Bidynator

Bydantor

Bidynator was a brand name for a series of automatic watch movements produced by Felsa from 1942 through the 1960's. It was the first successful movement with bi-directional winding.

Felsa introduced their first automatic movement with bi-directional winding in 1942. Cal. 410, and the associated ladies model, Cal. 380, were revolutionary but World War II interrupted production and development. Cal. 410 was only produced for a short while before the more-refined Cal. 690 was introduced in 1947 to replace it. These movements were very similar, with many interchangeable parts, but the new series had a longer power reserve (43 rather than 32 hours) and were produced in much greater volume.

Movements

Bidynator Automatic Movements

First generation

• Felsa 410 - (1942) 11.5 ligne, 17 jewels, 18,000 A/h, sub seconds
• Felsa 415 - (1942) 11.5 ligne, 17 jewels, 18,000 A/h, central seconds
• Felsa 380/381 - (1942) Ladies calibre, 8.75 ligne, 17 jewels, 18,000 A/h
• Felsa 382 - (1942) Ladies calibre, 9.75 ligne, 17 jewels, 18,000 A/h

Post-war

• Felsa 690/691/696/698 - (1947) 11.5 ligne, 17/21/25 jewels, 18,000 A/h
• Felsa 692 - central seconds, date
• Felsa 692N - central seconds, date, 24 hour hand
• Felsa 693 - central seconds, four pushers to set day, date, month, and moon phase, optional Incastar regulator
• Felsa 694 - central seconds, date set by pusher at 8:00
• Felsa 695 - sub seconds
• Felsa 697 - central seconds, day, date
• Felsa 699 - "Permutator" - central seconds, 44 hour central power reserve indicator wheel

Jewel rotor bearings

• Felsa 700/700N/701/701N/703/703N/706/706N/709 - 9.5 ligne, 17/21 jewels, 18,000 A/h, 38 hour power reserve
• Felsa 702 - date
• Felsa 705/705N/708 - sub seconds
• Felsa 710/711 - 11.5 ligne, 17/21/25/30 jewels, 18,000 A/h, 43 hour power reserve
• Felsa 712 - date
• Felsa 713 - power reserve indicator
• Felsa 715 - date, sub seconds
• Felsa 760 - "Permutator" - power reserve indicator hand at 9:00, date wheel
• Felsa 714 - 15.25 ligne
• Felsa 714-2 - 15.25 ligne, date
• Felsa 790 - 11.5 ligne, 17/22/25 jewels, 18,000 A/h, 43 hour power reserve
• Felsa 792 - date
• Felsa 799 - power reserve indicator

Post-Bidynator Automatic Movements

• Felsa 1560/1561 - 11.5 ligne, 17/21/25/30 jewels, 18,000 A/h, 43 hour power reserve
• Felsa 1565 - "Inversator" - power reserve indicator
• Felsa 1566 - power reserve indicator
• Felsa 1572: date

Automatic/manual-winding family (400x = automatic, 401x = manual)

• Felsa 4000/4010, 4005/4015 - 11.5 ligne, 17/21/25/30 jewels, 18,000 A/h, 43 hour power reserve
• Felsa 4002/4012, 4003/4013 - date
• Felsa 4006/4016 - day, date
• Felsa 4007/4017 - quickset date, modified automatic bridge
• Felsa 4000N/4010N, 4005N/4015N - modified date mechanism
• Felsa 4004/4014 - date
• Felsa 4007N/4017N - quickset date
• Felsa 4008/4018, 4009/4019 - day, quickset date

Links

• Felsa
• Switzerland
• Watch Movements
• Main Page