One of the most entertaining complications of watchmaking, the "jump hour" indicator, is under the spotlight.
Jump hour, which is offered as an alternative to traditional time display methods and is one of the most enjoyable complications to watch and own; Nowadays, it meets watch enthusiasts thanks to a few models from a small number of manufacturers.
As you know, in the traditional time display method provided by the hour and minute hands, both hands move uninterruptedly. In watches with a jump hour complication, while the minute hand moves continuously, the hour disc rotates only momentarily and at the beginning of each hour, for 1/12 of a full revolution, that is, 30 degrees. Thus, the time display always remains in the same position in the first and last minutes of the current time zone.
This complication comes to life with a few additional parts added to the minute wheel. Although each manufacturer adopts a unique engineering approach, the basic working principle of this feature is similar to the one in the image. The part called the snail, in each revolution that corresponds to a time interval of one hour, suddenly releases the part that is in place with the pressure of the spring, and another arm connected to this mechanism provides a 30-degree movement to the minute disc.
It can be difficult to visualize. Let's watch the animation of this system from Lange & Söhne. Before I forget, the same mechanism approach is also used in the movements of the hands of some chronographs.
We come across wristwatches with jumping hour complications, especially in the 30s, with rectangular cases heralding the Art Deco movement.
This feature, which has been interpreted by many manufacturers throughout history, is used in many models, from manufacturers famous for classic watches such as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet to brands producing watches with extraordinary forms such as Amida, Jaz, Gruen, and Damas.
credit: JUMP HOUR SHOP
For those who are not satisfied with the jumping hour disc, there are also watches with jumping minute and even second hands. IWC's Pallweber collection and A. Lange & Söhne's famous Zeitwerk models are just two of the best examples of the jumping minute hand complication.
F.P. In extreme examples such as Journe Vagabondage 3 or Harry Winston Opus 3, we come across double-digit seconds discs that move and jump independently of each other.
