3235 vs. 3135

[Tridor]

I've read where the barrel on the new 3235 movement has been thinned substantially in order to achieve the 70 hour power reserve. If true, does this thinning of the barrel make the 3235 less robust than the 3135?

[watchwatcher]

Not in my experience.

[jabbawock545]

Rolex would not have released something that hadn't been tested to death.


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[Tridor]

Not suggesting that the the 3235 is bad. Just wondering whether it is less robust than the older movement due to thinning of the barrel.

[subtona]

Originally Posted by Tridor

Not suggesting that the the 3235 is bad. Just wondering whether it is less robust than the older movement due to thinning of the barrel.

Doesn't sound like something I would like?
Is that the accepted industry solution to extend power reserve?

[Etschell]

Doubtful. Rolex makes workhorse movements.

[TG3N]

I'm no technical expert, but I believe Rolex achieved the greater power reserve simply by fitting a greater capacity mainspring in the barrel (presumably either by lengthening or thickening the spring, or both).

Sounds pretty obvious, but in order to do so without installing a bigger barrel to contain the bigger mainspring, they instead thinned the barrel walls to allow for more space.

So yes, the barrel walls are thinner.

However - and again, I'll defer to someone more technically qualified - but I don't think that would make a huge difference to 'robustness'. The mainspring is a coil, so the force exerted by same will presumably be exerted equally (and therefore spread) across the 360 degree barrel, which seems to me an efficient distribution of force.

When speaking of a watch or movement's overall robustness, I'd think the KIF, Paraflex etc. shock system, hairspring composition, case strength and overall movement architecture (e.g. full balance bridge) would all play a much bigger role that the thickness of the barrel walls, so I don't think it necessarily follows that it's less robust in a practical, everyday usage sense.

Plus, as already stated, Rolex's R&D process seems to me to lend itself more towards proven testing & suitability, as opposed to rushing innovations out less than fully worked-through.

Just a thought.

[Magwitch]

I think the new chronergy escapement is more efficient needing less power and providing a longer run time.

[MrInternational]

Originally Posted by Magwitch

I think the new chronergy escapement is more efficient needing less power and providing a longer run time.

This plus the greater space available in the barrel give the additional capacity. In fact nearly half of the power reserve increase is due to the escapement enhancements. Per the Rolex website:

Thanks to a new barrel architecture and the escapement’s superior efficiency, the power reserve of calibre 3255 extends to three days.

...The Chronergy escapement of calibre 3255, developed and patented by Rolex, is an optimized version of the Swiss lever escapement. Its energy efficiency has been enhanced while preserving its reliability....Together, these modifications to the geometry have increased the efficiency of the escapement by 15 per cent, contributing to almost half of calibre 3255’s enhanced power reserve.

...The efficiency of the gear-train has been optimized. Rolex has also developed and synthesizes in-house exclusive high-performance lubricants with a considerably longer useful life and greater stability over time....

...To increase the capacity of the mainspring in calibre 3255 without increasing the size of the barrel housing it, Rolex decided to optimize the space inside the barrel by reducing by half the thickness of its walls. This solution represented a considerable challenge both for machining and for the production process, pushing the boundaries of the industry’s current production methods. The resulting gain in space allowed for the accommodation of a mainspring with greater capacity, thereby increasing the movement’s autonomy by more than 10 hours....

https://m.rolex.com/watches/rolex-wa...ibre-3255.html


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[Etschell]

Nice find.