Update from the workshop: Screw them

In June this year Dad and I went to the EPHJ fair in Switzerland. The fair is home to all the suppliers to the watch industry. Contract manufacturers, service providers, machinery sellers, tool salespeople... the list goes on. This was the first time Dad and I had gone to EPHJ since before COVID, and in that time our in-house capabilities have grown a lot, we can now make around 85% of the movement of the watch, as well as the dial, hands, case and buckles! Nonetheless, fairs like these are crucial for finding partners who can help manufacture/provide parts that are either too tricky for us to handle, or provide services that we don't have in-house - PVD coating for example. On our 2nd day at the fair I split off from Dad, we decided to tackle the 700 strong exhibitors separately, hoping that we could divide and conquer. Walking past the rows and rows of suppliers, one specific stall caught my eye - they specialised in manufacturing screws. Screws in watchmaking are surprisingly very challenging to make. They require many different operations - starting from sourcing the correct material, turning/machining the screw, heat treating the screw to get the material hard, tempering to reduce it's brittleness, polishing the screw to remove the heat treatment discoloration as well as for decorative reasons, storing the screw in proper anti-rusting agents, and finally handling it without damaging. Since introducing the NH1 in 2019 we have been making nearly all the screws in our NH series watches. Very few, if any people manufacture screws in-house. And for good reason! The steps mentioned above are extremely time consuming, and frankly do not present a large aesthetic improvement to the watch, unless you know the backstory of their manufacture...

Walking past this particular watch-screw-manufacturing specialist, I stopped and started chatting. I showed them the watch that we make, and although they seemed interested, they were keen to talk business. I told them that we manufacture some of our screws, but there is one specific screw that is a big challenge for us to make. It's time consuming and we have a high failure rate, it's not impossible, but it would help alot if we could get the absolute top-of-the-field experts to give us a hand. They seemed ready for the challenge, and asked to see a technical drawing. I showed them the screw in my hand, and the drawing next to it. The screw has a M0.6 thread, and is about 1mm in total length, thread and head together. The pitch of the thread is so fine that it almost gets lost in the space between the lines of your fingerprints. In return, they showed me some screws of a similar size, and said that they could comfortably manufacture. Great, progress! The next, and most important question. Price, and lead time. "About 10-12 CHF per screw, and it will take us about 6 months to complete the order.... of 5000 pieces..." The 12CHF per screw wasn't a terrible price. It was actually easy to swallow. But as they kept talking my heart kept dropping. For a small team like ours, 6 months is a nonstarter, our projects can't function on lead times that long... but the final nail in the coffin was the minimum order. 5000 pieces. This M0.6 screw is used once per watch. It holds down the click spring in the bridge of our NH2, NH3, and now soon to come NH55. 5000 screws would be enough, not only for my generation, but probably for 3 generations of Hacko watchmakers. Mission failed. With my head hung low and feet dragging I kept moving through the rest of the exhibitors at the fair. June 2023. Thankfully, the pain didn't last long. Today I'm holding 20 or so finished M0.6 screws that are used in our soon to come NH55's. All made in-house. September 2023.

Sometimes you need a kick in the bum. It might challenging, and you might cry along the way - but the journey for us to make these screws in-house is a line in the sand. It's a stake in the ground. It's a crucial, and non-negotiable chapter in our book titled independent watchmaking in Australia. Josh

Beyond watchmaking

You are only as good as your last job. Yesterday afternoon, Josh started a new medical part project. A few hours later, the part was designed, the mill was tooled, holding jig made - and part machined.   Here is what it looks like:

And here is the actual photo, of the part, in his hand.

The thickness of the part is 40 microns, about half of the thickness of a human hair. Diameter: less than half a millimetre.   He posted the part on his LinkedIn page, and it went viral, with 46,000 views. Followers who comment on LinkedIn are actually people in engineering and machining, CEOs in manufacturing, many of whom have never seen such a small part.

Testimony to Manufactured in Australia. The size and complexity of this component takes us beyond watchmaking because while some parts in the watchmaking industry are about this size, they are not nearly as complex, nor challenging to make.

The frosted meteorite

It only took an hour or so for about 20 subscribers to figure out not just the brand but the exact model of my new watch. You guys are just crazy. Serious respect, beyond humbling. Of course, this morning I flexed the watch to Josh. "You look like a 40 year old schoolboy" he said. I pretended I didn't hear the insult. "I'm loving it! Carbon case, made by people we've met in Switzerland!" "No it's not. Those cases are machined, where your case is made of sintered carbon flakes, moulded under high pressure. Not a bad technology, invented and marketed by Hublot who released a $100K watch in that very case. Unfortunately a failed project - because literally the next day every case maker in China was making the exact watch. So the carbon case is not a big deal, it is the quality of the mould that makes the difference. By the way, we can make a mould ourselves if we want to."  I wasn’t about to give up. "And the people we've met in Switzerland? Do they do the same?" "Again, no. Their carbon is mixed with resin, then compressed, then machined. Time consuming, high-tech and expensive too." "Can you do me a favour, pen this down so I can share it in the newsletter?"  He was already at the door: “I'm busy making Curl Curls, do it yourself." I've created a monster. [To be continued...]

An unexpected act of kindness that almost brought a tear to my eye

As strange as it sounds I have never received a watch as a gift except once. A while ago after the watch night talk a visitor to our workshop pulled out a Russian watch in a cardboard box. "This one is for you Nick. Thank you for a wonderful night". I had the watch for a few years and ended up regifting it, which I believe is an appropriate thing to do.  Literally half an hour ago, Trent, a sales representative for Mondaine watches came to the office. He brought with him a bunch of the latest catalogues and we discussed a new order. Then, out of the blue, he showed me a watch from another brand - a sample that had just arrived to Australia. A limited edition carbon fibre body sports piece on a cherry red rubber strap. "Oh, this is an amazing watch" I said. "I am sure many of your subscribers would love it" he said.  I said: "no I would love it for myself. We actually just got back from Switzerland and I met the manufacturers who make those cases. Carbon fibre watches are really a big hit in France and Switzerland. It's such an understated material and it looks like frozen meteorite. And before I can recommend it to our subscribers I would love to wear it myself for a month. Please invoice it and send one whenever it becomes available."  On that note Trent simple handed over the watch. "You can have it Nick. It's a present." I really don't know what to say, I am absolutely blown away with Trent's generosity. The reason why this newsletter is delayed is because I couldn't help myself but to play with the watch. I'm not going to disclose the brand or the model but it is a Swiss automatic watch. 47mm case size, 52mm including crown. I will keep you posted over the next few weeks but if you stop by you will see me wearing it.

Is an automatic watch the right watch for you?

(Or would you be better off with a battery operated one?) Battery operated watches have a number of benefits over a mechanical self-winding (automatic) watch. Without exception, quartz watches keep much better time, they are more robust, and easier to repair. Actually, from a practical perspective, and from the view of a watch owner who needs a watch just to tell time, nothing beats an inexpensive quartz watch. So why would anyone invest in an expensive mechanical watch which is a rather average time keeper, complex to service and sensitive to shock and magnetic field?  Unfortunately I have no answer to this question. Some questions are simply impossible to answer in a logical, meaningful way. The real question is this: how do you know if an automatic watch would be a good choice for you? You don't, unless you actually try.  Yes, it is tempting to go online and Google for a 'cheap automatic watch’. Unfortunately, very soon, you will find out that cheap automatic watches are just that - either cheap and nasty, or worn out, or in need of repair. Waste of time and waste of money. I suggest you save your time and do the right thing: invest in a brand new automatic watch. There are plenty of choices, and as said before, nothing beats a brand new watch. However, if you are busy, and your time is precious, and you have no desire to search thousands of watches online from thousands of sellers, I propose that you put your trust in me. I have been handling watches for decades, have sold tens of thousands, and I am more than confident to recommend an affordable, well made, automatic watch. Put it this way: if a watch of my choice does not meet your requirement and expectations, then you are simply a person better suited with a battery operated timepiece. Why am I so confident?  1. Money is important. You won't get a Swiss Made automatic watch of a decent quality for less than $999. 2. Design is important. You want a watch of timeless design that can be worn and enjoyed, but also passed on to the next generation. 3. Servicing is important: a watch has to be robust, reliable and above all, repairable. 4. Choice of straps: again, very important. There is nothing more annoying than to find out in two years time that a strap for your watch is no longer available, or that it costs more than the watch itself. A watch strap of an ergonomic design and standard lugs width is what you want. Any leather, any colour, any thickness - endless choices. 5. Guarantee on performance is crucial. Not 3 months or 12 months, not even 3 years. You trust my choice, and I'll be happy to offer a 5 years guarantee on performance! So here it is: a Swiss Mondaine Railway Watch, 41mm case size, automatic, robust, reliable, repairable, water resistant with 20mm lugs width! List price $1,099. Yours for just $999.  Buy it, wear it for a few months, and if you are not happy with the performance of an automatic watch, then there is really no reason to look for an Omega or a Rolex. It's simple as that, risk free exercise. There is one more thing I must stress out: the price of $999 for this watch is simply amazing. I only have a few watches in stock, and the next order is not coming in any time soon. When the new batch arrives, the price won't be the same. Be quick, take advantage of this generous offer.

Fitted on a Hirsch Artisan Leather strap ($70)

Hirsh red stitching strap ($50)

Easy-release spring bars. No tools required to change strap.

A small favour to ask

Yesterday, Josh and myself interviewed yet another young man, keen to move to Sydney. A Danish machinist, 23 years young, with one year of post-apprenticeship experience in making complex titanium parts for the medical sector. "Do you really understand how far and how remote Australia is from  the rest of the world?". He simply said, yes, I do. "There are countless high tech workshops in Europe - so why us?" - we insisted. "What you have to offer is super unique, and a chance to learn how to operate a variety of machines is priceless. I wish to learn and to grow".   For the past few years, I am struggling to explain to my self the following paradox: how come that there are plenty of kids who would leave their parents, friends, home, then travel half way around the world just for an opportunity to learn machining and engineering skills, while we struggle to attract local Aussie kids? What is wrong with us? Or what is wrong with our own young people? And I am still loking for an answer.   Right now, we have two Canadians; Declan, a machinist, and Emily, an office assistant. They left the comfort of their home for an opportunity to visit Australia, learn new skills and have some fun along the way. And they are having a ball. They are well paid, appreciated, supported and happy. We are literally begging them to extend their stay. So clearly, there is nothing wrong with us.   Quite frankly, when the idea to open a high tech watchmaking workshop first crossed my mind, I was expecting to be inundated with 'please take me' employment requests. It's not happening. Finding young and enthusiastic people to join us, is without any question the most difficult and most challenging aspect of running a business.   But I am not giving up. There is a chance that you may have a smart kid endlessly playing games, bored to death, unsure about the future, who would greatly benefit from some hands on work. I know - you don't want your kid to end up on a factory floor, working for me. You want him to finish university, get a well paid job, a house overlooking the harbour. But not all kids end up as CEOs, and the very few who do, aren’t genuinely happy.   Hand me over your kid for a year a two. Josh will teach them everything he knows in a very structured manufacturing facility, run almost like a military operation. After  a couple of years, they may decide to stay with us and chase microns - or they can pursue the dream you have pre-planned for them. I am prepared to take a chance. Are you as well?

The Sydney Watches Pty Ltd workshop is located in Brookvale, in the Northern Beaches and specialises in manufacturing high precision mechanical components for watchmaking, scientific, optics, medical and space industries.   PS I would appreciate if you can forward this on to your Facebook / fav social media. We need any help we can get, and we need it fast.

Modern artisanal watchmaking, a deep dive into "feathering"

 

Innovation is difficult. Especially when it feels like everything has already been done. In watchmaking, this is almost the norm. Mechanically, the modern wristwatch has stayed the same for a century, or more - and progress, innovation and novel ideation is difficult to conceptualise. So much so that desirable traits in watchmaking are intentionally anachronistic! Within the niche of watchmaking decoration, there are relatively few novel ideas that have surfaced in the last 20-30 years, during the rebirth of modern artisanal watchmaking. The big players of movement decoration: Geneva waves, perlage, more niche - anglage, sunburst graining, straight graining, frosting, diamond cutting, and spotting. Even though this non-expansive list is already reasonably long, there are not many unexplored rabbit holes. In fact, many of these techniques have been around as long as horology has existed!  So what can a small rag-tag team of rogue Australian watchmakers operating out of Brookvale offer the world?  Our humble contribution to the art of horological finishing is not a large one, and to be completely honest, it's very hard to even see without some intentionality. But I hope by the end of this write-up you can foster a modest appreciation of what we hope is something meaningful and novel - feathering.  Feathering is what we call the delicate grained faceting of dial components such as hands and indexes. It's a laborious, time consuming process that produces a subtle, but very deliberate visual effect.

Done manually, individually, with the aid of microscopes, specially made jigs, tweezers and abrasives- feathering is demanding. There are three very notable things about feathering, the facet angle, the direction of the grain, and the centring of the spine. Let's explore.

The facet angle of the feathered finish is something that does have roots in other finishing techniques. Dauphine hands, popularised in the 40s and 50s and used in dress watches, were often were faceted down the centre of the hand. This became a common finishing technique, and leveraged monocrystalline diamond cutting tools to give brilliant mirror finishes. The end result is a highly reflective, almost gem-facetted look. The angle of this facet is quite important - too steep, and the faceting can interfere with the form/shape, too shallow and the light-play, and reflection of each facet can look weak. Finding the optimal angle is a tuning knob for creating strong visual depth, but also retaining mechanical function.

One large difference between standard faceted hands and feathered hands is the type of finish that is applied to the facets themselves. Feathering is incredibly special since the facets have grain applied to them - pointing to the spine in a way that eludes the natural grain of a feather! The inspiration for this type of finishing came from the feathers of native Australian birds along the northern beaches - sulfur crested cockatoos, seagulls, lorikeets. The grain on these facets is on a 45 degree angle to the spine, pointing towards the end of, in this case, a hand. The direction of the grain is crucial - grain parallel or perpendicular to the spine is possible, but creates a totally different effect - in fact a 5 degree change in the angle is visually noticeable! For the engineering inclined, and those who like to think about how things are made - how would you approach making this grain? The direction of the grain, and the angle of the facet both create a very interesting compound angle problem that needs solving!

Your eye is a cruel judge. We've all head the phrase "Just eyeball it". In watchmaking this has an inverse meaning... Often things can measure well on the micrometer, or profile projector, but when your eye acts like a final point of QC, small imperfections that are difficult to measure any way other than visually totally dominate the part! One of the biggest areas where this holds true is with the centring of the spine of the feathering. The two facets lean together onto the centre of the part forming a spine. If one facet is cut too deep, or if the other facet is cut at the wrong angle, the location of this spine relative to the part and features on the part, is thrown off. A change of just 5 thousandths of a millimeter is enough for your eye to distinguish between something pleasing, or not pleasing! Our eyes are attracted to uniformity, and having the spine of the feathered part crooked, or off centre is totally devastating. This means that when we do the manual decoration of feathered parts, we are constantly checking to see if this spine is centered. Just a few microns makes a massive difference.  I could talk about feathering for hours... Like how we do it in Titanium, a notoriously difficult material to use abrasives on, or how achieving consistent results is one of the most challenging engineering problems we've had to solve since starting our manufacturing journey, or how we even manage to feather a seconds hand, barely wider than a human hair! ... But maybe those stories are all best saved for a "watch talk night" one day in the future...  The feathering process, and it's intricacies are numerous, in fact our internal "how-to guide" is about 10 pages long. It's a process that demands total zen, and a mastery of many skills. Some days feathering a part can take 10 minutes, other days you can spend an entire day and not have anything to show for it. The pursuit of perfection is endless - something that encourages constant improvement, and with that in mind we humbly present our contribution to the world of horological finishing - feathering.  Josh

1/100th second chronograph

To continue the release of the new Seiko Speedtimer, we have just received in the mail two limited edition models to offer to you today. A super cool feature of this chronograph that we didn't discuss last week is that the 1/100th second hand actually spins! You might be thinking: "Yeah of course it does?" Well, not really. There are several quartz chronographs that can record time in the sub-seconds realm. But not all of them display spinning hands. The internal computer will record the actual time between start and stop, and then display that time once the chrono has been stopped. Their hands need only move to the correct numbers once. This is a neat way to save battery as a constantly spinning motor is quite draining. Seiko on the other hand, instead of reducing the function and enjoyment, goes the way of solar charging, so no compromises. Seeing that little hand go is sure to put a smile on your face. While this entire range pays homage to the world's first analogue chronograph, released by Seiko in 1983, the colour scheme of SFJ005 is inspired by the world's first analogue chronograph that displayed the elapsed time in increments of 1/100th of a second. Yet another world first from Seiko, this watch was first released in 1992.

SFJ005 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 42mm case size. Black and silver stainless steel case and bracelet. Gunmetal and black dial. Sapphire crystal. Stopwatch measures XX in 1/100th of a second increments with split time. Solar movement - calibre 8A50. Water resistance 100 metres. Boutique price: $1,450

The second limited edition, SFJ007, is in honour of the World Athletics Championships that will take place in Budapest this August, for which Seiko will be the official timekeeper for the 18th consecutive time. The black textured dial is inspired by the surface of a running track, while the hands and outer sub-dial rings are inspired by a gold medal. In addition, on the case back is featured the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23 events logo.

SFJ007 World Athletics Championships Budapest 2023 42mm case size. Black stainless steel case and bracelet. Black dial. Sapphire crystal. Stopwatch measures XX in 1/100th of a second increments with split time. Solar movement - calibre 8A50. Water resistance 100 metres. Boutique price: $1,500

SFJ003P Black 42mm case size. Stainless steel case and bracelet. Black dial. Sapphire crystal. Stopwatch measures XX in 1/100th of a second increments with split time. Solar movement - calibre 8A50. Water resistance 100m. Boutique price: $1,350

SFJ001P Silver/Black 42mm case size. Stainless steel case and bracelet. Black and Silver dial. Sapphire crystal. Stopwatch measures XX in 1/100th of a second increments with split time. Solar movement - calibre 8A50. Water resistance 100m. Boutique price: $1,350