WATCHES
The movements
.jpg)
QUARTZ MOVEMENTS
All the quartz movements used by LIP are of the highest quality and feature classic jewel-mounted gears to guarantee flawless precision and quality. Swiss-made calibers from Ronda and Japanese movements from Miyota and TMI are mainly used.
Most of our quartz movements have the EOL (End Of Life) function. Once the battery has reached the end of its life, the seconds hand jump two by two seconds to indicate that it's time to have it replaced by a watchmaker. Despite this display mode designed to alert the wearer to the impending stop of the watch, the hour and minute hands continue to display the time accurately.
HYBRID MOVEMENTS
Some of our chronograph models feature a hybrid calibre called Mecha-Quartz. This type of movement combines a quartz base for the time system to guarantee flawless precision with a traditional mechanism with rockers and cams. for the chronograph complication to enable a clear and precise start and stop, as well as an instantaneous reset.
AUTOMATIC MOVEMENTS
To meet the expectations of as many people as possible, LIP now offers several ranges of automatic movements. Our core range is equipped with calibers of Japanese origin chosen from among the best offered by the Miyota (Citizen Group) and TMI (Epson-Seiko Group) brands.
Already excellent, these movements are all individually adjusted and personalized by LIP watchmakers in our Besançon workshops to guarantee perfect reliability and great precision.
Self-winding mechanical movements are charged by the oscillating weight, also known as the ‘rotor’, whose role is to transform the movements of your wrist into kinetic energy. Using a sort of gearbox, it winds up the mainspring contained in the barrel (700 rotor revolutions are required for complete winding). Watches equipped with this type of caliber do not require batteries, but have a power reserve limited to around forty hours when not worn.
If this time limit is exceeded, the movement stops. To restart it, first turn the crown about thirty times and then reset it. The end of the recharging will be managed by the automatic winding mechanism, provided that the wearer is physically active enough to rearm the spring optimally. If in doubt, 10 turns of the crown at the start of the day will help to ensure that it works perfectly.
A mechanical movement with manual or automatic winding embodies all the nobility of the watchmaking profession, as it requires solid training for the craftsmen in charge of its decoration, assembly and adjustment. Reliable and always repairable, it has a virtually infinite lifetime provided it is properly maintained and serviced at least once every 10 years. On the other hand, since it is 100% mechanical, it is slightly more sensitive to violent shocks (falls) and is less precise than quartz movements.
MIYOTA DESIGN CALIBER
At LIP we use three series of Miyota self-winding mechanical movements:
The Series 6 automatic calibers have a diameter of just 20 mm. Their compact size means they can be fitted to medium-sized watches or ladies' models. Their classic balance-spring regulating unit oscillates at 3 Hertz, i.e. 21,600 vibrations per hour.
The Series 8 self-winding mechanical calibers measure 25 mm in diameter and feature a balance-spring regulating unit oscillating at 3 Hz, or 21,600 vibrations per hour. They have a power reserve of 42 hours when fully charged. Reliable, precise and long-lasting, they are the family of calibers most frequently used by LIP.
The Series 9 movements all feature horological complications. They display the power reserve, have a calendar or GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) function. Fitted with a balance-spring oscillating at a high frequency of 4 Hz, or 28,800 vibrations per hour, these 30 mm-diameter mechanical hearts with a 42-hour power reserve are both more precise and finer. Incorporating more functions and requiring more rigorous adjustments, these calibres require watchmakers in charge of assembling them to have achieved specific training and to work longer hours. Users of such calibers should be careful to follow the instructions for setting the various on-board functions, to avoid accidents caused by operating errors.
CALIBRE DE BASE
TIME MODULE
%201.png)
At LIP we use three families of TMI self-winding mechanical calibers:
The mechanical self-winding caliber in the NH05 series has the distinctive feature of being very small in diameter. It measures just 17.5 mm and is only 5.92 mm thick. Its balance-spring regulating group oscillates at 3 Hertz, or 21,600 vibrations per hour. It displays the time with a central second hand and the date in a window.
The mechanical self-winding calibers in the NH7 series measure 27 mm in diameter. Their balance-spring regulating group oscillates at 3 Hertz, or 21,600 vibrations per hour. To ensure that the time is set more precisely, they are equipped with a stop second operated by pulling the winding stem to adjust the hands.
The NE86 self-winding mechanical chronograph caliber is equipped with a column wheel and a vertical clutch guaranteeing precise and rapid engagement of the timekeeping functions with an unrivalled quality of perception under the finger. The mechanism also enables the chronograph hands to return instantaneously once the pusher at 4 o'clock has been pressed. With its balance-spring regulating group oscillating at 4 Hertz, this instrument for measuring short times is capable of timing to 1/25th of a second. The barrel spring made of ‘Spron©’ (a patented specificity of some of TMI's top-of-the-range movements) provides a power reserve of 45 hours under full load.
LA JOUX-PERRET G100
DESIGN CALIBER
The G100 is the first caliber to be recognised by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
This self-winding mechanical movement was created in the workshops of Manufacture La Joux-Perret in La Chaux-de-Fond (Switzerland), but is entirely assembled and regulated by our partner Humbert-Droz in Besançon. Of particular note: the soldering of the balance spring to the balance wheel is done in France, thanks to know-how that had disappeared from France for 40 years.
This new-generation, top-of-the-range automatic movement, 25.6 mm in diameter and 4.45 mm thick, has a power reserve of 68 hours - almost 3 days of autonomy. - as well as a remarkable diurnal precision of -15/+15 seconds thanks to a regulator oscillating at a high speed of 28,800 vibrations per hour. This high-performance watch is equipped with a stop-second for fine time setting. For this superlative movement, LIP has chosen to use the series equipped with the highest level of finishing available, with ‘côtes de Genève’, diamond-cut angles and blued screws.
Exclusive LIP T18 caliber
LIP's T18 caliber is based on the general measurements of the famous mechanical movement developed from 1931 onwards by André Donat at the request of Frédéric Lip. This heart, 28.5 mm long and 18 mm square, whose components are manufactured in Switzerland at Manufacture La Joux-Perret, is fully finished (circular graining and côtes de Genève) and angled in the workshops of Roland Bailly SAS in Besançon. It is then assembled in the workshops of Humbert-Droz, also in Besançon. Assembly and testing are carried out at LIP. Caliber T18 has 21 jewels and a Glucydur balance wheel with a flat Nivarox balance spring secured by a double-screwed cock to prevent any buckling. Oscillating at 21,600 vibrations per hour - i.e. 3 Hertz - it guarantees precision of the order of 12 seconds ahead or behind per day. The barrel spring is wound by means of a ratchet mechanism, providing 40 hours of power reserve under full load.