News 
In a world where everything goes faster, stronger, further, the constraints facing watches are increasingly high: resistance to shocks and magnetic fields, while ensuring accuracy and a power reserve.
Together with sister company H. Moser & Cie, Precision Engineering rises to this challenge and launches a new alloy, PE5000. Shock resistant and paramagnetic, this material will be integrated for the first time in a very special edition, the Venturer Small Seconds XL, in a limited edition of ten pieces. H. Moser owners may acquire these watches and take part in a series of tests to confirm the chronometric performance of this escapement of the future.
An alloy of niobium and titanium, PE5000 has highly valuable characteristics for the regulating organs of mechanical watches. As a paramagnetic material, it is extremely resilient and has such remarkable elastic properties that a hairspring made from this alloy is not affected by impacts. This is an invaluable asset for the oscillator of a mechanical watch, constantly in motion and subject to significant constraints.
The alloy of niobium and titanium has a great affinity for oxygen, which results in the challenge of greater wear on tooling; however, the manufacturing processes overall are similar to those for producing traditional hairsprings, in all steps taken to shape the material. As a producer of regulating organs, Precision Engineering has the expertise needed for this new technology.
PE5000 represents a very interesting alternative to silicon, which is also non-magnetic and shock resistant, with the disadvantage of not allowing any adjustments. Niobium-titanium, in contrast, can be adjusted by the watchmaker to optimise the watch’s performance if necessary. Precision Engineering joins the few manufacturers capable of producing paramagnetic escapements, a major advantage in the Swiss watch industry. With a new label, synonymous with quality and precision: Precinergy.
The first client for Precision Engineering, H. Moser & Cie has the premiere of their niobium-titanium hairsprings. The Manufacture also joined Precision Engineering in watch movement tests in a zero gravity environment to test the properties of PE5000.
December 14, 2016