They go by many names, but it always means the same high-quality thing. Secticon clocks and one brand which utilises a movement produced by Portescap and assembled by Universal Escapements Ltd in La Chaux de Fonds in Switzerland. UE Ltd were known at the time for inventing the Incabloc shock protection system as the Vibrograph, a priceless tool for regulating watches and identifying issues during servicing.
The clock movement contains two main parts: a drive motor and escapement. The transistorised motor which is built on licenced ATO technology delivers reliable energy at a regular speed, while also giving a very long battery life. It rotates approximately 1000rpm and the standard D-Cell battery would last up to 18 months in normal conditions.
This energy is then delivered to a Chronometer-like escapement with a constant-force remontoir-driven impulse and silent pass. All that to say it’s an incredibly well-designed mechanism which is unbelievably stable and can be regulated to a very high level of accuracy while ticking at very satisfying half-second intervals (have a look at the end of this post for a video).
Above you can see the movement with the escapement section removed, and then with the motor section removed. The only parts of the clock which are permenantly attached to the base plate are the motionwork and hand-driving mechanism. The clock was originally designed to be modular to speed up repairs.
One unusual feature of the clock is also a serious weak point - the connection between the motor and escapement uses a unique rubber wheel which has very often degraded and crumbled or absorbed moisture and swollen. Either way it’s enough to prevent the clock from running and spare parts are unavailable - or at least they weren’t until now. We’ve spent many hours or R&D time to make replacement wheels for these clocks which we are able to fit during a service, and as of early 2025 many have been in use for over a year working as expected. If you’ve been told that your Secticon clock is beyond repair then get in touch - we can probably help you.
Beyond the unusual design and our manufacture of these replacement parts, servicing of these movements requires all the usual skills and attention to detail normally required in our line of work. Because they have very low amounts of torque in the drive train it is rare to find extreme wear but the fact that they have often been left not running means old oils and greases require extra care an effort to remove.
Just like a wristwatch, the balance staff is held in place with shock settings. These jewelled blocs need to be meticulously cleaned and then accurately oiled with a precise quantity. Additionally the pallets must be treated and oiled much like a swiss lever escapement - only there’s a lot more going on so many more point to appropriately oil. You can see in the photo below there are three locking/impulse stones, the ‘rewind wheel’ has three arms which interact with them at different times. Also in the photo is the coiled remontoir spring which stores the energy to be transferred to the balance, and the soft iron piece which holds the charged pallet assembly in position until impulse can be delivered.
And now, take a look at the escapement running - can you tell what’s happening?