From the first half of the 20th century, increasing the beat rate of watch movements has been a challenge for the watchmakers of the industry. Since the early days, when Minerva was still produced their Cal. 42, up until the 21st century with hi-beat Grand Seikos and watches like the Credor ref. GBBX99; that had an incredible beat rate of 43,200 bph! Today however, we’d like to look at a key period in the development of these watches: the 1960s and early ‘70s.
The most famous example of the hi-beat or high frequency movement is probably the Girard-Perregaux Gyromatic Cal. 32A, which had a beat rate of 36,000. Remember what stood out about the timepieces we will discuss is that they had a higher beat rate than the normal 18,000 bph – in theory making them more accurate. While the Gyromatic line itself first debuted in the late 1950s, the Girard-Perregaux Gyromatic HF Chronometer (Cal. 32A) first appeared in 1966, when its development was complete. Early Gyromatic movements had regular beat rates of 18,000, but the Gyromatic HF Chronometer proved to be more accurate with double the beats per hour.
Girard-Perregaux Gyromatic HF Chronometer Cal. 32A / Credit: Stetz Watch Co.
Shortly after the release of Girard-Perregaux’s Cal. 32A, Zenith released their El Primero, automatic chronograph movement, in 1969. Although most famous for being among the first automatic chronograph movements – the first El Primero movement, the 3019 PHC, also had a bph rate of 36,000. Not in the same league as the Girard-Perregaux, being a chronograph, but still an very popular hi-beat timepiece for the time. The Cal. 32A was produced from the mid-1960s until about 1969, while the El Primero has evolved greatly over the decades and is still in production today.
Vintage Zenith El Primero ad
Apart from these big names, there are a few other lesser know hi-beat watches of Swiss provenance in our chosen time period. Notably, there is the Caliber 43x used by Longines, specifically in its Ultra-Chron line, with watches like the ref. 8301. The Longines Ultra-Chron was released in 1967 and marked Longines’ 100-year anniversary with its release. It came in a variety of case designs with a number of different movements that all had a 36,000 bph rate and a 40-hour power reserve. Zodiac is another brand that comes to mind, with its 1970s SST 36000. This was a sportier timepiece than the Longines models, with a classic 1970s case shape. ‘SST’ stood for Split Seconds Timing, it was marketed for its accuracy, boasting one of +/- 1 second per month, and sold at a low price of just over $100.
Vintage Longines Ultra-Chron ad
Finally, there is another 1970s Swiss hi-beat movement that we will mention: the Ulysse Nardin Cal. NB11QU. This was a mid-1970s ETA 2826-based Ulysse Nardin movement that also had a 36,000 bph rate and was Ulysse Nardin’s officially certified chronometer at the time. A great buy for its price range if you can find one in good, original condition.
So, while the variety of Swiss hi-beat watches is quite a sight to see, it does make for an interesting comparison between the similar timepieces made in Japan at the time. There are several Grand Seiko models, for example, that come to mind. Ultimately, however, this short-lived fad was largely a response to the advent of quartz watches, especially as hi-beat movements became more popular in the 1970s. Unfortunately, I think in that context it was largely a failure, although I’d say the watches produced as a result are surely worthwhile.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
Foskett, Stephen “High Beaters: 5 Beat, 8 Beat, 10 Beat, More!” Grail Watch, June 18th, 2015, https://grail-watch.com/2015/06/18/high-beaters-5-beat-8-beat-10-beat-more/.
"Seiko 8L88.” Grail Watch, https://reference.grail-watch.com/movement/seiko-8l88/.
“Girard-Perregaux.” FHH, https://www.hautehorlogerie.org/en/brands/history/h/girard-perregaux/.
Siragusa, Tom. “Insider's Story – The 1967 Girard-Perregaux Gyromatic Chronometer HF Calibre 32A.” Fratello Watches, https://www.fratellowatches.com/insiders-story-the-1967-girard-perregaux-gyromatic-chronometer-hf-calibre-32a/.
de Pimodan-Bugnon, Marie. “The story of an icon: Zenith’s El Primero.” Journal FHH, April 3rd, 2018, https://journal.hautehorlogerie.org/en/the-story-of-an-icon-zeniths-el-primero/.
Ranfft, Roland. “Girard-Perregaux 32A.” Ranfft, http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&0&2uswk&Girard-Perregaux_32A.
See examples of the models mentioned.
“History of Longines in 1965.” Longines, https://www.longines.com/company/history/20th/1965.
See old Zodiac advertisements.