Movement
Turning the case over we can view the calibre 48 movement through the display-back. Developed in 1943 by Andres Frey, the calibre 48 movement is unusual in its attempt to incorporate Pythagorus' golden mean into the architecture of its bridges and the resulting design is distinctive and immediately recognizable. The golden mean is a proportion found frequently in nature that is often incoporated into architecture and product design. The manner in which the golden mean was used to divide the circular form of the movement into forty-five and ninety degree angles remains something of a mystery to me. The effect is not one that I find particularly attractive but it is functionally sound and provides an interesting diversion from the more common bridge designs.
The Geneva stripes, nicely polished screws, escape wheel cap and radially grained crown and ratchet wheels are immediately apparent and
give the impression of a well-finished movement.
A careful examination through the display-back reveals the superficial nature of the decoration.
The anglage is quite crude and shows a half-hearted attempt at polishing [1] as one might expect in a mid-grade movement. What is surprising is the crude nature of the hairspring stud [2] and its surroundings and even more startling is that the third and fourth wheel pivots are not finished [1&7]. Typically pivots have rounded and polished ends even when not required by function (pivots with cap jewels must be shaped and burnished). The pivot ends of these wheels are sharp, rough points, no doubt as they were cut from the lathe.
After removing the hands and dial the full extent to which this movement suffers from "display-back-disease" is readily apparent.
The dial side of the movement is crude and unfinished with no real attempt at decoration whatsoever [3]. The barely finished set bridge is secured with unfinished screws. The best thing I can say about the keyless levers is that they are not tumbled (which would round the functional edges while polishing them). They are grained on top (with the exception of the set lever which is more or less polished),
unfinished underneath and have
unfinished sides as well. Even the functional, sliding
surfaces of the set lever and clutch lever are unpolished and significant debris had built up around them [4] in less than five years.
The step between the keyless works and the dial train is particularly crude, showing gross filing marks and unidentifiable finishing efforts [5]. The same unfinished pivots of the third and fourth wheels are also visible here.
Mi fermo qui, è già piuttosto duro...
e aggiungo che quelle cotes de Genève sono fatte in maniera inconsistente, un movimento con haute finissage d'epoca ha una lavorazione delle cotes ben più pronunciata.
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