Reply With QuoteThis sort of work fascinates me, any more examples of your work, even if it's not watches?
Folks, Let me first introduce myself:
Originally i'm a Toolmaker, i used to make punching and drawing dies, as well as injectionmould, and i've also worked on medical instruments.
Sadly, i lost my job in 2013, but... I still had my machines.
in 2007 i built a 4 axes CNC Milling machine, mainly for scalemodelling, but, as it turned out, this little critter was also more than capable to machine titanium.
I couldn't help myself, when a Heidenhain CNC Control Keyboard was offered, i bought it and hooked it up to my machine.
i've worked a lot with Heidenhain Controls, so now i have the same keyboard, and i mimmicked most of the functions.
I also have a conventional lathe, but in 2014 i bought an Emco Compact 5 CNC lathe, to which i hooked up a new CNC Controller, the same as the controller on the milling machine, so i have similar controls for ease of work.
And, after some experimenting with aluminium, i made my first Titanium watch
This was noticed by some Dutch Watchbrands, and before long, i was asked to participate in a project for the Dutch watch forum www.horlogeforum.nl, to make the HFLE (Horloge Forum Limited Edition) a watch issued for members of the forum.
the P1lot One, a 43 mm Pilot's watch, with an ETA/Unitas 6498-1 Elaboré Coated Double Dome sapphire Crystal and a sandwich dial.
This sort of work fascinates me, any more examples of your work, even if it's not watches?
Very cool. I admire your skill.
Welkom and an interesting story! Please tell more, seems quite fascinating and really love the machining finish this gives!
the first picture i could find:
inside the CNC mill, i've made a collet system that fits both the lathe and the CNC mill.
i just milled out a watchcase...
Brilliant! I very much admire people who actually do something in this hobby other than merely spending funds.
Cheers,
Christian
I didn't understand half of what you just said, but it's very cool indeed.
The Pilot in the OP looks really good
Welcome to the forum
Last edited by asteclaru; 2nd May 2017 at 15:13.
All "born out of neccessity" since, without a job, i don't have the funds..
A CNC Lathe will normally set you back €30.000,-, but.. when i refurbish an old lathe, i can get me one for €1500,- including a new CNC Control.
I also make my own crystal gaskets when needed.
Very cool.
Perhaps a random question, but what do you do with all that swarf?
Originally Posted by asteclaru
That happens a lot.. a lot of watch lovers don't even have something remotely close to a clue as of how watches are actually made..
Then.. there are some people around that have "sort of a clue" because they can operate metal working machines, some even know how to use CNC machines.. and then.. there's me... i even wrote CNC Software to program my machines quicker, i built my own machines, and when i watch an episode of "how it's made" i often feel unsatified, because they don't show all.
Swarf is saved in a bin, and every once in a while i take it to a used metal depot, i get some cash for it, and they will recycle it, melting it back together..
Ah, good, still some value as scrap. Assumed it would need proper channels for disposal.
I wish I had the vision, skill, and patience to do something like this. Good work
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Nice work👍
Nice to see, I have a couple of lathes and a small mill, admire your skill!
Goat
I wish I had the time and the space to do something like this. Fascinating.
Welcome to the forum arie, great skill set you have there!
Mike
Awesome stuff! I have major tool-envy!
Vision can be obtained by prolonged exposure to technology , Patience and Skill can be trained.
As i stated before.. i am a toolmaker.. one does not become one overnight, i started out as a welder/mechanic, and after a few years i went back to school, and i got another job.. toolmaker, i had to learn it in order to keep that job, but i succeeded, learning CNC machining along the way.. that's why i wanted to have my own CNC machine, to make all kinds of stuff at home, for scalemodelling at first, but for watchparts later..
I also got some decent 3D Design Software, to design watches, and this is a design i'm working on right now:
This model is in the making at this very moment, 42 mm, Titanium case, caseback and bezel, sapphire crystal, STP 1-11 Automatic movement.
Designing a watch is only one step in the process, but actually building it is a different story alltogether.
Fresh from the machine... how this was made..i guess you all want to know right?.. well.. maybe i'll show you.. just ask kindly
This is absolutely fascinating to me and I admire your skill and determination to succeed
Like a few others it's all foreign to me but I would love to be able to do what you can!!
Chris
would make an interesting blog.. I would love to follow your progress!
My son has scale RC boats and cars(rock crawlers) well when I say my son what I mean is my son has allowed me to have all the toys I felt I missed out on as a kid🤗
Your skills and the CNC machine would make some fantastic bits for some of that😳😳
A lot is 3D printed for weight but when you want that absolute scale look, metal is the only way to go😉👍🏻
Chris
i'm also a member of a dutch CNC Forum, and a lot of people that have CNC machines in their shed do indeed make RC parts, like shocktowers, suspensionparts, quadcopterframes and other things.. i could very well make those things too..
when i just finished the machine, i made parts for my Ducati Motorbike, i made a luggage compartment in the back of the seat, and it needed a proper locking mechanism, so i made that, i also made keychains resembling a brakefluid reservoir.
The lid unscrews, and i have this to store my earplugs.
All these things were "practice" every time i took it one step further, from basic parts, to really intricate parts for watches, i even made some cases for other dutch watch brands..
over the last few years i've done these projects to "Train" myself, to hone my skills, to get better and better at what i do, and now... i feel it is time to get my watchbrand started, and you are all invited for the ride.
Welcome to the forum. Some great skills exhibited there. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome to the forum - and a very impressive beginning. As a matter of interest what are the computer file formats that you use to make your case designs; I'm trying to get an idea of how the process works?
Ok.. so how is a watchcase actually made..
I start out with a titanium ring, since my Titanium supplier knows i regularly purchase titanium for watchcases, he added these rings (Caseblanks) to his assortment.
These rings are first put in the lathe, in a regular 3jaw chuck, to turn the bottom and the inside Like so:
Then, the part is taken out, and the 3jaw chuck is replaced by a special colletholder with a collet, which i designed and made myself after seeing such a system in "how it's made"..
the collet is perfectly centered on the machine, so when i put the caseblank back on, it is clamped on the inside of the case, so that is also perfectly centered.
I then proceed with turning the front and outside, the seat for the crystal and the outside profile and diameter, as well as machining the entire part to final thickness.
After turning it looks like this..
And then, the case is transferred to the mill, using the same collet system.
to mill out the contour of the case, and in this case also the back of the case, because the case isn't derived from a turned proflie
I really like your titanium watch, Arie, a very tasteful design, and I don't think I've seen this kind of case engraving before. Congratulations on the other project, too, it looks like you really know your stuff.
It's rare that a thread on here has me reach for the keyboard but this is one of those times. An excellent post! I'm wearing a piece that uses a case constructed for a chap that goes by the name of Athaya. He started small and now produces complete pieces for sale. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
I'm full of admiration. I would love to try this but I'm lacking time skill and patience. Do you see yourself just doing this for your own interest or eventually selling some pieces?
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My aim, after 3 years of "practicing" is to finally start production, and sell my watches.
by "practicing" i mean building watches, making dials, hands, crowns and tubes.
It started with building my first titanium watch:
The Dumet Instrument 2
After which i was asked to make a number of watchcases for a dutch start-up brand.
Then, i got involved in the manufacturing of the P1lot One.
and this watch pushed my skills to another level, being the first watchcase with a screw in Caseback, and a pressed in bezel, with a gasket and 30M water resistance rating.. And a Sandwich dial with recessed sub-seconds dial, which meant i had to machine the topdial of the sandwich from 0.3mm down to 0.15mm thickness.but more was yet to come..
Because when that project, 52 watches, was finished, i was approached by Hubert Pellikaan of Pellikaan timing, a Fellow dutch watchbrand.
He asked me, can you build a dive watch case?. with a unidirectional bezel and 300M water resistance?
I said "sure!" and he then replied "ok, go right ahead, and build me a prototype.
So.. i then started thinking.. a Unidirectional bezel.. how on earth am i going to do that?.. well.. i fired up my 3D Cad, and i started designing, and i found a way to pull it off.. and i made him this:
The "Pellikaan Diving Dutchman", as usual from Titanium Grade 5, since i don't do stainless steel, as stainless steel is for kitchen utensils
This turned out to be the most challenging case i had ever made, the lugs had to be 3D milled, and the case finish had to be top notch.. but i managed, and i also got to do the production.
Later on, i was asked to do manufacturing of the first model of Subdelta Watches, yet another dutch brand, founded by someone i also worked with in the P1lot One project.
25 pieces of the Subdelta Periscope, a 24 hour onehand watch with an automatic Raketa movement
Last year i found a secondhand Boley Lathe, which i bought, and.. since i don't have any "Watchmaking" or "fine mechanics" education, had to figure out everything, so i started practicing making small parts, starting with windingstem tubes, and from that things like correctorpushers
Because, in the mean time, a customer had given me an old Movado 470 Caliber, with Calendar function which needed two correctors to set date and month.. He asked me to make a new case for this movement (another first, this is my first "Front-loader"
so, after all these "practice"projects, i feel now it is finally time to get my company really going.. i have 3 designs up my sleeve, the one i already posted, the Dumet Instrument 3, but also the instrument 2 , the one also shown here, my first titanium watch, and the instrument 1, a dress watch, with a classic case design.. the instrument 1 and 3 will be available in 39mm while the instrument 2 is a 42mm, and there will also be a 42mm instrument 3.
Plans at the moment, there's a "Dutch Watch Showcase" on may 27th, in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
There i will show my watches, to get more exposure, and later i intend to start a crowdfunding.
This is fantastic, thanks for posting.
Great read and that Pellikaan is very nice, although 20atm not 30. Very well done you and I hope you continue to build your skills and business!
Fantastic post - keep us updated.
BTW why don't you like stainless - is it harder to work with?
The Pellikkan dive watch and the Subdelta are gorgeous
Everyone is using Stainless.. i'm not everyone.. stainless steel contains up to 24% nickel, and nickel is known to create skin conditions on people that are allergic to it, Titanium however is hypo-allergenic, biocompatibel even, that's why it is widely used in medical implants like artifical joints
Titanium is light, very corrosion resistant, it has a slightly darker hue, and it is also a bad thermal conductor, meaning if you put on your watch, have breakfast, it will take the temperature of your body, and it will keep that temperature for a long time, it will not "instantly"drop when you walk out into a snowstorm, protecting the inside, the movement and the dial from temperature shocks.
and indeed.. i do not like machining stainless.. tools to mill it cost a fortune, and they don't last long, Titanium, although a very tough, and hard material is much more "forgiving" on tools..
Titanium is also hard to work with, but over the years i managed to "Tame" the material, turning and milling it on a daily basis really schools you on machining this tough precious metal.
Yes, i regard it as a precious metal, though abundant in quantity, it is quite hard to get it.
Man and Machine in Perfect Harmony. Excellent work.
Thanks!
Awesome work, it looks great.
Fantastic skills. Thanks for posting.
Brilliant, thanks for posting.
What a fantastic read these look beautiful and will keep a look out for your next post
Thanks for highlighting the differences in working with titanium and stainless steel; for some reason I was working under the presumption that it was titanium that was so difficult to work with rather than stainless.
Great to see the lathe in action.
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Amazing, very interesting.
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Great skills, but importantly an eye for good design, producing tasteful but innovative pieces.
Well done Sir - I'm sure we would all like to follow your progress.
Welcome, what skill you have and as said very tasteful designs, love the pellikaan dive watch.
Can't wait for the next instalment.
Have you thought about other soft materials such as silver? I reckon that would work quite well too.
the amazing thing is that (as this is a form of art) the cases although all different have an style to them and can be traced to you
Pretty cool work and so good to see somebody doing this. Makes me laugh when somebody pitches up as a kickstarter with loads of rubbish patter and a cheap Chinese case and movement. OP has the skills to pay the bills!
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