Making the MK2 dial

Part 2

Last week we left you at the point where the CAM files were uploaded to the mill, the cutting tools loaded, and we were ready for action.  However, before we hit the start button, we need to step back in time for a moment. Making a watch dial out of Grade 5 Titanium is a complex but well defined process. The end result is not a mystery.   However the guilloche 'scribing' in the centre of the dial is something that is rarely done in Titanium. Actually there are only two other watchmakers who have released Titanium guilloche dials in the past.  The challenges are numerous. Guilloche is a scribing process - the tool does not rotate, like a drill or an endmill might. Obtaining a perfect cut is difficult even in soft materials like brass or gold. At the beginning of our project, we really had no idea if making a Titanium guilloche dial was even possible on our mill. Also, not every guilloche pattern produces an eye pleasing dial. The depth of the scribed line, the 'modulation' of the waves, the surface finish of the cut, and especially 'generation of the chip' are just some of the known unknowns.  There was only way to figure it all out: to start doing test runs and test cuts, then to tune the process and learn as you go. The very first step: the making of our own scribing tool.

The tool 'holder' is made from tool steel and the cutting edge of our tool is a detachable tungsten carbide tip. What you are seeing is a bunch of tools, making a tool to hold a tool to make a dial. The tool is made on the same milling machine that makes all the dials (the Kern!), starting from a sketch, design drawings, CAD and CAM files. But there is a twist: while the tool itself is made on a CNC machine, the tungsten carbide cutting tip, the part that actually does all the work, is sharped by hand and lapped on ceramic disc with a diamond slurry. Guilloche tools are definitely not off the shelf items, and this is not something we could order from Switzerland. If you can't make your tool, hand profile the cutter, make your own slurry, and sharpen it, no one else will do it for you. As an even more technical aside: The surface finish and edge sharpness of the tool itself directly correlate, 1 to 1, to the final surface finish of the guilloche. If you can sharpen and polish your tungsten carbide cutting tip to a mirror, then your guilloche will also be a mirror. Lapping the tool on a ceramic disc is the only way to do this. This is actually an incredibly difficult process to automate, and the fine feel and constant visual checks of a talented (human!) operator are the only way to achieve perfection. For example, the slurry on the ceramic disc needs to be constantly monitored- too much slurry, and the hydrodynamic forces take over and you end up "skating" over the lap, too little slurry and you run the risk of chipping the ceramic, or the tungsten carbide! Our toolmaker James is an expert at this process now, and after lapping many many cutting edges it takes about 30 minutes for him to achieve a perfect mirror on the tool. Once we had made the cutting tool, the first step was to cut a simple, straight line in a Titanium blank. If this was possible, and if we could achieve a good surface finish in just a straight line, then it would be highly likely that the next steps would be feasible! Below, you can see the first ever cut, and chip, of Titanium grade 5 made through a scribing process in our workshop, and I think it would be safe to say in all of Australia! With the know how of Titanium scribing safely in our pocket, we could start experimenting with guilloche patterns- to save prematurely wearing out the tool we did many of these tests in brass. Not every guilloche pattern is beautiful, in fact it's quite easy to make rubbish! But once we saw what we are calling "Curl Curl waves", maybe 20 or 30 test coupons in, it became clear that we had found our pattern!

Scraping: ready to cut test patterns in brass

As said before, not every pattern is eye-pleasing. The good patterns are those which are mysterious; patterns where the tool path is 'hidden' and difficult to work out. A pattern which makes the viewer wonder how in the world such pattern is even possible to make!

We settled for a wave pattern, which we immediately named 'Curl Curl waves'. Curl Curl is the closest beach to our workshop; and the name is said to come from an Aboriginal word meaning "river of life".

The moment of truth

The next phase we were ready to move to Titanium. The preparation starts with creation of dial blanks. A round bar stock is sliced in discs 4mm thick and 50mm in diameter on our Makino EDM wire cutting machine. Makin is 'the cutting edge of cutting': each cut provides the higher levels of precision and surface finish. The blanks undergo a heat treatment cycle to relieve the stress in the material. The exact parameters are something we constantly tweak, but in essence that material sits at 600 deg C for the better part of a day, slowly being brought back to room temperature.

Here is the shot of the first scribed line under the microscope. And even more important than the line itself is the chip: it's length, shape and surface finish tell us if our scribing tool is shaped and lapped correctly and whether the speed and depth of the cut are optimized for Titanium. Yay!

Dial manufacturing

The machining of the watch dial starts from the back side. One very special feature of the MK2 dials is that we make integral, or monolithic dial feet. Traditionally, dials are made from thin sheet, and have dial feet that are soldered onto the back. Having integral dial feet is a far superior method of making a dial: the feet are stronger, more rigid, and more accurately located. The trade off is that it's far more difficult to make a dial like this without it warping like a potato chip, and it's quite time consuming since you have to mill off quite a large amount of material.  Broken dial feet are a common problem for watchmakers and there is no practical way to solder back on a broken dial foot. Not with the MK2! Our feet will stay on the dial forever! In this photo you can see the back sides of the dial blanks being processed. Lots of material gets removed! Oil in the machine serves three purposes: to lubricate the cutting tool, to keep the workpiece and tool cool and stable in temperature, and to flush away the removed chips.

We make six dials at the time. The plate which holds Titanium discs is called a 'jig'.  Yes, we design and make our own jigs, in our workshop, specifically for the MK2 dials. Note that this particular jig is called 'number 7'.  When the back side is completed, the dials are now transferred to another jig for top side machining. In this step, we work on one dial at a time by milling away all but the raised section for the guilloche and the recess for the nameplate. The 0.2mm holes that will accept the numerals and hour markers are drilled as well.

After glass bead blasting to get a super smooth, even surface, the dial is then brought to the Kern Micro HD to do the ultraprecise, CNC guilloche of Titanium.

Part 3: Topaz blue, Curl Curl waves. Manufactured in Australia. To be continued...

'Manufactured in Australia' project update

 

The first batch of NH3 watches has been delivered to watch collectors in the US, Europe and Australia. Without exception, every single ambassador who has received his NH3 replied in superlatives. "It simply looks so much better than on photos". "Stunning". What more could we ask for? In a moment like this, I would usually say: Thank you, we are humbled. This time, just: Thank you very much - your support is truly appreciated. But we are not humbled. The NH3 is exactly what we have promised: manufactured in Australia, to our best ability. I am not just speaking on behalf of my team who have worked so hard for the past few years to deliver a bespoke watch you can be proud of. I am talking about our ability to push watch part manufacture to a level rarely attained by small independent watchmakers - not just in Australia, but anywhere that watches are made. Machining exotic titanium, brass and timascus alloys at the micron level, hand finishing and hand assembly are just some of processes appreciated by highly sophisticated watch collectors. It is very important to point out that those first orders came from very serious collectors, including enthusiasts who specialize in makers like Constantin Chaykin, F.P. Journe, Joshua Shapiro, Urwerk, Paul Gerber, De Bethune, MB&F and Gronefeld. The future is exciting: currently, we have more orders than we can physically take care of. Which means that we no longer provide a firm delivery date. Each watch is a unique piece which cannot be rushed.  Today we have commenced 'disassembly' of our manufacturing facility in Brookvale. As the new Kern is about to arrive and to be installed, we are now forced to halt production, move every single machine already installed, do some structural re-engineering of the available floor space, upgrade the electrical lines, and undertake long overdue maintenance on our cooling system. This is a major job that will take 2-3 months to complete. A special 'thank you' goes to our strap maker James B Young. The new crocodile strap for NH3 took quite a while to develop and deliver (the skin was sourced from an Australian supplier more than 3 years ago!) but it was surely worth it. An Australian Watch, on an Australian Crocodile strap, in an artisanal Australian Silky Oak box. It really doesn't get more Australian than that. The new crocodile strap would fit not just NH3 but all titanium case Rebelde and NH models (24mm spacing between the lugs). Extra long (to fit up to 21cm wrist) straps are in stock, price $525.

NH3 update:

Despite the many New Year wishes across the state for just the opposite, Sydney crawled over the start line for 2022 - Omicron is sweeping through the city (and country) at a ravenous pace, completely devouring any productivity brave enough to stay in it's path. Several staff members, even in our small family team, have over the Christmas break and early January been side-lined due to contraction or close contact isolation. Unfortunately this has affected both the manufacturing side of the business in Brookvale, and the assembly and testing, here in the city. However, despite the setbacks, the team in Brookvale is almost fully back on track and making the last few components required to complete our assemblies. The team in the city is now out of first gear and beginning to make a dent in the backlog of repairs, and NH3 assembly and delivery to our customers. Whilst it would be easy to give in to our own internal deadlines, we simply will not accept allocating less than one hundred percent of our energy, concentration, and perfectionist attitude to the NH3 project. If your NH3 isn't on its way already, it will be soon. Thank you to our ambassadors. The biggest compliment for us is a happy customer. Without your support in times both good and bad, we would surely not have been able to keep going.

Independent thinking

There are two types of horological journalists: those who sing praises to $wiss MegaBrand$ for a living, and those who actually understand and appreciate watchmaking; who write, blog and podcast for pleasure, like our host Roman: "In my opinion, 95% of all watches currently produced are NOT INTERESTING or WORTH COLLECTING. They are churned out by huge corporations run by MBA’s who have ZERO interest or love for horology. It is not the way forward for the Swiss watch industry (at least in my mind). What inspires me are the independent artisans from around the world, who produce INTERESTING, INCREDIBLE, INDIVIDUAL and IRRESISTIBLE pieces (often in small production numbers or by commission). My experience has been that those timepieces show us are where the passion, value and curiosity can combine for a magical journey."  When Roman and Alex summoned Josh and myself for an interview, we knew that we were up for some fun. The end result: two hours of raw and uncut horology, for your enjoyment.  https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/fifth-wrist-radio/id1498839718

Of course, you have heard our story more than once, but I strongly recommend that you tune in - you will find Fifth Wrist broadcasts both entertaining and educational. Original local content, produced by fellow Australians.

NH3: A major step towards true independence

What is NH3? A quick overview: a few years ago, our journey started with our 'rebelde' project—the creation of a small Australian watch brand. The second phase of this project was a desire to design and make watch components in Australia, which culminated with NH1—the first watch ever "Manufactured in Australia". This was then followed by our NH2—an exotic Timascus watch mechanism. While the NH3 follows the same blueprint, it contains even more components manufactured 'in house', including a newly-developed guilloche titanium dial and titanium hands. As such, it is a major step in our journey. What else is new? A new dial and hands are the most obvious feature of the NH3. In addition, it contains numerous components developed and machined in our workshop, especially those in the winding system. All these components required us developing and manufacturing fixtures, jigs and holding tools in-house, as well as unique processes like gear hobbing and gold plating, to name just a few. What makes the NH3 so special? Titanium guilloche as well as internal timascus parts are not just a first in Australia, but at this point in time, to our knowledge, no other watchmaker—small or large—offers such a special 'threat' to watch collectors and enthusiasts. It is also the culmination of years of research and development, or as we like to say: this is our best, most independent watch to date. Taking orders now As of August 1, 2021, we will have our first, fully working NH3 watch. We are very close to finalising our design, and mainplates and bridges are already in production. The first watches from the batch of 25 are expected to be ready for delivery in three months, with the final pieces reaching their new owners by Christmas. Our price: $A7900 including GST. To secure your watch, a 50 per cent deposit is required upfront, with balance payable before delivery. Securing your serial number If you wish to secure a particular serial number, full payment is required upfront. Numbers 02/25 to 25/25 are available on a 'first in, best dressed' basis. Technical details The NH3 features a brass gold-plated movement, manual winding, and a Timascus crown wheel 'hat'. Hand-polished screws and components are featured in the winding section. It also boasts a guilloche titanium dial and titanium hands, titanium case with see-through case back, and sapphire crystal. Case size: 45mm. The watch comes with black and brown croco calf leather straps. Water resistant to 10bar.  Power reserve 36 hours. Customization and personalization  While creating a custom guilloche pattern and hands style is a possibility, our goal is to offer the NH3 at a very attractive price. However, should you wish to have a custom guilloche dial, custom hands or hands/indices in a colour other than blue, we are happy to discuss your individual requirements. If you prefer to have the mechanism finished with rhodium rather than gold, the additional rhodium plating process would cost A$500 per watch.  Please keep in mind that custom watches will require full payment upfront and will be subject to additional manufacturing and assembly time. Ready to order? The best way to place your order is via email: nick@clockmaker.com.au Placing your order sooner rather than later is appreciated. Our watchmaking machining capabilities are shared with other contract manufacturing projects. For that reason, even under 'normal' conditions, machine time allocation has to be planned at least two months in advance. As always, we appreciate your support for 'Manufactured in Australia'. Thank you for your patronage.