Go and buy a Dufour!

Image from : https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/18/fashion/watches-philippe-dufour.html

If you haven't heard of Philippe Dufour then you are not really into horology. A Swiss master watchmaker since 1967, who started his own brand in the 1978, is regarded as one of the best ‘finishers’ in Switzerland- and indeed the world. A finisher is a craftsman who shapes and polishes material to perfection using simple hand tools - really nothing more than files and diamond powder with the help of a wooden polishing stick. But Dufour also makes almost all of his watch components in his farmhouse atelier by hand.

I have been following his work for a number of years and remember seeing Simplicity in watch dealer’s displays in Japan. Yet Dufour is the kind of master that both attracts me and repels me at the same time. There are some aspects of Dufour that I simply do not understand.

Here are the things that I admire: He is absolutely spot-on when he talks about the restoration work of vintage pocket watches as an excitingly unavoidable step of personal development. Of course, attention to detail and countless hours behind the workbench are another mark of a true craftsman. The courage it took to take his destiny into his own hands, and tell the big Swiss brands “screw you” is simply inspirational and yes, he is not afraid of saying that ultra complex watches are not for idiots.

However, there are other facets of Dufour that lose me: his failure to retain his most valuable employee- his daughter, a master watchmaker herself who now works for Patek Philippe. The omission to recognise that watchmaking is no longer exclusively a Swiss thing and that there are brilliant independent watchmakers outside of Switzerland. He is rather surprised that nowadays AHCI members are mostly non-Swiss yet it was the brilliance of the Dutch, English, and French who centuries before the Swiss set the bar of haute horology. This, combined with the enthusiasm of Americans allowed Switzerland to build on that knowledge and turn watchmaking into a global industry. This is pretty much what Japan is doing today.

However, what really gets my blood boiling is when he brags about his flirting with Rolex. How he went in to the Rolex shop, had his name put down on a waiting list on a GMT Master but only waited 2 months. What about being put on a waiting list for a mass produced watch brings celebratory excitement? That’s like Eric Clapton secretly watching Nicki Minaj videos then publicly bragging about her bum! A complete disconnection. "My advice to watch collectors- Go and buy Rolex, you will not lose money on it!” says Dufour. Seriously? My advice: "Go and buy Dufour".

I hope I haven’t spoiled it too much for you, but this interview is an absolute must.

Interview with Philippe Dufour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bMin3cQkKA

Ultra Thin

*** The very first pocket watches were the size of table alarm clocks; unsuitable for portable use, thick, large and awfully poor timekeepers. It took centuries of painstaking development to 'turn' them into true pocket-sized timepieces.  Wrist watches went through the same evolutionary process; from modified pocket watches to slim, practical, modern and lightweight timepieces.

Yes, for centuries, watchmakers have been on the mission to reduce the size and thickness of watch parts. We reached 'the golden era of slim and thin' in the 1980s where makers like Vacheron, Jaeger Le Coultre and Piaget proudly produced some of the most exciting super-thin watches. Thin was considered avant-garde; highly desirable and a mark of excellence in watchmaking.

There are a number of problems associated with an ultra-thin design. The reduction in thickness has an unwanted side-effect: the loss of rigidity. As you are decreasing the thickness, you are inevitably increasing fragility. Moreover, at some point, your bridges are no longer strong enough to support wheels, your levers and springs no longer behave like springs, and oils no longer lubricate overly fine pivots but, rather, choke them.

However, since the late 1990s there has been a renewed interest in micro-mechanical component research and development. Thanks to a new technology known as LIGA (the German acronym for lithography, galvanisation and moulding) some of those newly developed components are now finding their application in the watch industry.
Let’s put things into perspective. We are talking here about really tiny parts.

The photo below illustrates the power of LIGA and comes from the cover of the 1994 Scientific American Magazine…an ant carrying a micro gear:

(source: 1994 Scientific American Magazine Cover)

This was 24 years ago, so you can only imagine where the LIGA process has reached today.

During my last visit to Switzerland I had the privilege to meet with Mr Adrian Haubi, the CCO of Mimotec; a market leader in UV LIGA watch technology. Mr Haubi kindly explained to me the rather intricate process which starts with photolithography and the creation of a part-like cavity in a polymerised resin. Then the 'mould' is submerged into a galvanic bath where the micro part is literally grown by electroplating process. After the creation of the part the final desired thickness is achieved by lapping (polishing).

LIGA is a truly amazing part-creating process and the final watch parts are within 2 microns tolerance. Also, both stainless steel and non-magnetic material can be used in part-growing, and the achieved surface finishes are mirror-alike.

However, most importantly, my question is in relation to the mechanical property of the 'grown parts'.  Do they still behave like traditionally machined components? Do LIGA springs actually behave like real springs?

The answer is Yes, and I was able to actually see and touch a number of parts which simply could not be created in any other traditional way.

While Mimotec is not the only Swiss company which offers this service to the watchmaking industry, it is the only one which also offers rapid prototyping services well within the reach of medium-sized watch brands. And when it comes to mass production, LIGA is hands-down a price-effective solution.

At the moment few watch brands make their complex components using this new exciting technology. I am not going to mention brands which are Mimotec customers, however, I have been told that the Swatch Group is working on their own proprietor LIGA technology. Indeed, an Omega Press Release from 2014 mentions "LIGA coaxial escapement plates".

There is no doubt that Swiss watchmakers are, once again, pushing the limits of mechanical micro-engineering.  While most of the components are now a few hundred microns thick, the lower end is not a problem; theoretically a part can be made as thin as 10 microns (usable parts start at 20 microns) Actually, the real challenge for LIGA is not how thin a part can be made, but how thick it can be grown. At the moment the thickest component is just under 1mm. Reaching a 3mm thickness (expected to be achieved in 2019) would allow Mimotec to enter other industries like medical, aeronautical and automotive.


The photo below was taken with Mimotec's permission and will be most appreciated by fellow watchmakers already familiar with the shape and function of components. 

For those wondering which watch Mr Haubi wears…A Maurice Lacroix Square Wheel and Clover Leaf - a cool little gadget piece intended for curious horologists. Yes, the two wheels actually mesh perfectly and the square seconds indicator does rotate!  But there is one far more significant reason why he wears this ML than just novelty.  This very watch features yet another cutting-edge technology which, unfortunately, I am not able to talk about.

Well done, Mimotec – there are exciting times ahead!