The first and only watchmaker-manufacturer in Australia?

Do you know that starting a watch repair business in Australia requires no formal education, certification, or licensing, or even experience? You can call yourself a watchmaker, print a bunch of business cards, and start a business literally today. Yes, you can call yourself even a Master Watchmaker! And if you find repairing watches a bit boring, then you may skip that altogether and start your own brand—and show Rolex how it’s done. I am not making this up. In Australia, we have a number of watchmakers who lack both skills and qualifications, yet they are visibly present, advertising themselves for years as ‘independent makers.’.  About ten years ago, when the Rebelde project took off, one of the driving forces behind the project was a desire to establish the NH brand in a way that it could face fierce competition. I always thought, well, if I can start a watch brand, then surely there would be other watchmakers who can do the same. I was expecting plenty of competition from within the industry but also from individuals who are mechanically minded, have sufficient funds to invest, and are willing to learn the trade. It turned out that ten years later, we are the only people capable of making watch components and complete watches in Australia. The purpose of this short article is to provide you with facts. To empower you, so you can differentiate and assess horological ‘manufacturing’ claims yourself. After all, as an Australian watch collector and enthusiast, you should be armed with the facts. Here is a short list of some of the NH watchmaking capabilities developed in recent years.  1. Design, reverse engineering, and engineering of complex, multi-component devices Multiple workstations. We use the same CAD software as used in the Patek factory. 2. Milling Ability to manufacture various parts using five-axis CNC mills. We use the same CNC machines that make key watch components for Lange, Rolex, and IWC. 3. Turning We are capable of making cylindrical parts by CNC turning, ranging in size from a fraction of a millimetre to the size of a watch crown. Again, we use the same automatic lathe as Swiss watch manufacturers. 4. Wire EDM The cutting-edge technology! Wire EDM allows us to make not just some of the most complex parts that could not be made manually, but also to prototype various one-off parts. 5. Gear hobbing The ability to manufacture watch gears was traditionally the most challenging aspect of watchmaking. Even today, only a selected few can claim true in-house gear hobbing fame. Our CNC gear hobbing machine was built by the Swiss leader in the field of gear making, the very same model used by top Swiss brands like Patek, Vacheron, and Rolex. 6. Thermic treatment of machined parts Extremely challenging! We are mastering it slowly but steadily. 7. Tool and fixture making This is a completely separate field of engineering and manufacturing than the watchmaking itself. Yes, we make our own tools and holders. 8. Grinding Precision grinding is an art form. While we use CNC grinders, the grinding process is still a combination of computer and manual skills. 9. Case manufacturing With the NH55 project, we have completely immersed ourselves in the manufacturing of complex watch cases. We are capable of making cases in stainless steel, titanium, composite resins, and even ceramic. 10. Micro-particle blasting and polishing Both internal and external watch components are finished using various applications. We make things beautiful. 11. Guilloche A horological art form where precision and intricacy take the enjoyment of watchmaking to a completely new level. Unlike Swiss watch dial manufacturers, who use soft metals to create guilloche patterns, our specialty is guilloche in titanium and Timascus. We are extremely proud of our ability to manufacture dials and hands in-house. 12. Anodizing The ability to turn a dull alloy into a fireworks of colour is what makes NH different from most other watchmakers. Anodizing is tricky! It takes lots of skills and patience to master it.  13. Dial printing Yes, completely in-house! We print our dials using the same printing machine used by Omega! Down to exact Swiss paint… 14. Measuring Over the years we have heavily invested in cutting-edge, high-precision measuring equipment. Our ability to measure manufactured components in the submicron range provides us with an unparalleled ability to make components in the submicron range. Without precise measuring, there will be no precision manufacturing. During this year, we had the pleasure to share with you a number of exciting projects of our involvement as a key manufacturer in medical, space, electronics, and scientific projects—for local and international customers and universities. It is important to highlight the obvious: that our manufacturing capability is first and foremost a result of our ability to manufacture watch components and complete watches in Australia. Again, the purpose of this short article is not to brag about what we do. We still see ourselves merely as students of horology on a journey that will take a lifetime—or two—to master. What an exciting journey it is! The Australian-made watch is here—and if you wish to join us, we are looking forward to serving you in years to come. Happy Watchmaking and Happy New Year, NH & the team

What makes a watch "collectable"?

 

Definition A collectable refers to an item worth significantly more than it was initially sold for because of its rarity or popularity. Are wrist watches collectable? Only a tiny fraction of all watches in circulation are collectable, have collectable potential, and are worth collecting. The vast majority of watches are intended to be simply worn on the wrist for practical reasons (because they tell time!) or as a fashion / jewellery piece.  What makes a watch a 'collectable'? There are a few 'key ingredients'. Rarity (small production run), popularity ('iconic model'), association with a celebrity or historical event, being made by a reputable / famous maker or a brand. What is important? Condition, condition, condition. That relates to all aspects of the physical, mechanical and aesthetical properties of a watch. A watch 'put together' from bits and pieces which may be original, but from a different era would be far less desirable than one which contains parts that started life together on the assembly line. A watch which comes with original box, certificate, instruction manual and guarantee card is regarded as a complete set. Such pieces are highly desirable by collectors. Obviously, a watch has to keep time to be regarded as a watch. What else? A collectable watch is one that is well documented and well researched, down to the most minute detail. Reference books, historical sales records, manufacturer's catalogues, ownership data, provenance - all the 'supporting' information associated with a brand and model - to help us determine why two seemingly identical pieces vary in price, often significantly.  Practical example Here is an example of a watch regarded as a perfect collectable piece in the entry level price range. Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, Apollo 17.

The ref. 3574.51.00 is a limited edition of 3000 pieces introduced in 2002. While the dial is the same as the regular 3570.50.00, it features a special caseback commemorating the 1972 Apollo XVII mission and E.A. Cernan being the last man to set foot on the moon. Issue: 3,000 watches, individually numbered. No 0161/3000. Sold new in 2004. Overall condition: very fine, 9.8/10. This rating means that while the watch has been worn, it was worn sporadically, by a careful owner. Very lightly polished, showing no external imperfections. The dial and hands are spotless 10/10. The watch is an excellent timekeeper. The chronograph function: perfect. Water resistant.  Full set. The watch comes with original commemorative box which itself is in exceptional condition, the outer box, the plastic hang tag showing model reference number and serial number, intact Certificate of Authenticity, numbered. Also, it comes with original the Operating Instruction booklet, International warranty card correctly stamped, showing the date of sale and dealers details, movement serial number and model reference, and pictogram card. Value While we have no crystal ball to predict the future market trends, this watch is a perfect example of a rare, well documented, historically important model by Omega. A complete set like this will always find a keen buyer / investor, today, as well in the years to come. The event commemorated by this issue still stands as an unbroken record of human achievement - for the past 52 years, no human has stepped on the moon. And even if somehow we do have a manned lunar mission, such a milestone would only reinforce the historical importance of this piece. In my opinion, there is plenty of potential for further growth in popularity of the Cernan Moonwatch. Best of all: a piece like this could be enjoyed and worn by a careful owner for many years to come, without further affecting the overall condition.  Not only you can have your cake - and eat it, but finding a better example than this one could be a daunting task, especially in this price range.

The Red Desert

 

The newest, latest, the greatest – a watch that SEIKO made FOR YOU! Australian Limited Edition. 1,000 pieces individually numbered. Special boxing.  Inspired by the rugged beauty of Australia’s red deserts. This is the most beautiful burgundy dial I've ever seen, in the entire Alpinist range. Special dealer allocation of two watches only: once gone, they will be gone forever.  Boutique price: $1,250

Seiko Prospex Limited Edition SPB489J 39.5mm case size. Stainless steel case and brown leather strap. Red dial. Sapphire crystal. Compass and date functions. Automatic movement - calibre 6R35. Water resistance 200 metres.

NH Micro on the moon!?

 

As many newsletter readers will know, alongside being the first Australian watch manufacturer, we also manufacture parts for parallel precision industries. This side business is called NH Micro, and operates out of our workshop in Brookvale. Over the last 4 years we’ve been manufacturing parts for the space, medical, quantum computing, scientific instrumentation, microfluidic and communication industries - to name a few. We employ a team of young Australians who have grown and developed amazing manufacturing skills. Our strength is in our people, in our talented machinists, engineers, toolmakers and watchmakers. An oasis of ultra-precision manufacturing. Recently we were approached by an Australian company to produce optomechanical components that are destined for the moon. That’s right - parts manufactured in our workshop in Brookvale, are not just going to space, but to the moon! This component is a navigational instrument that will guide a lunar lander to it’s final landing position. It uses four lasers to range-find against the lunar surface, and it will provide position and velocity feedback to the spacecraft. Reading between the lines, the tie between horology and navigation is unmistakable. Centuries after ship's chronometers made by technology-enabled horologists helped guide explorers across the globe, contemporary technology-enabled watchmakers are helping make navigational instruments for the next generation of explorers. Except, in the new frontier… space. These components are incredibly tricky to manufacture, and have pushed us to develop and invent new processes for programming, holding, and measuring the parts. The part in the photos here is not quite finished, in fact it was the first part we made. The next parts will be made from titanium instead of aluminium. We use aluminium for testing when it comes to parts like these since the cost for titanium is high, and making mistakes in aluminium is also much more gentle on the machine/tools we use. I love sharing projects like these, especially when they are not protected by confidentiality agreements and non-disclosure agreements. Enjoy! Josh Hacko

To learn more about the Australian Moon project see: https://www.advancednavigation.com/news/first-australian-company-to-reach-the-moon/