Bidynator

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 became an innovator in the 1930s with designer Friedrich Meyer, who patented an automatic winding mechanism in 1942. A bi-directional winding mechanism was patented in 1947 by Meyer. Because of Felsa's successful bi-directional automatic winding system, they were allowed to specialize in automatic movements by the cartel of Swiss movement makers, Ebauches SA, along with ETA and A. Schild.

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.

• 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

• 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

• Felsa
• Automatic