and center seconds wheel are typical for a Roskopf movement, but the directly driven center seconds wheel is unusual for Roskopf, where only indirectly driven center seconds hands (by the outer gears of the third wheel) were used.
side view of the gear train
The three-leg anual balance is not shock protected and beats slowly with 18000 A/h. It regulates a conventional pin lever movement.
spacer plate for the balance wheel cock
A bit odd is the spacer plate for the two pillars on the left, on which the balance wheel cock is mounted.
mainspring barrel with slipping clutch
As usual on Roskopf movement, the hands are driven on the dial side by a wheel on top
of the mainspring barrel, which is connected with a slipping clutch.
You can see on its stamped shape, how cheap it was made.
empty dial side
On the yet empty dial side, you can see the yoke winding system with a plastic(!)
hands setting wheel.
The cannon pinion, which will be put onto the center tube, is driven by the wheel on
the mainspring barrel, described before.
dial side with cannon pinion
Unlike true Roskopf movement, the Parrenin 680 uses an intermediate wheel for driving the hour hand, and not a double wheel on top of the mainspring barrel, which drives hour and minute hands simultaneously without any intermediate wheel.
Parrenin 680: Dial side
Altogether a pretty odd movement, which shows clearly how bad the economics in the 1970s and 1980s were for the watch industry.
Technical data
| Manufacturer: | Parrenin |
| Caliber: | 680 |
| Size: | 10 1/2''' (measured: 23,7mm) |
| A/h: | 18000 |
| Number of jewels: | 4 |
| Escapement: | Pin lever |
| Balance types: |
monometallic anular balance (three legs) |
| Shock protection(s): |
none |
| Balance bearing / direction hairspring: | Counterclockwise |
| Moveable stud: | no |
| Adjust mechanism: | Hairspring key |
| Construction: |
|
| Construction type: | pillar construction |
| Winding mechanism: | yoke winding system |
| Setting lever spring: | 1 hole(s) |
| Inventory number: | 22028 |
Usage gallery
Ezor gents watch