Silvana 1078

Description

In the 1930ies there was the shift of timepieces from the pocket or descendent watches to the wristwatch. Since the wristwatch was much smaller, it was neccessiary to construct smaller movements. When they also had to be of higher precision, there was no other possibility than using a true pallet lever escapement.

Such a movement from that era is the Silvana 1078, on which you can still see in some details the relationship to a pocket watch movement.

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The Silvana 1078, which uses the same base plate and construction than the Venus 75, still uses a seperate cock for the escapement wheel - a reminiscence to  pocket watch movements.

Its screw balance is not shock protected and controls with contemporarily slow 18000 A/h a conventional swiss pallet lever movement which has got a decentral second indication at “6”.

Another reminiscence to pocket watch movements are the two dial screws, which reside, as common on pocket watch movements, on the main plate and not, as it was usual later, on the side.

The Silvana 1078 is a rather high quality wristwatch movement, which you can for example see on the shape of the bearing jewels. On the outer side, they are not plain flat, but indented, so that they can retain more oil.

On the dial side, you can see the yoke winding system with its characteristically shaped setting lever angle. And you can also see the not shock protected cap jewel of the balance bearing.

In the lab

Timegrapher result

In the position "dial down" the movement showed perfect times besides a larger beat error, which cannot be easily resolved, since there's moveable hairspring stud. But already in position "dial up" it ran very slow, maybe due to a broken or bent balance wheel or too less oiling. In the vertical positions, the rates are all very bad, so maybe the balance axle is really bent or broken. At last, the bad condition of the case would be an indication.

Technical data

Usage gallery