3D Print a Working Watch
Is 3D printing technology now reliable enough to print a sophisticated watch?
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horology
Meticulously Crafting a Three Million Dollar Wristwatch
While the ostentatiousness of this three million dollar wristwatch might be just a tad over the top, the virtuosity of its craftmanship is undeniable and inspiring. This astounding double-face watch, dubbed the “Grandmaster Chime,” was created to celebrate the 175th anniversary of world-renowned watchmakers, Patek Philippe. Everything in it is handmade. They write of their […]
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Don’t Call it a Dumbwatch: The Spectacular Craftsmanship of Philippe Dufour
Why does the mechanical wristwatch persist when everyone’s got a timekeeper in their pocket?
Continue ReadingMacDowall single-pin escapement in Lego Technic
Those interested in mechanisms and horology will probably enjoy watching the hypnotic action of this single-pin escapement executed in Lego by YouTuber horolophile. An “escapement,” FYI, is the mechanism in a timepiece that converts continuous rotational motion into oscillating “back and forth” motion and makes it go tick-tock.
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Gorgeous antique pocketwatch LED retrofit
So, you may think, somebody took an old pocketwatch and fit it with a PCB and some LEDs. Ho-hum, perhaps? Seen it? Done it? Got the T-shirt? My response: there’s concept, and there’s execution. The concept here may be of the non-earth-shattering variety, but the execution is exquisite. Must. Watch. Video. To appreciate just how cool this thing really is. It ticks, for one thing, and when the minute and hour “hands” advance they sweep around the face in a visual gesture reminiscent of John Taylor’s Corpus Clock. And besides flawless aesthetics and stellar workmanship, the watch has a great story, too. Its maker, Paul Pounds, explains:
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Perpetually self-winding mechanical clock
“Atmos” is a type of mechanical clock, manufactured since 1935 by Jaeger-LeCoultre in Switzerland. The Atmos needs no batteries, no electric power, and never needs to be wound. All it requires to run indefinitely is an ambient temperature change of at least 1 degree Celsius in the range between 15 and 30 C. The clock stores mechanical energy from the thermal expansion and contraction of an hermetically sealed capsule containing a mixture of gaseous and liquid compounds formulated to provide maximum volumetric changes with temperature. The mechanism is illustrated here. Atmos clocks are laboriously handmade and very expensive, and are commonly gifted by the Swiss government upon visiting heads of state.
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