Timing the Heavens: the launch of Hublot’s tribute to the Antikythera mechanism.

Oct 11, 2011,12:44 PM
 



From a time before Christ, and when the ancient mariners were the Greeks who held that the lighthouse at Pharos was the light at the end of the world, the Greeks had a machine that could compute the position of the known heavens. It has the makings of the Hollywood script! All but lost to the world, the machine was found by sponge divers at the turn of the twentieth century as they came upon the wreck of the Antikythera. Two thousand years after the ship sank, resting on the sea bed, the mechanism was badly corroded. Yet modern science, with specialised imaging technology can see within the formed rock around the cog wheels, the Antikythera mechanism revealed a mechanical computer that defied the modern mind. As more and more discoveries were made, finding the Antikythera mechanism was akin to discovering a mobile phone a hundred years before Alexander Graham Bell made that first telephone call in the nineteenth century; or finding Concorde as a relic dated before the Wright Brothers took to the skies over the sands of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.



To some scientists working on the mechanism as part of the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, the mechanism itself represents a treasure of human kinds endeavour as important as the pyramids, or any of Leonardo’s sketches. This was a planetarium and clock that told predicted the timing of the heavens, and with it, human kinds' place in the universe. Professor Michael Edmunds (Cardiff University) who works with the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project described the mechanism (in The Guardian) as "... extraordinary, the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has done this has done it extremely carefully ... in terms of historic and scarcity value, I have to regard this mechanism as being more valuable than the Mona Lisa."

In a sense, the Antikythera mechanism represents the very first of horology. Here was a mechanical mechanism (beautifully finished by all accounts) that could tell the time (by the location of the stars) and predict the time to and from the last Olympiad. Over the past century, since the mechanism was uncovered on the sea bed, the mechanism is still revealing secrets from its past. Part of the problem is that modern science has been playing catch up with the ability to discover what the mechanism can reveal. The Antikythera mechanism is where science, archeaology and horology all meet. Discoveries about the Antikythera mechanism have been reported in journals as diverse as Scientific American, Nature, as well as Horological Journal (the journal for the British Horological Institute). To uncover the mysteries of the mechanism required that modern science advance sufficiently to examine the mechanism without tearing it apart. It was a British science historian: Derek J. de Solla Price who undertook the first systematic investigation. It was Price who (in the 1950's) had first advanced the theory that the understanding of the mechanism displays had been on the mechanism. Price published papers on "Clockwork before the Clock" and "On the Origin of Clockwork" before the first major publication in June 1959 on the mechanism: "An Ancient Greek Computer". Price postulated the Antikythera mechanism was a device for calculating the motions of stars and planets. However, it was when imaging advanced that Price was able to discover that further cogs and wheels were buried in the ancient artefacts.



It was another British science historian: Michael Wright who used a more advanced form of x-rays and found that Price’s ideas were inaccurate. Wright’s more accurate imaging (2D cross-sections through the fragments of the Antikythera mechanism found that the mechanism had three main dials, one on the front, and two on the back. The front dial has two concentric scales. The outer ring was marked off with the days of the 365 day Egyptian calendar, or the Sothic year. Inside the Sothic cycle, there was a second dial marked with the Greek signs of the Zodiac and divided into degrees. The calendar dial can be moved to compensate for the effect of the extra quarter day in the solar year (there are 365.2422 days per year) by turning the scale backwards one day every four years. It should be noted that this would place the mechanism anywhere between 50 to 100 years ahead of the introduction of the Julian calendar (introduced in 46BC). The front dial probably carried at least three hands, one showing the date, and two others showing the positions of the Sun and the Moon.


[The Musee des Arts et Metiers de Paris in the 3rd Arrondisement]

More recently, the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project have introduced even more exact imagining technology into the study of the device and found that they can now discern the writing on the cogs and dials. From the articles published in Nature, it is now known that the Antikythera mechanism also predicted the ancient Olympiad cycle. Hublot have brought the mechanism to life in a wrist watch form. Working with the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, Hublot have based their watch movement on the ancient mechanism. What is amazing is how relevant the Antikythera mechanism still is as a perpetual calendar and planetarium. Work carried out by the team at Hublot was to integrate the form and function of the ancient mechanism into a wrist watch form.


[Definitely the right place!]

Inspired by the Antikythera mechanism, and its use for measuring and timing the heavens, Hublot used the notion of a heavenly computer and incorporated this mechanism into a watch. I was lucky enough to be asked along to the launch event at the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris. Hublot have been working with the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project and with the results of the research produce a movement based on the Antikythera mechanism. I actually find all of this rather clever. In the first instance, Hublot is giving back to the scientific community and helping work on the very first mechanical movement. There is credit in that. In the second instance, Hublot can now utilise that knowledge and produce a micro movement of the Antikythera mechanism (although changes were made: such as winding spring and escapement!) for a watch. In the third instance, Hublot have sponsored an exhibition that brings the Antikythera mechanism to life and informs visitors to the Musee des Arts et Metiers de Paris (Museum of Arts and Crafts in Paris). The Musee des Arts et Metiers de Paris was a suitable place in which to house the exhibition. Founded in 1794, and housed in the deserted priory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs, the museum houses the collection of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (National Conservatory of Arts and Industry). It is an extensive and interesting collection and well worth a visit.


[Initially a lecture was given by two of the curators at the Musee on the Antikythera mechanism]




[The lecture also emphasised how the Hublot movement drew from the function and design of the cog wheels in the original Antikythera mechanism]

While the press release has already been issued (http://hublot.watchprosite.com/show-forumpost/fi-871/pi-4913798/ti-744538/s-0/ )I was one of the few journalists invited by Hublot to not only get a first sight of the new movement, developed by Hublot, but also to see the exhibition. As part of the exhibition there is a 2D and 3D film. The 3D film in particular is fascinating as it really does show the three dimensional element to the ancient mechanism. How, using modern x-ray technology, it has been possible to build a more complete picture of the mechanism, what was written on the wheels, and how it operated. The 2D version is available on YouTube and is worth a look: www.youtube.com The watch case and design will not be ready or available until after Baselworld 2012.







In the deconsecreated church, that now houses more mortal angels that flew on wings of hide and wood, the Director of the Museum and Jean-Claude Biver gave speeches that opened the exhibition, informed us all as to what Hublot had contributed, and the importance of the Antikythera mechanism watch to horology. The exhibition itself is housed in a part of the museum that deals with scientific instruments. I think the blue surround was supposed to resemble the fact that this discovery was recovered from the ocean floor. On one of the displays is a modern version of the Antikythera mechanism. Understandably, the original mechanism was far more simple in its display and made the predictions using a hand wound wheel on the side.







At the opposite side of the entrance, the exhibit has the 3D film on display and next to that the mechanism with a magnifying camera that displays the micro version of the Antikythera mechanism onto a screen. The Hublot movement is a true and authentic representation of the ancient Antikythera mechanism. While the Hublot version has a flying tourbillon escapement and a main spring, this is a faithful rendition of the ancient clock and computer.









I have yet to see the finished watch, and will wait to give final judgement until then, but at first sight, this is very promising work. The mechanism and complication look very interesting and for once, this is not simply a take on a perpetual calendar. This is a faithful rendition of the Antikythera mechanism into a wrist watch form. And with it, an innovative and interesting watch that will tell you the time on calendar's that you might not have known existed (I didnt!). It is a watch linked to the very first parts of horology and mechanical representations of our known universe, as well as providing a unique watch by which you can find yourself in your own personal universe and adopt whichever calendar you find suits you best. I have to say, I am very enamoured with the idea and the execution of the movement. I am looking forward to the end watch with some anticipation.



Thanks for reading

Andrew H This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-10-11 12:52:29 This message has been edited by KIH on 2011-10-21 21:01:18


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And you didn't invite me :(

 
 By: aaronm : October 11th, 2011-15:04
Looks like you got in on quite an evening! One minor correction, Antikythera is the town nearest to the site of the wreck, not the name of the ship. A

Thank you Andrew for the detailed report.

 
 By: KIH : October 11th, 2011-17:19
Now we better idea of what this is all about and the anticipation, expectation is being built up! This will be big whem the watch is announced in the near future. Kudos to Hublot for sponsoring the continuing the research and the exhibition. Thanks again,... 

They sponsor the research?

 
 By: BDLJ : October 17th, 2011-16:48
I thought they just payed for an exhibit to launch their watch....a launch in France....not Athens, the home of the AMRP

Interesting. Thank you

 
 By: VMM : October 11th, 2011-17:50
Nice pics. Vte

All these interesting things happen in Paris

 
 By: grigo : October 11th, 2011-21:26
and we are not even aware which is really to bad. In any event a very interesting post, I hope to see the mechanism myself one of these days. Best regards, George

Which model is it based on?

 
 By: BDLJ : October 12th, 2011-23:22
"The Hublot movement is a true and authentic representation of the ancient Antikythera mechanism". There are multiple physical models of the Antikythera Mechanism in existence. Which one did Hublot 'annoint'? I find it rather hard to take that they're cla... 

Truly fascinating stuff

 
 By: Davo : October 14th, 2011-17:41
The Antikythera mechanism is one of the most amazing pieces of ancient technology. Well done to Hublot for this great tribute.