A mechanical wristwatch with an integrated alarm clock can tear us out of our dreams or remind us of a necessary appointment. The wrist alarm clock makes itself noisy and is a valuable companion.
The First Mechanical Wristwatch
Eterna introduced the first mechanical wrist alarm clock as early as 1914 with the alarm clock movement caliber 68, which, with a diameter of almost 30 millimeters, was a derivative of the pocket watch caliber with an alarm clock of that time. The wearer sets the alarm time using a rotating bezel.
Wrist Alarm Clock From Zenith: The Alarm Model From 1920
In 1920 Zenith also brought a pocket watch like Rolex oyster perpetual (นาฬิกา โร เล็ก ซ์ oyster perpetual which is the term in Thai) movement to the wrist with the Zenith Alarm, which lasted 45 seconds. These watch models are seldom to be found today because these watches were not very successful at the time. Why? At that time, most people still wore pocket watches, so the wrist alarm clock could not prevail.
Vulcain Triggers An Alarm Clock Boom With Cricket.
Two decades later, the time was ripe for the wrist alarm clock. In 1947, Vulcain triggered an actual alarm clock boom with their hand-wound model Cricket. Work on this began as early as 1943 under Paul Ditisheim.
With the support of the French physicist Paul Langevin, the watchmakers created a booming alarm tone by working with double bottoms. The inner of the two floors served as a membrane; the outer one was provided with holes and thus amplified the sound. He also made sure that the internal floor could swing freely.
With this system, it was even possible to build watertight enclosures. The watch became known under the name “Grille” because the manufacturer copied the principle from the insect. The snarling noise that could hardly be overheard – and also palpable – made Vulcain an enormous success.
Famous Wrist Alarm Clock: The Jaeger-Lecoultre Memovox
Among all alarm clocks, the Memovox has enjoyed the image of the clock for the active gentleman, who can also be found on the international stage from the very beginning. In 1959, for example, the manufacture presented a model with a world time indicator. One challenge was still ahead of the wrist alarm clocks: diving. In 1959 the Memovox Deep Sea appeared. Its alarm tone can also be heard underwater; a third crown sets the bezel under the watch glass to the dive time. Today these models are among the most sought-after of the Memovox classics and achieve prices in the five-digit range – if they are even available.
