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At the CEH, research on most elements for a wrist watch sized quartz caliber was advancing well, just the frequency division circuitry seamed difficult to adapt.
Despite the advancements of the frequency division circuitry for a tuning fork regulated wristwatch researched by the ‘semiconductor laboratory’ led by Kurt Hübner within the Beta resonator project, upon switching to a quartz regulated system the frequency division rate to be handled by the electronics increased the way, that Hübner’s lab did not manage to fulfil the task.
The problem of the adaptation of the frequency division for a quartz system was ultimately forwarded to the newly founded Fasec SA (later renamed Faselec) in Neuchâtel in July 1966 (see parent section), which in closest collaboration with the CEH ,and using their technology, will develop their first bi-polar integrated circuitry named ODC for a quartz regulated wrist watch. As later the development was not advancing at a satisfactory pace at Faselec, and they failed to bring it to industrial production, the research was returned to the ‘Wafer Lab’ within the ‘semiconductor laboratory’ at CEH in late 1968, where the definitive bipolar IC, OCD-4 was developed and produced on industrial scale for the Beta 21.
The earliest known functioning experimental quartz prototype where the developments within the ‘new’ quartz Beta project of the CEH plus the first developments of Faselec SA concerning frequency division were successfully combined is in form of a small experimental pendulette which is presented below.
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CEH / Faselec, Beta Project Prototype, 1966
Prototype category: experimental proof of concept
Description: Aluminium and acrylic cased experimental quartz pendulette. Acrylic lid press fitted to the aluminium mid-case. Aluminium mid-case also accepting a press fit acrylic back lid. Movement consisting of quartz regulating circuitry, encapsulated 32kHz quartz (from KVG Germany), frequency dividing chain, motor and battery hatch. The wheel work attached to an aluminium plate. The electronic elements attached to a green circuit board wafer. The aluminium plate and the green wafer joined by two clip-on aluminium pillars. The acrylic back lid with a hole for the key for time setting. Golden anodised aluminium dial with black printed circuit diagram symbol for a Quartz oscillator at ’12’, ‘F(aselec)’ logo and ‘Swiss’ at ‘6’. Black, brass hour and minute hands, red second hand.
Dimensions: Movement: 64 x 64 x 28mm (without the hand setting screw); 45mm with the hand setting screw; cased: 69 x 69 x 47mm (without the hand setting screw); 56mm with the hand setting screw
Movement: experimental quartz movement containing early CEH elements and the first ‘Faselec’ frequency division system, unnumbered
Additional Info: This pendulette has clearly been made as proof of concept and not for being submitted to a chronometer competition. The construction is too ‘artisanal’ and not precise enough for a chronometer competition. However, the construction of this pendulette is remarkable. All major elements are fitted together without the use of screws. All is either press-fitted or connected with two slotted aluminium pillars. The dial is not fixed, it is held exclusively by the press fitted hour hand. The distance of the dial to the aluminium ‘main – bridge’, where the wheel work sits, is kept by two aluminium spacers. The complete movement slides into the aluminium mid – case from the back and is held by an internal lip of said mid-case and secured by the acrylic back. It is possible to dismantle the pendulette into its main components without the use of tools. The functional sub-elements are then either screwed or soldered to their respective support. The enabling of a fast disassembly would facilitate the exchange of elements within the movement considerably improving the flexibility in testing newly developed movement parts.
At the time this pendulette was built, Faselec just started the crucial development of the circuitry to control the quartz regulator and more specifically to ensure the frequency division. This explains the logo of Faselec on the dial instead of the one of the CEH.
Armin Frei and Rolf Lochinger had already developed a wristwatch sized quartz regulator element which was working, when this pendulette was constructed. Because of the absolute secrecy policy, this existence of this miniaturised quartz element was not disclosed to Faselec and thus a commercially available quartz setup was chosen, the goal of this pendulette being the development of an energy saving method for frequency division, one of the main problems to be solved for a portable quartz timekeeper.
This pendulette represents the earliest known experimental quartz time keeper made for the Beta quartz regulator project at CEH.
Provenance: Ex. Hans Baumann collection
Published: Bramaz H.-R., Baumann H.; Die Elektrische Armbanduhr, Band 1, Verlag Stutz Druck AG, Wädenswil, 2013, page 135, picture 3
Electric Watch Prototypes 