Havilland Watches
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De Havilland, the birth of a new watch making brand… Pierre Rogé, De Havilland Watches SA Rue des Uttins 40 CH-1400 Yverdon-les-Bains www.dehavilland-watches.com Two long-standing friends, Jean-Daniel Carrard and Patrick Guerne, combined forces and know-how in September 2003, having decided to throw themselves into a watch making venture with the creation of a watch for pilots. Why create a watch for pilots today? In 1989, Jean-Daniel Carrard wanted to develop a watch that included an altimeter, but the electronic components of the time were not up to the task. Having lost his flight plan during air baptisms at a flying meeting, Patrick Guerne searched for a watch that would enable him to record the times of take-offs and landings and also calculate the total flying time. In 2003, having found nothing on the market that matched his needs, Patrick Guerne spoke of the problem to JeanDaniel Carrard. Over the past ten years, the electronic components had evolved further and Jean-Daniel Carrard’s dream had become reality. And now, despite the fact that neither of them are watchmakers, they have decided to throw themselves into this adventure! What do pilots actually need? In order to set out the specifications for this watch, a team of professional civil and military pilots was set up: a helicopter instructor, an acrobatics instructor, a private pilot and a commercial pilot. This approach made it possible to respond to explicit and implicit requirements from the target clientele. The team of pilots listed the requirements associated with the use of a watch as work tool in their professional activities. These demands influenced every aspect of the watch’s conception. For it was not only to include altimetric and barometric functions, but was to display this information on an LCD that was to be constantly visible. Moreover, it had to be possible to adjust the watch wearing gloves and it had to be possible to wear it on the wrist but also over the sleeve of a flying jacket. Creation of a watch with electronic complications In order that this watch might satisfy this list of requirements, it had to be designed with a concept of regulation and construction that was totally innovative for the watchmaking world. To do so, the designers drew inspiration from some words of Leonardo da Vinci: “Simplicity is the supreme sophistication”. An initial fact became immediately apparent: it was impossible to have a separate mechanical movement and electronics, so this watch is entirely electronic. Its main features are as follows: • a bezel that replaces the crown for regulating the watch; pushbuttons with a clearly-felt and long-lasting trigger: • an LCD set aside from the dial; • a Ronda movement driven in both directions; • a single electronic system driving both the LCD and Ronda movement; • a buckle with micrometric adjustment.

De Havilland, the birth of a new watch making brand On top of these innovations, various technical problems had also to be resolved. Amongst other things, it was necessary to link the LCD and the Ronda movement to the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) to assure good contact while at the same time facilitating assembly; to simplify the assembly and fixing of the movement within the case middle; to assure the watch’s water resistance with a pressure transducer in contact with the outside air; to amplify the sound of the buzzer within a watertight case and simplify the fixing of the bezel. With a...

De Havilland, the birth of a new watch making brand In the rotating bezel Another novelty lies in the use of the rotating bezel for setting altitude and pressure (like on the aircraft’s own instrument panel), as well as for regulating the time functions. This system, which uses the same system of transmission of instructions by variation in magnetic field, makes it possible to regulate the minutes in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction, and replaces the crown which is inconvenient to use if wearing gloves. Moreover, the case has an added bonus in that it is not pierced to allow the stem...

De Havilland, the birth of a new watch making brand QNH (atmospheric pressure (Q) at Nautical Height or Query Newlyn Harbour): the atmospheric pressure measured at the official altitude of an airfield and calculated down to the mean sea level (MSL or Mean Sea Level) in accordance with the characteristics of standard atmosphere. QFE (atmospheric pressure (Q) at Field Elevation): the atmospheric pressure at the official altitude of an airfield. The QNH and QFE are expressed in hectopascals (hPa) or in inches of mercury (inHg). The flight level or FL (Flight Level): the altitude expressed in...

De Havilland, the birth of a new watch making brand Annex Extracts from European patent EP 0 985 169 B1 Priority : 26.05.1997 FR 9706561 Owner : JDC Electronic SA Inventor : Jean-Daniel Carrard What is claimed is: 1. A device for controlling the functions of a timepiece, specifically, a wristwatch formed of a casing, a bezel, a back, and a base, comprising a means (12) for generating a current of variable magnetic induction, a means (13, 13', 13'') for detecting the current of variable magnetic induction, a processing means (14, 14', 14'') for processing signals generated by said detection...