SILICON

Silicon is a fairly recent material used in watchmaking for a few years. Its use follows a watchmaking study program of various brands.

Silicon is a very interesting material for the watch escapement. It can therefore be used for new types of escapements. Components such as the pallets, the escape-wheel and the balance spring are sometimes made of silicon.

Advantages:
One of the advantages of silicon is that it is easy to create. It is manufactured through a process that resembles “a drawing on a sheet”, it is enough to change the drawing and to pass it in the same furnace, under the same light. This is far from the difficulty of shaping and machining a steel alloy.

Disadvantages:
Silicon is a fairly recent material in watchmaking. Its use is therefore expensive due to the fact that it must be equipped and its use requires a certain know-how different from the steel normally used in watchmaking adjustment.