Two automatic watches with high-frequency movements, the Seiko Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 and Zenith Espada, square off in a battle of the fast-beat balances in a piece by Martina Richter. With photos by Zuckerfabrik Fotodesign.
A fast-beat movement offers an advantage over its lower-frequency rivals: more beats per hour means greater precision. The principle is simple: the accuracy with which time can be measured and displayed is inversely proportional to the size of the units into which it is divided. Fast-beat movements are also more shock-resistant than slower-beat ones, and this is an added boon to precision. Two companies make series-produced movements with frequencies of 36,000 vph. One is Zenith; the other is Seiko. We tested one watch from each brand to find out how they measure up against each other in terms of precision and a host of other criteria.
The Zenith watch, called the Espada, is equipped with a modified version of the company?s celebrated El Primero movement. In its ?natural? form, the El Primero is, of course, a chronograph movement. To make the Espada?s movement, a three-hand automatic caliber called the El Primero 4650B, Zenith removed the chronograph mechanism from the El Primero. The Seiko watch, called the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000, contains the automatic Caliber 9S85, introduced in 2009. Both movements required much work to develop. Modifying the El Primero chronograph caliber to power a three-handed watch involved more than merely reducing th...