In Rouen, watchmakers are preparing for the transition to winter time. The mechanisms, which must be wound by hand, are sometimes very fragile.
Among Rouen watchmakers, switching to winter time is done delicately. On old mechanisms, there are some precautions to respect.
“The particularity is that we go back one hour and most movements are not designed to go back the time. This risks damaging the mechanism,” explains Christophe Clouet, watchmaker at the Atelier Horlogerie.
To limit breakage, Christophe has several techniques: stop the mechanism for an hour or go all the way around the dial. The principle is the same for watches, even if recent models are less likely to be damaged.
“Set time and date”
In recent days, one of the jewelers in downtown Rouen has noticed a slight increase in traffic. At the workshop, several customers inquire and ask for advice.
“They don't necessarily know how the watch works, so to avoid disrupting it, they go down to the after-sales service so that we can adjust the time and date,” says Franck Lefrançois, manager of the Lepage jewelry store. in Rouen.
In the streets of Rouen, the Gros-Horloge is one of the city's emblematic monuments. It tells the time to each of the locals and tourists. To save yourself the headache each year, the dial is automated. This operation ensures precision.
Time change this Sunday
“It is managed entirely electronically by a radio-controlled clock. It receives a signal from an atomic clock which sets it perfectly on time and which also manages time changes,” confides Dominique Charlet, advisor to the interview at Gros-Holorge in Rouen.
This year, the time change will take effect this Sunday, October 27 at 3 a.m., so it will be 2 a.m.
Mathis Menu, Vincent Serron and Julie Benmoussa