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Rolex Parachrom Family

November 20, 2019 by

The Rolex 3100 family of mainstream automatic movements, introduced in 1988, gave the brand a solid foundation for decades of production and millions of watches. Rolex introduced Parachrom, a new anti-magnetic hairspring material, in 2000. This was further refined with a thicker blue-tinted surface structure as Parachrom Blu in 2005, ushering in a new era for the mainstream automatic movement family.

Rolex Paraflex shock absorbers have been used on many updated movements since 2005

The first movement to receive a Parachrom Blu hairspring was Cal. 3186 in 2005. This was expanded in following years to Cal. 3186 (2005), 3131 (2007), 3156 (2008), 3136 (2009), 3132 (2010), and 3187 (2011). It is also used in the Cellini movements, Cal. 3165, 3180, and 3195. Most of these also adopted the Paraflex shock absorber and other advances.

Oversized Movements

As larger watches became more popular in the 2000s, Rolex created a few special oversized movements. Cals. 3136 and 3187 feature a larger 30.97 mm base plate to accommodate a larger date wheel, pushing the date window closer to the edge on the 41 mm Datejust II and 42 mm Explorer, respectively. These movements were rarely used, however, and do not appear likely to be continued as the “big watch” trend dies out. Today’s watches have been reduced in size and can use the regular 28.5 mm movement once again.

Parachrom Updates

Not all 3100 family movements have been as thoroughly updated, however. Notably, Cals. 3130 and 3135 have received the Parachrom hairspring but have not had the other updates seen on the more advanced movements. They still use Kif Elastor anti-shock, for example. These movements remain in production as of 2019.

Retirement and Chronergy

Beginning in 2015, Rolex has been rolling out a completely new movement family with the Chronergy escapement. It is expected that this will replace the Parachrom movements within a decade.

3000 Family3100 FamilyParachrom FamilyChronergy Family
1977-20011988-20102005-present2015-present
Time Only300031303130
3132
Milgauss3131
Datejust303531353135
3136
3235
Day-Date305531553155
3156
3255
GMT307531753187
GMT II3085318531863285

Rolex 3100 Family

November 20, 2019 by

After the success of the Cal. 3000 family in the early 1980s, Rolex began working on a series of improvements. This resulted in the Cal. 3100 family, introduced in 1988. These would become the foundation for most Rolex watches even to the modern day, supporting an upgrade to Parachrom anti-magnetic components beginning in 2001.

Like the preceding family, these movements operate at 28,800 A/h and measure 12.5 ligne (28.5 mm) in diameter. They feature bi-directional automatic winding and all are chronometer certified. The movements now generally use 31 jewels, up from 27 previously, and offer a power reserve of 50 hours.

One major upgrade for the 3100 family was the use of a full balance bridge rather than the simple balance cock used previously. This added stability and durability to an already well-respected movement. The balance is made of the advanced beryllium/copper alloy known as Glucydur and uses Microstella regulation using four screws inside. The balance uses a Nivarox hairspring, the only component not produced in-house by Rolex, and features a Breguet overcoil laser welded to the balance stud. The automatic winding gears, coated in PTFE, are deep red colored, and the rotor uses synthetic rubies rather than ball bearings. Most 3100 movements still use the Kif Elastor anti-shock system on the balance.

Rolex has used Kif Type 3 “Elastor” anti-shock on many movements

Setting the time on the Cal. 3100 family of movements is no longer “backward”: The crown is rotated clockwise to advance the hour and minute hands. This was changed from the previous Cal. 3000 family.

Parachrom Update

The Cal. 3100 family first appeared in 1988, with calibres 3135, 3155, 3175, and 3185 appearing in rapid succession. The old time-only Cal. 3000 continued in use for a decade, however, with Cal. 3130 only introduced in 2001.

Rolex introduced their Parachrom hairspring in 2005, and thoroughly revised many of their movements in the following decade. This “Parachrom” family also generally uses Paraflex anti-shock and features other advances. Cal. 3186 was the first in this family, with many other movements receiving this technology over the following decade.

But some original Cal. 3100 movements were not updated as completely. In 2010, Cal. 3130 was updated with the new Parachrom hairspring technology but was otherwise unmodified so it kept the original name. The same is true of Cal. 3135, which was updated with Parachrom but not universally replaced until the recent introduction of Cal. 3235, and Cal 3155, which also received a Parachrom hairspring but was not retired until 2019’s introduction of Cal. 3255.

Retirement and Chronergy

As of 2019, Cal. 3130 and 3135 remain in production with the new Parachrom hairspring technology. The rest of the family has been updated since 2005 with Parachrom and Paraflex and is now being replaced once again by the new, completely-redesigned Chronergy family of movements. It is likely that a Chronergy-based Cal. 3230 and Cal. 3231 will appear in the next few years and the workhorse Cal. 3100 family will finally be retired after over 30 years in production.

3000 Family3100 FamilyParachrom FamilyChronergy Family
1977-20011988-20102005-present2015-present
Time Only300031303130
3132
Milgauss3131
Datejust303531353135
3136
3235
Day-Date305531553155
3156
3255
GMT307531753187
GMT II3085318531863285

Rolex 3000 Family

November 19, 2019 by

Rolex developed the Cal. 3000 family in the 1970s just as quartz movements were taking over the market. It was designed to replace the Cal. 1500 family of movements and was developed alongside the Oysterquartz Cal. 5000 family. The Cal. 3000 movements represented a new standard for movement design and production in the 1970s and are respected today for their durability and simplicity.

These movements operate at 28,800 A/h and measure 12.5 ligne (28.5 mm) in diameter. They feature bi-directional automatic winding and most are chronometer certified. The movement are 5.8 to 6.3 mm thick, with 27 jewels. They have a power reserve of 48 to 50 hours. Unlike later Rolex movements, which use a balance bridge, Cal. 3000 movements feature a simple clockwise balance cock.

Cal. 3000 lasted in production until 2001

Most movements in this family use a free-sprung Breguet overcoil and all have a hairspring glued to the balance stud. They all also feature Microstella regulation on the balance. Notably, Cal. 3000 was the last Rolex movement to not feature a Breguet overcoil for the hairspring. Despite the choice of a flat hairspring, Cal. 3000 achieved Chronometer certification, with accuracy of +4/-6 seconds per day.

Setting the time on the Cal. 3000 family of movements is “backward” from usual expectations, with the crown rotated counter-clockwise to advance the hour and minute hands. This was changed in the follow-on Cal. 3100 movements, but remains an item of lore among Rolex fans.

The Cal. 3000 family began in 1977 with Cal. 3035, famously used in the Rolex Datejust and Submariner models, and was phased out in favor of the Cal. 3100 family beginning in 1988. But Cal. 3000, introduced in 1989, lasted in production through 2001.

1500 Family1520 Family1560 Chronometer1570 Family3000 Family
Time Only15301520156015703000
Milgauss1580M
Datejust15351525156515753035
Day-Date155515563055
GMT1565GMT1575GMT3075
GMT II3085
3000 Family3100 FamilyParachrom FamilyChronergy Family
1977-20011988-20102005-present2015-present
Time Only300031303130
3132
Milgauss3131
Datejust303531353135
3136
3235
Day-Date305531553155
3156
3255
GMT307531753187
GMT II3085318531863285

Rolex Chronergy Family

November 18, 2019 by

Rolex introduced the Chronergy family in 2015 with Cal. 3255, an updated movement for the famous Day-Date (President) model. It is a major redesign, with Rolex claiming that over 90% of the components are redesigned or all-new. The marquee feature for consumers is the “3-day” (70 hour) power reserve, which is made possible by the “Chronergy escapement” with optimized gears and lubricants as well as a longer mainspring inside a thinner barrel. Other notable features include more efficient automatic winding, unrestricted calendar correction, and “backward” (counter-clockwise) time setting.

3000 Family3100 FamilyParachrom FamilyChronergy Family
1977-20011988-20102005-present2015-present
Time Only300031303130
3132
Milgauss3131
Datejust303531353135
3136
3235
Day-Date305531553155
3156
3255
GMT307531753187
GMT II3085318531863285

Seiko 6S Family

August 5, 2019 by

A key part of Seiko’s resurgence in modern times was the Cal. 6S family of automatic chronograph movements. Although rarely seen, they demonstrated the company’s expertise along with the Cal. 9S movement family introduced at the same time.

Seiko called back many original watchmakers from retirement to develop the “phoenix” Cal. 6S78 movement. On introduction in 1998, it helped re-establish the company’s bona fides and was a halo offering for the domestic Credor brand. It is thoroughly modern, with a vertical clutch and column wheel, yet classical in look. It has a 6-9-12 subdial arrangement like the popular Valjoux 7750 family. Many models feature a date or power reserve complication as well, and hand-winding versions were also produced.

  • 6S78 (1998-2004) – 34 jewels, automatic, date, Credor
  • 6S28 (2005-2013) – 34 jewels, automatic, date, Credor
  • 6S37 (2001-2016) – 40 jewels, automatic, date, power reserve, Prospex/Brightz/Credor
  • 6S77 (2003-2005) – 40 jewels, automatic, date, power reserve, Credor
  • 6S96 – 38 jewels, automatic, no date, power reserve
  • 6S74 – 35 jewels, hand winding, no date, power reserve
  • 6S99 (2002-2005) – 35 jewels, hand winding, no date, power reserve, skeletonized

Seiko 8R Family

July 23, 2019 by

Seiko 8R is a family of modern chronograph movements with advanced features like a column wheel, vertical clutch, and three-pointed reset hammer. Although newer and numerically higher than the Seiko 6S chronograph, it is considered to be slightly lower in terms of refinement and design. The 8R family is sold by Time Module Inc. (TMI) as Cal. NE86 and NE88 for use by third-party watch makers.

The 8R family was introduced in 2009 shortly after the related 6R family of automatic non-chronograph movements. Both use the proven 7S gear train and Seiko’s Magic Lever winding system. It is built on the 6R20 but is much more integrated than a traditional modular chronograph movement. Unlike the 6S, the 8R family uses a 3-6-9 subdial arrangement, albeit with running seconds at 3:00 rather than 9:00 as is traditional. The date window is placed at an angle at 4:30.

Seiko was the first to market with a vertical clutch column wheel chronograph in 1969 with Cal. 6139 and the company takes these technologies to a new level in Cal. 8R. Rather than driving the minute and hour counters from the chronograph seconds wheel, each is driven by a powered wheel with its own clutch. A unique three-pointed hammer starts, stops, and resets all three wheels simultaneously, and all the counters advance continuously rather than only at one-minute intervals.

Cal. 8R28 is the most common movement in the family and the first introduced. It is 7.2 mm thick, has 34 jewels and 292 components, and was used in the SRQ009/SRQ011 Ananta, SAGK001 and SDGZ001 Brightz, and SRQ001 Velatura. Introduced in 2011, Cal. 8R39 is 7.6 mm high and was made for dive watches, including the exclusive SRQ013 Ananta limited edition. Cal. 8R48 appeared in 2014 and has similar specifications but is made from 311 components and measures 7.5 mm thick. It was only used in Japan-market Brightz watches and the rare SRQ021 60th anniversary Laurel and SRQ023 Presage watches of 2016. Cal. 8R49 is nearly identical to 8R48.

TMI also sells an OEM version of Cal. 8R39 called NE88. Introduced in August 2014, it is listed at 7.63 mm thick. Cal. NE86 is similar but lacks the hour counter at 6:00, moving the date window there. TMI rates these movements as accurate to -15/+25 seconds per day.

HeightJewelsComponentsNotes
8R28A7.2 mm34292Original Movement
8R39A
NE88A
7.6 mm34306Thicker, for dive watches
8R48A
8R49A
7.5 mmJapan-only
NE86A7.6 mmOEM 2-subdial

Seiko 6R Family

July 7, 2019 by

Seiko’s 6R family of movements is an upscale line for higher-end watches. Launched in 2006, Cal. 6R15 was a modification of the mainstream 7S family but with better finishing and a Spron 510 mainspring. Seiko later created Cal. 6R20 and other movements with modules on the 6R15 and a Hi-Beat 28,800 A/h escapement. These movements also add hacking and hand winding as on the derived 4R family.

JewelsComponentsSpeed3:006:009:00
6R152316821,600Date Window
6R202920828,800Day SubdialDate SubdialClockwise
Power Reserve
6R212920828,800Day SubdialDate SubdialCounter-Clockwise
Power Reserve
6R243122428,800Retrograde DayRetrograde DateClockwise
Power Reserve
6R2728,800Date SubdialCounter-Clockwise
Power Reserve

Seiko 4R Family

July 7, 2019 by

Introduced in 2008, the Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII) 4R family is a mainstream automatic watch movement used in many Seiko models and offered to third parties by Time Module Inc. (TMI). It is an evolution of the Seiko 7S family of movements, produced since 1996, and is related to the higher-end Seiko 6R family.

There are two branches of the family: The 4R1x movements (4R15, 4R16) came first and have an advanced Spron 510 mainspring but lack hacking and hand-winding. The 4R3x movements (4R35, 4R36, 4R37, 4R38, 4R39, 4R57, 4R71) appeared after 2010 and have a traditional mainspring but add hacking and hand-winding. The 6R family has both improvements.

All movements in the 4R family operate at 21,600 A/h and measure 12 ligne (27.4 mm) in diameter by 5.32 mm in height. Cal. 4R15 and 4R16 have 22 jewels, Cal. 4R35A has 23 jewels, and all other 4R and NH movements have 24 jewels. The NH series movements sold by Time Module Inc. (TMI) are rated as slightly more accurate from the factory, at -20/+40 rather than -35/+45 for the Seiko branded movements, and some differ in the finish, number of jewels, and rated power reserve.

There are only a few complicated members of the family, with a 24 hour subdial (4R37 and 4R39), or date by pointer subdial and power reserve indicator (4R57).

Traditional Mainspring
Hacking/Hand-Winding
Spron 510 Mainspring
Standard4R38A
NH38A
4R71A (skeleton)
NH70A (skeleton)
NH71A (skeleton, gilt)
Date4R35A
4R35B
NH35A
4R15A
4R15B
NH15A
Day and Date4R36A
NH36A
4R16A
4R16B
NH16A
Date, 24 Hour Subdial4R37A
NH37A
24 Hour Subdial4R39A
NH39A
Date by Pointer
Power Reserve
4R57A

Soprod A10 Family

July 7, 2019 by

The Soprod “Alternance 10” (also called the A-10, A10, and A10-2) is a Swiss Made movement based on the Seiko 4L25 design but produced in Switzerland under license. It is an advanced, slim automatic movement with modern technology and is not a clone of the ETA 2892A2 with which it competes.

The A10 is instantly recognizable thanks to its counter-clockwise balance cock and automatic winding rotor mounted with three screws and seven ball bearings.

The Soprod A10-2 is based on a Seiko design

Although a Japanese design, it includes many signature Swiss features, including Incabloc Double-Cone shock absorbers and an oscillating pinion automatic winding switcher. It is exactly the same size as the ETA 2892A2, with the same locations for dial feet, crown, hands, and date window. This makes it a drop-in replacement when that movement is unavailable.

Seiko Instruments first designed their 4L25 to create an ETA 2892A2 competitor for the Swiss OEM market. Soprod announced their Swiss Made version, Cal. A-10, in 2004 and began offering it to Swiss watch makers. The company was not explicit about the design source of the movement. In 2007, Soprod was acquired by Peace Mark of Hong Kong for the company’s quartz movement operations in China, and the Swiss mechanical operations were sold to Festina Group the following year. Seiko introduced their own 4L25-powered Brightz and Credor models and Soprod continued to produce the A-10 and later the A10-2.

Soprod redesigned the Alternance 10 (Cal. A10) movement in March 2012, launching the Cal. A10-2. The A10-2 was renamed Cal. M100 in 2016 and continues in production today.

Universal 281 Family

July 1, 2019 by

Unlike most movement manufacturers, Universal uses the same calibre number for movements with different complications. Instead, the calibre number corresponds to the diameter and hairspring used.

Breguet HairspringFlat Hairspring
12”’Universal 281 Uni-Compax
Universal 281 Compax
Universal 281 Tri-Compax
Universal 381
12.25”’Universal 282
13”’Universal 283Universal 383
13.5”’Universal 284
14”’Universal 285Universal 385
15”’Universal 287Universal 387
15.25”’Universal 288
15.75”’Universal 292
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