Category archives: Making a Watch

All about making a watch, the case, dial and hands, but not the movement - I'll leave that to others!

RSS feed of Making a Watch

Making a watch case (part10.5), putting a curve on the inside watch glass shelf

Making a watch case (part10.5), putting a curve on the inside watch glass shelf

Going back over the photo's I remembered that I'd forgotten to include this bit, apologies about the 'part 10.5' but it fits between the part 10 and 11.

I'd like the edge of the watch-glass shelf to have some curvature so that it doesn't just end abruptly with a square edge. I'm going to use the lathe and some cnc to cut the curve.

Continue reading

Making a watch case (part 9), fixing the top and middle sections together

Making a watch case (part 9), fixing the top and middle sections together

I made some simple plans, above, with the key dimensions. I know it's a bit rough and ready but I didn't see much point in carefully drawing out plans, at this stage, when the real planning is going on as I make the watch itself. The next iteration may be a bit neater!

Continue reading

Making a watch case (part 8), making the top ring section

Making a watch case (part 8), making the top ring section

The top ring section is made in pretty much the same way as the centre section. I get a bar of brass and bend it into a ring and solder the joints. This technique is worth developing here because it can be extended to precious metals even though, with brass, the relatively inexpensive cost of the metal means the ring section could be machined from a solid piece of metal.

Continue reading

Making a watch case (part 6), soldering the lugs

Making a watch case (part 6), soldering the lugs

To solder the lugs onto the centre watch section I'm using hard solder and borax flux. The helping hands make things a lot easier as the watch ring needs to stay in the same position. The lugs fit well enough in the ring not to fall over.

Continue reading

Making a watch case (part 5), adding the lugs

Making a watch case (part 5), adding the lugs

The centre ring needs two sets of lugs for the strap pin to attach to. The lugs need to angle somewhat, so as to wrap around the wrist. I'm not too sure what angle to use, so I've chosen 10° for this watch. As with all of this watch design, I'll feedback any alterations into the next iteration through the design.

Continue reading

Making a watch case (part 4), cutting the dial shelf

Making a watch case (part 4), cutting the dial shelf

The next thing I did was to cut a dial shelf into the centre body of the watch case, i.e. into the ring I'd just made. I was designing as I went! As it turns out this is not the way the watch progressed but it did give me a wonderful way to display the cloisonné frog, or any circular enamel piece for that matter!

Continue reading

Making a watch case (part 3), turning the ring on a lathe

Making a watch case (part 3), turning the ring on a lathe

The ring is placed into a three jaw self-centering chuck. The three jaws automatically move together towards the centre of the chuck so the piece is automatically centred. If I've hammered the ring to a good circle then the ring should be pretty near centre too.

 

Continue reading