Chronométrie 2013: the final results of the competition
After around six months of tests, the participating watches for the Competition Chronométrie 2013 have finally reached the finish line. The results of this edition were given at the Observatoire of Besançon.
By René Giroud
Since May the 30th 2013, thirty-nine watches have been travelling back and forth between Le Locle, Besançon and Bienne. Distributed in three categories, those time-keepers were the contestants of the competition Chronométrie 2013. The three categories were Company-Classic, Company-Tourbillon and School-Classic. One watch was registered as anonymous. During more than five months, the watches had to withstand similar tests to those of the COSC, were exposed to magnetic fields and had to withstand repeated shocks.
The purpose of these barbaric treatments was to verify the watches precision and, to be more specific, the differences of time displayed. One should not forget that the tests are strictly identical for all categories. Thus, in order to compete in Chronométrie 2013, the watches were tested in Besançon’s Observatoire, in the Bureau Officiel of Bienne, at the Haute Ecole Arc in Le Locle and a second time in Bienne’s Bureau Officiel. Thanks to the results gathered, a jury analysed them and gave to each watch points in order to do a classification of the winning contestants.
Final results and points
First things first, it seems that compared to previous editions, more watches weren't able to succeed the third precision test held in Bienne after exposure to shocks and magnetism. The points system started at 1000 and would decrease with the differences in precision. Only the three first contestants' results of each category were revealed.
In the Company-Classic category, 12 out 20 contestants withstood the tortures previous to the third precision test and competed for the first place. The winning contestant is the model prepared specially for the competition by Tissot. After withstanding shocks and magnetism tests, this watch got in total 878 points. In second position, the second model presented by Tissot got 850 points. Finally, the third contestant to succeed was the model Mecanograph from Louis Moinet with 728 points.
In the Company-Tourbillon category, only one watch out of the seven watches presented was able to withstand the shock and magnetism test. Thus, the model LL 104/1 from L. Leroy was the only winner with 794 points.
Finally, in the School-Classic category, only two contestants out of twelve were able to compete for the podium. It is important to not forget that in this category, the contestants were students of watchmaking Hautes Ecoles and that the models presented were prepared by them. During the previous editions, no contestant was able before to withstand the difficulties of the competition. But this year, the first place went to Mathieu Douik who got 571 points. The second position was taken by Maxime Bettinelli with 501 points.
Now, all the contestant watches will be exposed in Le Musée du Temps in Besançon until the third of November and in Le Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle – Château des Monts from November the 10th to December the 31st. As for the competition Chronométrie 2015, 2 new categories may be planned: ultra-thin and chronographs. Plus, the name of the School category will be renamed Young.
