Nivarox

Nivarox (full business name Nivarox - FAR SA) is a Swiss company formed by a merger in 1984 between Nivarox SA and Fabriques d'Assortiments Réunis (FAR). It is currently owned by the Swatch Group.^[1] Nivarox is also the trade name of the metallic alloy from which its products are fabricated. Nivarox is most famous for producing hairsprings which are attached to the balance wheel inside a mechanical watch movement, as well as mainsprings which provide the motive power for the watch.

The Nivarox story began in 1933 when Dr. Straumann perfected the process of hairspring manufacturing in his Waldenbourg laboratory. FAR was the corporate name chosen in 1932 for the entity comprising several companies and subsidiaries located in Le Locle, Switzerland, manufacturing various watch components.

Nivarox alloy

As a trade name, Nivarox is a German acronym for "Nicht variabel oxydfest" (G.) or "Non-Variable Non-Oxidizing" (E.). The Nivarox alloy is a metallic alloy used mainly in the watch industry, but also in other micro-machine industries and in certain medical equipment and surgical instruments. There are several variations of the Nivarox alloy depending upon the intended application. They contain too little of iron and thus are not stainless steel alloys per se despite the chromium percentage, but cobalt-based specialty alloys with a 42–48% concentration of cobalt, other alloying elements including nickel (15–25%) and chromium (16–22%), along with small amounts of iron, titanium and beryllium. Hairsprings made of this alloy are wear-resistant; they are practically non-magnetic and non-rusting and possess a very low coefficient of thermal expansion.

When used for critical watch components, the alloy reduces errors due to temperature variation. Along with the earlier alloy Elinvar, this alloy made obsolete the expensive compensation balance.^[2] Nivarox springs are now used by most watchmakers worldwide. The alloys also see limited use for specific components of sensitive scientific instruments.^[3]

Nivaflex

Nivaflex NM, NO, NE, 45/5 and 45/18 are various alloys used for the mainsprings of watches. The NO, NM, NE, 45/5 and 45/18, are generally the same alloy (e.g. 45% Cobalt + 21% Nickel + 18% Chromium + 5% Iron + 4% Tungsten + 4% Molybdenum + 1% Titanium) except that the Nivaflex 45/5 has an additional 0.2% Beryllium.

References

1. ^ Financial Times Article
2. ^ Under the Loupe: The Hairspring
3. ^ Hermann Simon mentioned this company in his correspondent book as an example of a "Hidden Champion" (Simon, Hermann: Hidden Champions of the 21st Century : Success Strategies of unknown World Market Leaders. London: Springer, 2009.- ISBN 978-0-387-98147-5.)