Ranfft Sunset
This has been noted on other forums, but not yet on WatchCrunch, but Dr. Roland Ranfft died on June 15, 2023. He was 72 years old. He compiled the most complete watch movement database on the internet. For those of us who can't tell an A.S. 1187 from an FHF 97 from muscle memory, his site was invaluable. It stopped working over the holidays.
There are two ways to still access the data. The Wayback Machine has captured it, but there won't be any real search feature. Also, a clever computer engineer planned for this exact moment and created a back-up. Bookmark these for future reference.
We should all thank Dr. Ranfft for the service that he provided to this community and the collectors that he never knew. His database retained knowledge that was being lost at an alarming rate. If you ever asked a question about an old watch chances are that the answer that you received was based in part on what was in the Ranfft database.
There really should be a push to get one of our organizations devoted to this history such as the NAWCC or AWCI to maintain such a database. It could be financed and supported by the Swatch Group, Seiko, Citizen, and Rolex as part of their commitment to the community. It should not just rely on the work of one man.
Restitutor Orbis. Aristocrat of beauty. Autocrat of time. (Trying to perfect trolling over at theescapementroom.com)
Sounds like this gentleman was a legend of epic stature and great renown. May his memory be blessing to all who knew and loved him.
Thanks Aurelian for commemorating his passing. His site is/was/is filled with horological history. I looked up my J80 680.70 and the JLC ebauche 450 there; like you said, hopefully his work will be continued!
Do you know if the database information was ever submitted to NAWCC? I think that is how the acquire much of their information.
If only one of those prolific YouTubers that are in it "for the Love of the hobby" could step up and become a good steward of this project....
Do you know if the database information was ever submitted to NAWCC? I think that is how the acquire much of their information.
I have seen discussion in their forums that they don't have the funds for this sort of work. Sounds like they need a grant writer.
I have seen discussion in their forums that they don't have the funds for this sort of work. Sounds like they need a grant writer.
I have not been on there forums as much as I should. I joined a year ago to help support them and the museum and will continue to do so.
Wow, thank you for telling us about him. That's awesome work. Nearly 11.000 items in his list.
RIP Dr. Ranfft
I used the "advanced search" function to identify hundreds of movements. It was an innovative idea - filter movements by their design characteristics - beautifully executed. Not only did he photograph and list all those movements, he also recorded a ton of metadata for each one - what design of hairspring stud, what winding mechanism, what location of balance and stem release. Plus tons of info about production dates and variations to bridges and finishing.
He also catalogued, with commentary, many vintage watches offered on ebay as well as just movements.
An absolute giant. I doubt we'll see his like again.
A significant loss for everyone who
Thank you for posting. 🙏
I have seen discussion in their forums that they don't have the funds for this sort of work. Sounds like they need a grant writer.
Just curious, but what would the costs be?
It pains me that I had never heard of this bloke before. He was clearly a giant in his field. Thank you for posting this and raising awareness of his outstanding contribution.
Just curious, but what would the costs be?
The cost is probably time. It would take a full time researcher years to amass that database. In addition to photographing and cataloguing, that person would have to have more than a novice watchmaker's knowledge of what they were looking at. Ranfft noted shock protection systems, power reserves, and other features of movements. There were aspects about certain movements that he did not know, differences in a series of closely related calibers, that sort of thing. That database had mistakes, but it was always a starting point.
As clever as he was... he missed a trick in not calling it tickipedia...
I'm here all week.. try the veal
😎
Yea, saw this in the latest NAWCC letter. A great loss to the community. Didn't know the site had stopped working though. Thanks for the links.
If only one of those prolific YouTubers that are in it "for the Love of the hobby" could step up and become a good steward of this project....
True. That said, I can't really blame them for not caring about that sort of thing though. They have to give the people, in this case "us, the watch community", what they want and people don't want to talk or learn about movements. Sadly, the watch hobby isn't really about watches and mechanisms but brands and pricing.
Case in point, this post. It receives no attention. Why? If you ask me it's because appreciating what Ranfft's database was requires the understanding that watch movements can differ beyond power reserve, beat rate and whether they have a quickset and hacking function. And not only are most "enthusiasts" lacking that understanding and categorise (Swiss) movements as ETA/Sellita (less branding prestige) and "in-house/manufacture" (more branding prestige), so there's basically two types of movements and no need for a data base, but there is no desire to learn anything. It's much more fashionable and simpler to rank brands.
True. That said, I can't really blame them for not caring about that sort of thing though. They have to give the people, in this case "us, the watch community", what they want and people don't want to talk or learn about movements. Sadly, the watch hobby isn't really about watches and mechanisms but brands and pricing.
Case in point, this post. It receives no attention. Why? If you ask me it's because appreciating what Ranfft's database was requires the understanding that watch movements can differ beyond power reserve, beat rate and whether they have a quickset and hacking function. And not only are most "enthusiasts" lacking that understanding and categorise (Swiss) movements as ETA/Sellita (less branding prestige) and "in-house/manufacture" (more branding prestige), so there's basically two types of movements and no need for a data base, but there is no desire to learn anything. It's much more fashionable and simpler to rank brands.
Right? It's too frequently left to the artisans, specialists and patrons to ensure that accumulated expertise and institutional knowledge isn't lost. It's almost always a labor of love when the monetization isn't easy.
My wife is the curator and founding member of a very niche musuem that doesn't have broad appeal but is irreplaceable to those wanting to know more about It's focus. She'll never be financially rewarded for her time and energy but a certain satisfying legacy will endure.
While Longines and a few others do a great job of preserving their history I suspect other makers aren't interested in preserving a database that extends the life of watches already in existence since there isn't any obvious money in that for them. Perhaps some type of watchmakers guild or association would step up.
The same disinterest occurs with YouTubers focused on showcasing the latest rollouts with the not so subliminal message of click, click, click, buy, buy, buy. The channels featuring vintage pieces and movement repairs are only viewed by the geekiest among us including me.