HMT 1809
Description
A licensed build of a Citizen caliber is the Indian HMT 1809, a simple windup movement with a date display and a “grown-up” diameter of 11 1/2 lignes.
base plate
Although it appears rather crude visually (the inscriptions on the balance cock and the gear train bridge were stamped, not milled out), it is technically well-equipped.
All important bearings are equipped with jewels, and even the minute wheel runs in a jewel-bearing, thus leading to a total of 17 jewels.
base plate with minute wheel
No compromises were made in terms of design; the HMT 1809 features a classic central minute wheel.
gear train
This central minute wheel is followed by the third wheel, central seconds wheel, and escape wheel.
The escapement, of course, is a pallet lever escapement.
side view of the gear train
The large, two-leg Glucydur annular balance is screwless and mounted in two Citizen Parashock shock absorbers. It beats slowly with 18,000 A/h and can only be adjusted directly at the hairspring key.
yet empty dial side
On the yet empty dial side, you can see the unusually shaped, almost bent bell crank spring of the yoke winding system.
At position 11:30, you can see the recess for the date wheel.
calender machenism
Considering the rest of the construction, it has an unusually modern design, with a plastic lever on the front that allows a semi-quick adjustment by turning the time backwards and forwards.
Unfortunately, the date mechanism is not very service-friendly, as it, or more precisely, the locking lever at 8 o’clock, must be held under tension before the cover plate can be installed.
HMT 1809: Dial side
It’s probably not for nothing that all the jewels and the two pallets for anchors are accessible from the dial side, even with the date cover plate in place, for cleaning and oiling, for example.
In the lab
Timegrapher result
The movement disappoints on the timegrapher; despite the (repaired) damage, the rate is significantly too slow for a pallet lever movement. The movement is clearly in worse condition than visually apparent.| horizontal positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| dial up | +-0 s/d | 169° | 1.6ms |
| dial down | -2 s/d | 169° | 1.7ms |
| vertical positions | |||
| crown right (12 up) | -50 s/d | 140° | 1.6ms |
| crown up (3 up) | -20 s/d | 148° | 1.3ms |
| crown left (6 up) | -50 s/d | 153° | 2.2ms |
| crown down (9 up) | -50 s/d | 160° | 2.0ms |
Technical data
| Manufacturer: | HMT |
| Caliber: | 1809 |
| Size: | 11 1/2''' (measured: 25,9mm) |
| A/h: | 18000 |
| Number of jewels: | 17 |
| Escapement: | Pallet lever |
| Balance types: |
Glucydur anular balance (two legs) |
| Shock protection(s): |
Parashock 1 (Citizen) |
| Balance bearing / direction hairspring: | Clockwise |
| Moveable stud: | no |
| Adjust mechanism: | Hairspring key |
| Construction: |
|
| Construction type: | solid construction |
| Winding mechanism: | yoke winding system |
| Setting lever spring: | 2 hole(s) |
| Attachment of setting lever: | plugged |
| Features: |
|
| Inventory number: | 23077 |
Usage gallery
HMT Tareeg gents watch