Swiss luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe has created what it calls a technological advance for mechanical wristwatches: a thinner balance spring of a silicon-based material, which increases the precision of mechanical movements and allows for thinner timepieces. The innovation was unveiled in January and is on display this month at BaselWorld, the international watch, clock, and jewelry fair in Basel, Switzerland. Basically, Patek Philippe's new balance spring significantly improves the isochronism (literally, “same time”) of a mechanical wristwatch, that is, its ability to maintain accurate timekeeping whether fully wound or not. The innovative material, operation, and design of Patek Philippe's patented Spiromax spring are much different from conventional springs. They also can be made three times thinner than standard springs, allowing for ultrathin mechanical movements. Accor