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The Freehand Timepieces
It is our pleasure to inform about a new watch conception, we have started which we call “The Freehand Concept”. It can also be understood as a sort of discipline
Every Freehand watch is made in our ateliers, piece after piece. Freehand is a term we use which describes the process of creating watches directly on the lathe, milling machine and pantograph without any drawings or plans. (Of coarse having in mind the technical specification of the movement). The process can be compared to a potter who starts with a lump of clay from which a beautiful bowl or vase arises.
In case of freehand watch making our lump of clay is a piece of finest 1.4435CNU Staybrite steel, sapphire crystal, brass, a mechanical self-winding movement, blue and green luminous sulfites and enamel.
The process starts with the milling and tuning of the watchcase, the case diameters vary between 46.00 mm to 40.00 mm, the height between 11.00 mm and 12.00 mm. Then the movement holder is turned to fit the movement into its house at the right position to meet the height of the crown and stem. In a next step the milled or drilled holes are filled with Email Lumineuse, a fusion of enamel and luminous sulfites. After firing, the watch case is ground by stone and and finished with various grades of sandpaper. Then the “Boulle” corns are soldered to the watch case. In a fourth step the “Champlevé” dial is milled on the pantograph and then the pits of 0.60 mm depth are filled with “Email Lumineuse”. After firing the dial is ground flat and finally finished on the lathe to fit the watch case. In a next step, the hands are milled on the pantograph and filled “Plique à Jour” with Email Lumineuse and finished in the same way as the dial. A 52.500 ct. sapphire back crystal is coated with gold leaf and black Urushi Japan lacquer, while an aperture is left for keeping the working balance visible. Then the lacquer is burned on the sapphire crystal over a charcoal fire. In a final step the watch is assembled, the crystals are set into the case with Hytrel-Gaskets and tested and the rubber or leather strap is fixed. This is what we call freehand watch making
Finally the process starts again for creating another unique freehand watch
Email Champlevé French for "raised field", where the surface is carved out to form pits in which enamel is fired, leaving the original metal exposed.
Emal Plique-à-jour French for "braid letting in daylight" where the enamel is applied in cells, similar to champlevé, but with no backing, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. It has a stained-glass like appearance.
Attached you find images of four Freehand timepieces by day and night.
For more information visit the Collection TEC-Timepieces |
