#constant force

📅 Saturday, August 8, 2026 To combat the decreasing torque of an unwinding mainspring, master watchmakers developed the remontoire d’égalité. This ingenious auxiliary spring delivers a perfectly constant pulse of power to the escapement, and it automatically rewinds itself from the mainspring every few seconds in a mesmerizing mechanical dance. Category: Fun Quirk Disclaimer: Every effort has…

In 1913 a clock was added to the basilica of Saint Plechelmus in Oldenzaal, Netherlands. This grand clock would later come under the care of a man named Gerhard Louis Grönefeld, a local watchmaker known by everyone as Johan. In 1974, Johan passed responsibility to his son Johannes Grönefeld.

The Grönefeld 1941 Remontoire, introduced at Baselworld 2016, is the next step in the ongoing evolution of the Grönefeld brothers’ burgeoning dynasty, and it references their personal and local history leading up to this moment. The watch’s concept revolves around a key feature, the remontoire, which also references the church clock.

As part of my “enthusiast collector” role here at Quill & Pad I will be taking a look at watches that strike my fancy, and sharing the visual results with you along with a few observations on photography, the watches themselves, and the collectors who own them. Let’s get started, shall we? Our subject for this episode: the F.P. Journe Tourbillon Souverain with remontoir d’égalité.