Paul Wyler founded his company in 1896 and his quest was to build the most robust watches possible. Amongst Wyler’s numerous innovations to ‘better withstand the rigours of everyday life’- and probably the most notable - was the Incaflex balance wheel with built-in shock-absorbing arms that offer the watch movement great protection.
Wyler’s obsession with shock resistance and the robustness of his timepieces earned his company a reputation as a manufacturer of some of the world’s toughest watches, so much so that publicity for them ‘involved dropping the watches from iconic tall buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, with a notary confirming that they continued to function after their harsh landing some 300 metres below’. It made great reading, was good for business and certainly helped to bolster the brand’s reputation.
Wyler Genève’s latest model, the Wyler Genève Chronograph, has a triple protection system: the Incaflex balance wheel in the movement, a highly original sprung case and a unique form of crown protection to offer optimum shock resistance.





The Wyler Genève Chronograph
As a tribute to its founder, Wyler Genève will present a Limited Edition of 3,999 chronographs at Baselworld 2007 in a choice of 18 carat red gold, platinum, titanium or stainless steel.
The design of the Wyler Chronograph draws its inspiration from the automotive world. The crown, for example, comes in the same metal as the case but is covered in grooved rubber to resemble a car tyre. The rubber also offers improved grip compared with a standard metal crown. The chronograph pushers in the form of a car’s foot pedals continue the automobile theme and the rubber strap with its signature ‘W’ pattern also recalls the tread of a tyre.
The Incaflex balance wheel in the movement is housed in a contemporary case and the watch movement is suspended within the case and cushioned by springs, in the same manner as an automobile’s axles are suspended on the chassis by shock absorbers. The two-piece case and sapphire crystal back are then screwed on to this assembly in a sandwich-like construction. The result is a sturdy timepiece that offers a unique form of shock absorption.
With no concessions allowed in terms of robustness, titanium screws are used to secure the fastening buckle to the strap, which is attached directly to the watchcase by screws fed through the caseback. A crown lock protects the crown against shocks and has to be pulled out on both sides before any adjustments can be made offering further protection.





The dial and sprung screws
The black-based dial is divided into inner and outer zones with contrasting brushed surfaces and are separated by the applied counter ring that is secured with screws. The watch has a date window at 4 o’clock, matching facetted skeleton hands with SuperLuminova tips to indicate the hours, minutes and chronograph hours and minutes, whilst red hands are used for the central chronograph seconds and continuous seconds. The outer minute track, chronograph counter ring and the Arabic numerals are all applied – and match the colour of the case metal. A scratch-resistant sapphire crystal ensures the chronograph’s clear readability.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Wyler Genève Chronograph are the four visible sprung titanium screws that show off the watch’s unique suspension system. The custom-built screws fix the separate case front and back to the carbon fibre middle section in which the movement is suspended in its titanium holder. Thanks to the sapphire crystal apertures surrounding the screws, the whole intricate system can be seen in action as it elegantly absorbs any pressure on the watch movement.

The movement
Excellent timekeeping is ensured by a proven self-winding chronograph calibre, which has a 42-hour power reserve and is fitted with the original Wyler Incaflex balance wheel. Considered revolutionary at the time of its invention in 1927, Wyler’s Incaflex balance wheel incorporates two flexible curved arms across its diameter that absorb any shocks to the wheel. The central chronograph hand displays elapsed time to a quarter of a second and is complemented by a small continuous seconds dial at 9 o’clock and a date window at 4 o’clock.
This exclusive and eye-catching Limited Edition of the Wyler Genève Chronograph will be the last Wyler Genève collection to use the Incaflex balance wheel. A candidate for the history books? Well at least a must for watch aficionados.


Source: Europa Star April-May 2007 Magazine Issue