SHOCK RESISTANCE

In many ways, shock resistance is even more important to a watch than water resistance. A wristwatch is subject to a lot of movement, sometimes sudden, and with a great deal of force. If a watch is not properly shock resistant, it is incredibly easy to impact the movement and damage it. There are several methods watchmakers use today to make movements shock resistant. One of the most common is the Incabloc system introduced by Universal Escapements, Ltd. of Switzerland in 1933. The Incabloc system allows the most sensitive parts of the movement to move sideways when impacted by a shock and then return to its normal position under pressure of small springs above the movable carriage. Most other shock resistant assemblies work off a similar principle to the Incabloc, using springs as shock ab