Seeing how the Tribute to Pallweber is a time-only watch that uses jumping
hours and minutes to display the time, but considering a complication is
basically any feature aside from the hours and minutes displayed on a watch -
and jumping hours is anything but a simple and standard 3-hand display - makes
me ask the question:
Is the Tribute to Pallweber just a time-only watch, or a watch that tells the
hours, minutes, and seconds via a complication?
Sure, the Pallweber is a complicated watch and at that time Cortebert and IWC
were disputing obout the rights for using this complication.
one of the best complication....
Hallo Heiko,
That is funny. Pallweber patented his invention. Did Cortebert and IWC not
both 'buy' the right to built Pallwebers?
The patent has been used also by several other watch manufactures.
Regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc)
Well Adrian,
that topic is quite an exciting - and very complex story. Who has written it,
Dr. David Seyffer, in his IWC history books. It takes some dozen sheets of
details about Pallweber patents and disputes, not only with Cortebert.
Just a photo from the books with an significant detail about the Cortebert/IWC
dispute.
Regards
Heiko
So Heiko, I understand that Cortebert complained to IWC about the use of the
Pallweber patent and that Cortebert demanded 50.000 SFr. from IWC because of
loss of income.
That is very interesting and although I have the dissertation of Dr. David
Seyffer, I never read that part of the story.
Thanks for explaining,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).
By the way, I am not sure that in horology the digital jumping "complication"
is considered as an horological recognised complication.
It is of course complicated to construct such watch but I am curious to know
whether it belongs to the series of well known complications : chronograph,
moonphase, minute repeater,ratrapante, perpetual calender, tourbillion.
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).
Indeed - a good question. It would not surprise me if IWC has not applied for
some patents assosiated with the NEW Pallweber movement - however, having said
that, it would be interesting to know, if "Jumping Digits" constitutes a
complication of note.
I do consider the jumping minutes and hours to be a complication, as I
consider a retrograde display to be a complication as well. Here is a little
bit on this:
www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/encyclopaedia/watches/complication-watches/