Mechanical watches mostly use two type of mechanisms to wind the main spring, "the engine of a watch", manual winding such as on a Valjoux 7733, and a rotor mechanism with an oscillating weight, like in most automatic mechanical watches today.
Picture: Valjoux 7733
Hubert Sarton, born in 1748, Liege, Belgium, was one of the major horologist in the late 18th century.
The city of Liege was at the time one of the most dymanic artisinal and insutrial centers in Europe. Sarton began learning how to trade, but also demonstrated a remarcable tallent for mechanical engineering and was passionate about precisions mechanics. After completing a 4 year watch maker apprentiship in Paris, he returned to Liege as master clock maker. Soon after he was appointed court clock maker to service Duke Charles Alexander of Loraine, governor general of austrian netherlands, and other aristocrats.
In 1778, at the age of 30, he filled a patent at the French Acadamy of Schience, for his invention: a rotor that allowed to wind a mechanical watch automatically, thus invented the first automatic watch.
Picture: drawing filled with Sarton's patent at the French Academy of Science in 1778
Surprisingly not as famous as Breguet for his tourbillion Sarton still remains a major heritage in the modern watch history, and deserve much more recognition by the large public.
I am sure more people can afford a watch with a Sarton invention, than one of Breguet.
Picture: movement signed Berthoud, using Sarton's movement
