MODERN
ESCAPEMENTS
BY ASHTON TRACY
IN THIS MULTI-PART SERIES , INTERNATIONAL WATCH EXPLORES THE
VARIETY OF ESCAPEMENTS AVAILABLE WITHIN A WIDE RANGE OF TIME-
PIECES. AS YOU’LL SEE, THE SWISS LEVER ESCAPEMENT HAS COME A LONG
WAY SINCE IT WAS FIRST DEVISED IN THE LATE 18TH CENTURY.
In 1754 an Englishman by the name of Thomas Mudge invented an escape-
ment that would rule watchmaking for centuries, that escapement was
known as the Lever. It did not, however, make its way into a timepiece until
the year 1769, when a watch was produced by Mudge for Queen Charlotte
of Great Britain. The lever escapement has reigned supreme ever since that
royal watch was first commissioned and is still the main escapement used
by most of the watchmaking industry today.
96 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2018
During the last few decades, for various reasons, we have seen a bigger
push from the watch industry to produce in-house escapements, steering
away from the traditional lever.
This endeavor has been carried out by everyone from the smallest of
independents to the giant luxury conglomerates who dominate the scene.
We see a range of new escapements being released on an ongoing basis, from
minor upgrades of the lever to downright mind-blowing fresh concepts.
This four-part series will cover a range of those escapements and see how
the watchmaking industry today is moving ever forward in the quest for the
ultimate timekeeper.
In this article we will discuss the big brands trying their hand at escape-
ment manufacturing: Nomos, Rolex and Breguet.