Xavier de RoquemaurelLets play a game and guess who is Marcel: I’ll give you some hints:
1) Marcel is not french and wearing a “marinière”
2) Marcel is in this picture (try to have a close look at it)
3) Marcel is NOT a person!
Did you find it? Congratulations if you did! if not let me give you the answer:
The “Marcel Aubert” is the machine on the left. It is one of the most important tool for any watchmaker. Why? Because it controls the size and the shape of a movement mechanical component. This is obviously crucial when you know that a micrometer precision is needed in order for a caliber to be accurate and reliable.
How does it work? This very special camera is overlaying the technical drawing of a component on top of an image of the mechanical part the watchmaker wants to control. The real one needs to fit perfectly the drawing. If not, well, there is a problem!
Thanks to modern technology this can be done on a computer but at Czapek’s time, in the XIXth century, the early methode was to use the projected shadow of the component on a hand-drawing made on a translucide paper, using sometimes just a candle or the daylight!
In the above pictures you can see Patrick Rossi, our head of quality, Alexandre Eme from Inhotec, the latest supplying partner to join the Czapek pool, and one of his team member, checking possible irregularities on the SXH5 wheel train… and… nothing… It’s perfect.
Xavier de Roquemaurel
Pierre Millasson
Valeria Garavaglia