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/

Philippe Dufour or Ludovic Ballouard?

 

Let me get straight to it: Dufour's presentation at the Geneva fair was rather bleak. Or more precisely: there was no 'Dufour' presentation at all. As just one of the five panellists, in an hour and 15 minutes, the greatest master of modern watchmaking barely uttered five sentences.  Some legends are best when observed from a distance. Luckily, I spotted Ludovic Ballouard in the audience. Ludovic is a Genevese watchmaker -  complicated, witty and eccentric - one could say just like his watches. As the presentation was nearing the end, it was obvious that I would have just one photo opportunity. And without a second thought, I picked LB.

"Excuse me, Mr Ballouard, would it be possible to have a photo with you?" He was delighted, extending his massive arm. I quickly introduced myself, while complimenting the watch he was wearing: the famous 'Half Time'. And unlike Dufour, Ludovic was genuinely excited, talkative, polite and very friendly. He said that he is yet to visit Australia - and, as it would be expected, I offered to 'take him around' while in Sydney. The chat went on. I pointed out that I am a very keen 'student of horology' and, since recently, a watchmaker. "Watchmaker? In Australia?" Yes, indeed. Of course, an aspiring watchmaker far away from home, should not miss an opportunity to slip in a word or two about his own work. As with anything, timing is everything, so to Ludovic's surprise, I pulled out both the Mark II and NH 55, proudly stating that this very watch has just been submitted to the Louis Vuitton competition. I pointed out the obvious: while the watch mechanism is of a rather humble design, the dial and all bridges were made of tricomposite titanium alloy. The hands are made out of titanium, and so is the case, all of them manufactured in our own workshop, in a country with no horological history. Monsieur Ballouard was visibly excited. He quickly congratulated both Josh and myself, then proceeded to ask numerous questions about the finishes, anodization of timascus and guilloche on the dial. And Josh and myself were struggling to hide our excitement. The 'tick of approval', the one that counts.

Crown vs. All Watchmakers

This week, a communique addressed as "LETTER TO ALL WATCHMAKERS" and dated July 1994 has been brought to my attention. It is, what we believe, the first written document which directly imposed and introduced a harsh restriction on the supply of spare parts from Rolex. If for no other reason, this is an important document because it reveals a crucial detail: Prior to July 1994, there was no restriction on the supply of spare parts to Australian watchmakers. So what was the reason behind the 'declaration of war'? "It has come to the attention of the Rolex Group of companies that some persons seek to acquire Rolex spare parts and accessories for the purpose of refurbishing second hand Rolex watches and passing them off as new or for passing off counterfeit Rolex watches as genuine Rolex watches. You will appreciate that it is essential that this practice be stamped out as it misleads the public and detracts from the reputation established by Montres Rolex S A in its timepieces."

Australian watchmakers, collectively, have been accused of two sins: repairing Rolex watches to such high standard that they could be passed on as new, and on-selling fake Rolex watches as genuine. This accusation was a downright insult. As Rolex states, in the watchmaking business, reputation is everything. To accuse watchmakers of being dishonest and not considered to be respectable in character or appearance, was simply a provocation. I am not saying that there aren't bad apples in our trade, but as someone who has been in the game for my entire life, I have not come across a watchmaker who is a crook, counterfeiter and forger. If indeed, such a dodgy watchmaker was caught red handed trying to defraud Rolex, then I would be the first to throw a stone. Over the years, Rolex has successfully won countless cases, bringing fraudsters and copyright infringers to justice. Including their fellow Swiss brands (A Marine-r's Odyssey: Rolex vs. Franck Muller). There is an army of lawyers in Geneva who are paid handsomely to protect Rolex's reputation, and rightly so. But to unleash that mighty force on small Australian Independent Watchmakers, the very backbone of the service industry, is simply unthinkable. For obvious reasons, I am not going to fully re-publish Rolex's letter here. The rest of the content deals with specifics in relation to placing an order for spare parts, return of broken parts, right to retain parts (by Rolex) etc. As well as request to 'agree and comply'.    Unfortunately, as we now know in the years succeeding this letter, Rolex's narrative has changed. From being accused of providing a service too good to be true, Australian watchmakers were gradually pushed into the 'too old, too dumb, and unwilling to invest' basket, being accused of providing inferior service to customers. In 2012, Rolex Australia closed the last two spare parts accounts to Sydney independent watchmakers. I have captured that moment in time in a short video purely as a historical reference, and if you are a relatively new subscriber to this newsletter, then you should watch it here: https://youtu.be/GaJvmQtoVjs

Curiously, in 2022, the narrative is changing again. After closing the official service centre in Sydney, faced with an unprecedented load of repairs, Rolex is creating a new alliance, partnering with authorised dealers. New people, willing to invest, expand, and ride on Rolex's wings to infinity and beyond. What that means to you, a watch enthusiast, is yet to be seen.   But when I think of it: for a small watchmaker of independent spirit, being pushed out and forcefully divorced from Rolex is actually a good outcome. Fifty years ago, Rolex was making ordinary watches easily repairable by almost anyone. However since then, things have changed. Australian watchmakers are simply too small and insignificant to be perceived as a partner of relevance. Skilled behind the bench for sure, but legally illiterate and financially miniscule. And the truth is, the new generation of 'watch collectors' no longer sees Rolex as a high precision mechanical device; but purely as an investment vehicle, an extension of a fragile ego, and as a social media status symbol. The last thing they want is to deal with us.   As they say: we all got the reputation and customers we deserve. The King is dead; long live the Crown.

Save The Time on WatchPro.com

More press this week as specialist Watch blog Watch Pro writes about Save the Time's current progress.

A big thank you to Kathryn Bishop and the Watch Pro team for helping to spread the word!

Read the article here.