Swatch Group is again an innovator in resistance to magnetic fields

Biel-Bienne (Switzerland), 29 August 2018 – Swatch Group continues to push the boundaries of precision and innovation. After silicon, the world’s leading watchmaker is proud to introduce a new balance spring – a key component in mechanical movements – with exceptional paramagnetic characteristics.

Swatch Group, in collaboration with Audemars Piguet, has developed a new non-magnetic compensating alloy called Nivachron™ for this revolutionary balance spring. With its complex composition, the alloy was developed with the aim of optimizing the resistance of watch movements to magnetic fields.

The Nivachron™ balance spring offers a number of advantages. It allows a considerable reduction in the influence of the residual effect of a magnetic field on the running of a watch (a reduction by a factor of 10 to 20, depending on the caliber). The Swiss-made balance spring, made of a titanium base, is very effective against temperature variations experienced in wearing conditions. In addition, it offers excellent shock resistance. Ultimately, all of these advantages result in a significant improvement in chronometric performance.

Magnetic fields, which are pervasive in our environment, severely disrupt mechanical watch movements. They affect a watch’s operation and its performance and can even, in some cases, stop it completely.

Of all the watch components required to make a timepiece, the balance spring is one of the most critical. Its production requires a high level of know-how and expertise. Swatch Group, in partnership with the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), has already revolutionized Swiss watchmaking in recent years with its silicon balance springs.