I’ll get it out of the way first. I do not make the movements in the watches I sell. There are folks in Switzerland who are much better at that sort of thing.
But I do make everything else, the case, the dials, the crown, hands and casebooks. I didn’t think much of this until I started calling around to other micro brand watch makers asking for advice on machining or finishing techniques. And quickly found that, with very few exceptions, all of them simply hire folks in europe or Asia to design, machine and assemble their watches for them. And then stick a cute logo on the dial and make up a story about how their grandfather was a steam engine driver who needed a watch.
Many of the micro brands are fine watches made by qualified craftspeople in well equipped factories. But there’s a disconnect between you the buyer, and the fella (almost certainly with a degree in marketing) selling you a watch and a story.
When I started this project I wanted a challenge. And I wanted to make the best possible watch I could. That began with the idea of just making the watch case and finding someone else who could laser cut the dial and hands. When I couldn’t find someone who could cut the hands I made a machine to do it myself. The same thing happened with the dial. And then I found that the borrowed lathe and mill I was using to make the cases I had in mind. So I made a CNC mill to cut those.
I couldn’t find a commercially available crown which fit the Orbital Chronograph so I spent three months designing, prototyping, testing and finally making the best possible crown for that project.
I could go on, each piece I make has required countless hours of research, calling around for help, prototyping, jig making, testing, retesting and head against walling.
Design
In my design I draw inspiration from many places, vintage watch designs, childhood memories, the human form, a train trip across France. Through a sometimes months long period of doodling, cad mockups and aluminum prototypes a new watch design emerges.
Function and purpose is paramount in each of my watches. And to highlight these
In my photography work I always found that my best images were the ones made by most effectively using shadow. The absence of light drew the eye to what really mattered. The same philosophy is used with my watch designs.
The dials are stripped of everything not needed for telling time, the cases skip any extra mentions of depth ratings and materials used. If you buy a watch you know those details already.
Case couture
My cases are designed and built around the components used and desired durability goals, the gaskets needed for a specified depth rating and a desired dial diameter. Once the dimensional and survivability needs are met, function steps aside as form smooths out the edges and nudges contours to wrap around a wrist and provide a comfortable wearing experience.
I use the best materials available from trusted suppliers. This includes Grade 5 titanium, 316 and 8-18 Stainless Steels NBR, Viton and Silicone gaskets and incredibly durable Sapphire crystals with anti reflective coatings.
Dial debauchery
Seemingly a simple part of a watch, a flat surface with some markings painted on.
And then you try to make one of these damn things.
The human eye has a remarkable ability to pick out minor imperfections and the smaller and more detailed what you’re looking at becomes, the more this is true. I spent months trying to get a dial I liked. And then months more making a second, and then a couple of years learning consistency with that.
My dials are different than many. Rather than a simple flat piece of stamped brass, they are machined three dimensional parts which wrap up and around the movement and act as a direct link to the watch case. This design replaces the traditional movement holder which most watches use thus reducing parts, weight and complexity.
Instead of attached lume indices I’ve opted to machine the dial markings directly into the dial. This gives me a deep well to fill with lume for a brighter, longer lasting glow. And also allows me to move the hands closer to the dial, thereby reducing the overall thickness of the watch.
These dials are then ceramic coated before being pad printed and lume applied.
It’s not the easiest way to do it but I’d like to think the results are worth the headache.
Hand hijinx
My hands are machined from billet and are one piece designs.* Most of my watch designs use titanium hands for the light weight and ability to spring back after hard knocks. Finishing options include ceramic coating, lacquer, anodizing or polishing.
*I was referring here to the watch hands. My actual hands are meaty, sausage-fingered lumps which really have no business anywhere near a wristwatches interior.
crown crafting
For the first watch I designed and built I was going to use non-oem Rolex 7mm crowns because I like that they used threaded case tubes and were easily available. After much experimentation I found that Rolex designed their own proprietary thread for the case tubes and you have to buy the taps from them.
This annoyed me.
So for the second watch I designed I also designed my own crown and case tube. I also learned a lot about machining including thread milling which would technically allow me to copy the Rolex threads in my watch case and use those Rolex crowns.
But since I already did the design work, I’ll stick with my own.
On my currently available watches the crowns are titanium triple seal screw downs in either 6.5 or 7mm. All have threaded case tubes which use standard Torx bits for removal. No fancy proprietary tools needed here :)
DIY CNC… And more!
There are good machines and there are cheap machines.
And then there are mediocre but expensive machines. I chose to build several of those.