S01E24: The Guardian of the El Primero: Charles Vermot and the Movement Hidden Behind a Wall

S01E24: The Guardian of the El Primero: Charles Vermot and the Movement Hidden Behind a Wall

*This episode is dedicated to Nick Meijer - THANK YOU for the support and suggestions!!!* TITLE The Guardian of the El Primero: Charles Vermot and the Movement Hidden Behind a Wall DESCRIPTION Zenith’s El Primero should not exist. During the quartz crisis, the American owners of Zenith ordered the company’s mechanical tooling destroyed, including the presses, dies, plans, and machinery needed to produce the legendary El Primero automatic chronograph movement. One watchmaker refused. Charles Vermot secretly carried nine crates of equipment and meticulously organized technical drawings into an attic above the Zenith workshops. He sealed everything behind a wall, returned to his bench, and spent the next nine years assembling quartz watches while the mechanical movement he loved waited silently above his head. Then the industry changed its mind. When Zenith needed the El Primero again, Vermot raised his hand, opened the wall, and revealed that everything required to restart production had survived. The movement he saved would return to life, help revive Zenith, and eventually power the celebrated Rolex Daytona reference 16520. This is the story of the race to create the automatic chronograph, the iconic Zenith A386, the quartz crisis, the birth of the “Zenith Daytona,” and the humble watchmaker who agreed to look wrong for nine years so he could be right forever. KEYWORDS Zenith, Zenith El Primero, El Primero, Charles Vermot, The Guardian of the El Primero, Zenith watch history, El Primero history, Zenith A386, A386, automatic chronograph, first automatic chronograph, high beat movement, 36000 vibrations per hour, 36000 vph, column wheel chronograph, integrated chronograph, caliber 3019 PHC, quartz crisis, Swiss watch industry, mechanical watch revival, Le Locle, Swiss watchmaking, horology, watchmaking history, watchmaker, hidden watch movement, hidden attic, Zenith attic, nine crates, Zenith Radio, Dixi, Paul Castella, Ebel chronograph, Rolex Daytona, Zenith Daytona, Rolex Daytona 16520, reference 16520, automatic Daytona, Rolex chronograph history, Seiko 6139, Chronomatic, Calibre 11, Breitling, Heuer, Hamilton, Buren, Dubois Depraz, Movado, vintage Zenith, vintage chronograph, iconic chronographs, luxury watch history, watch collecting, watch collectors, watch podcast, horology podcast, What’s on Your Riste, Watchovski, Nick Meijer, DailyWatch, 360watch, Kristian Haagen, GPHG Academy

S01E18: The Country That Invented the Marine Chronometer and Then Forgot It Had/British-ish Watches

NOTE: This content of this recording was created prior to the learning the unfortunately news that Eddie Platts of Smiths/Timefactors had passed away. Eddie, you were an absolute legend in the space, and you will be greatly missed. To Eddie's family, to Dave and everyone at Timefactors, UK., we love you all. RIP brother. https://www.timefactors.com/blogs/news/eddie-platts-1949-2016 *Side note: the Isle of Man is included here as a result of Roger Smith’s origin country* S01E18: The Country That Invented the Marine Chronometer and Then Forgot It Had: British Watchmaking (George Daniels, Roger W. Smith, Chrisopher Ward, Fears, Garrick, & Smiths) Description: Episode 18 explores the extraordinary rise, collapse, and quiet revival of British watchmaking — the country that gave the world the marine chronometer, the lever escapement, and the co-axial escapement… then somehow faded from the center of horology. From John Harrison solving the longitude problem in 1759 with the legendary H4, to George Daniels reinventing complete hand-built watchmaking in the twentieth century, to Roger W. Smith carrying that tradition forward today on the Isle of Man using tools dating back to the 1820s — this episode traces one of the most important and overlooked stories in modern watch culture. Plus: Christopher Ward and the Bel Canto’s historic GPHG win, the craftsmanship of Fears and Garrick, the complicated modern story of Bremont, the legacy of Smiths and Timefactors, and why British watchmaking remains one of the most stubbornly authentic corners of the hobby. This is an episode about invention, craftsmanship, obsession, and the people who kept building watches even when almost nobody asked them to. Keywords: British watchmaking, Roger W Smith, George Daniels, John Harrison, Thomas Mudge, marine chronometer, longitude problem, Harrison H4, Daniels Method, co-axial escapement, lever escapement, independent watchmaking, British horology, Isle of Man, Christopher Ward, Bel Canto, GPHG, Petite Aiguille, Fears watches, Garrick watches, Andreas Strehler, Bremont, Smiths Everest, Timefactors, Pete Speake, Charles Frodsham, Nicholas Bowman-Scargill, David Brailsford, Simon Michlmayr, Mike France, Peter Ellis, Davide Cerrato, Nick English, Giles English, luxury watches, mechanical watches, haute horlogerie, watch collecting, watch enthusiast, watch podcast, horology, independent watches, British luxury, handmade watches, watchmaking history, tool watches, chronometer, Rolex, Omega co-axial, F.P. Journe, Rexhep Rexhepi, Akrivia, Swiss watches, What’s on Your Riste, Watchovski, quiet luxury, collector watches

S01E24: Is a Swapped Movement Still an Heirloom? (Swatch, Tudor & Seiko)

Description: A listener (Nate, hello to the folks in Boise, ID) wrote in with a question his friends all think is silly: he refuses to buy any modern Swatch Group watch because Powermatic 80 movements are reportedly swapped rather than serviced, and he wants watches he can actually pass down to his son. This bonus episode takes that question seriously, start to finish. First, what's really inside a Powermatic 80; the ETA 2824 architecture underneath, the eighty-hour power reserve, and which grades get a polymer escapement, which get Nivachron, and which get a silicon hairspring and a chronometer certificate. Then the service question, with a hard line drawn between what we know for certain and what's only strongly reported: the parts pipeline that flows one direction toward the factory, and the movement swap that reportedly happens at the entry level. Then the plot twist most people haven't heard. Exchange servicing goes way upmarket...Tudor's in-house Kenissi calibers are reportedly swapped too, while the old ETA-based Tudors still get the white-glove teardown. Seiko reportedly does the same at the entry level. The line our listener drew around one corporation, the practice doesn't respect at all. And finally, the grandfather's axe: why every heirloom watch is already full of replaced parts, why originality was never about the atoms, and where to redraw the line if repairability by human hands is one of your values. The feeling is legitimate. The boundary is just in the wrong place. To the listener: you're not being silly. You're a philosopher ;) I'm Watchovski. Wear something good. Keywords: What's on Your Riste, watch podcast, Watchovski, Powermatic 80, ETA 2824, ETA C07, Swatch Group, Tissot, Certina, Mido, Rado, Hamilton, Longines, Blancpain, Omega, Nicolas Hayek, Sistem51, movement swap, exchange servicing, watch servicing, watch repair, parts supply, Tudor, Kenissi, Seiko, Sellita, Miyota, Habring, heirloom watches, passing down watches, Ship of Theseus, grandfather's axe, originality, mechanical watches, serviceability, watch collecting

S01E17: Japan, Part 2 of 2, The Indies: Hajime Asaoka, Naoya Hida, Masahiro Kikuno, Kurono Tokyo, & Kuoe

S01E17: Japan, Part Two, The Indies: Hajime Asaoka, Naoya Hida, Masahiro Kikuno, Kurono Tokyo, & Kuoe Note: A reference is made when talking about Kuoe and Smiths. This was recorded prior to the passing of Eddie. RIP brother. Description: In Episode 17 of What’s on Your Riste?, Watchovski explores the quiet apex of Japanese watchmaking: the independent makers operating outside the institutional system, often alone, producing some of the most extraordinary watches in modern horology. From Hajime Asaoka teaching himself watchmaking with George Daniels’s book and machines bought on eBay… to Masahiro Kikuno going from military rifle technician to one of the world’s most respected independent watchmakers… to Naoya Hida spending nearly three decades inside Swiss luxury before launching the dress watches he always wished existed — this episode dives deep into the people, philosophy, and craftsmanship shaping Japan’s indie watch renaissance. Plus: Kurono Tokyo, Kuoe Kyoto, the AHCI, Wadokei temporal hour watches, mokume-gane dials, and the direct lineage from George Daniels to modern Japanese independent horology. If you love independent watchmaking, quiet luxury, craftsmanship, and the stories behind mechanical watches, this is one of the most important episodes of the series so far. Keywords: Hajime Asaoka, Naoya Hida, Masahiro Kikuno, Kurono Tokyo, Kuoe, Kuoe Kyoto, Kenji Uchimura, AHCI, Japanese watchmaking, Japanese independent watchmaking, independent watchmakers, indie watches, George Daniels, Roger W Smith, Philippe Dufour, Rexhep Rexhepi, F.P. Journe, haute horlogerie, luxury watches, mechanical watches, horology, watch collecting, watch podcast, watch enthusiast, watch collector, Tsunami watch, Project T, Wadokei, mokume-gane, Hiko Mizuno, WOSTEP, Type 1 watch, Type 2 watch, Valjoux 23, vintage inspired watches, Japanese microbrands, Kurono, Kuoe Old Smith, Royal Smith, Tokyo watchmaker, Kyoto watches, artisan watchmaking, handcrafted watches, What’s on Your Riste, Watchovski, quiet luxury, collector watches, independent horology, British watchmaking teaser, Daniels method, watchmaking history

S01E16: Japan, Part 1 of 2: The Country That Quietly Won the Engineering War (Seiko, Grand Seiko, Citizen and Casio)

S01E16: Japan, Part One — The Country That Quietly Won the Engineering War (Seiko, Grand Seiko, Citizen and Casio) Description: For decades, Switzerland has dominated the story of luxury watchmaking. But what if Japan quietly won the engineering war while the West wasn’t paying attention? In this episode of What’s on Your Riste?, Watchovski dives deep into the extraordinary rise of Japanese horology — from Seiko’s shocking performance at the Neuchâtel and Geneva Observatory competitions in the 1960s, to the invention of Spring Drive, one of the most technically fascinating movement architectures ever created. We explore the origins of Grand Seiko, the legendary Snowflake dial, the tragic and inspiring story of Yoshikazu Akahane, and the hidden world of Credor’s Micro Artist Studio — where some of the finest watch finishing on Earth is happening in near secrecy in the mountains of Nagano. Plus: Citizen’s astonishing Caliber 0100, Casio Oceanus, King Seiko, Orient, and why Japanese watchmaking deserves to be viewed not as an alternative to Swiss horology — but as a parallel tradition entirely. This is Part One of a two-part journey into Japan’s watchmaking culture, engineering philosophy, and quiet pursuit of perfection. Keywords: Japan watches, Japanese watchmaking, Grand Seiko, Seiko, Credor, Citizen, Casio Oceanus, Spring Drive, Yoshikazu Akahane, Snowflake SBGA211, Seiko Observatory Trials, Neuchâtel Observatory, Geneva Observatory, Japanese horology, luxury watches, independent watchmaking, Credor Eichi II, Micro Artist Studio, Philippe Dufour, Citizen Caliber 0100, Eco Drive, King Seiko, Orient Star, mechanical watches, haute horlogerie, Swiss watches, watch collecting, horology, watch podcast, Watchovski, What’s on Your Riste, Spring Drive history, Grand Seiko Snowflake, Seiko history, Japanese engineering, watch enthusiast, luxury timepieces, automatic watches, watchmaking history, Seiko vs Swiss, quiet luxury, high horology, independent watches, precision watchmaking, titanium watches, GS Snowflake, Zaratsu polishing, Seiko Epson, Shinshu Watch Studio, Shizukuishi, watch collectors, mechanical engineering, Japanese craftsmanship