Anyway, the watch is complete now. Putting a watch together after all these months of work is always full of suspense. One can never be sure if everything is all right. The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating :-). So here it is, No.1-02. All together and keeping great time! I will take better pictures in the light tent later.
I also made a teak wood box for it.
The name and serial number are laser etched on the box.
A detail shot.
As an additional treat my wife made a small booklet with the story of the making of this watch. This fits into a little compartment in the bottom. It also contains the specifications, care instructions & pages for the service record. No.1-02 is now ready for it's new owner!
I have learnt much during the making of this second watch. One decision I have taken is to give the plates much more pronounced bevelling. I will have to reduce the 'empty spaces' in the plates for this but, in the end, it's all about the overall balance.
Another decision is to dispense with plating altogether. I have suffered much heartburn due to the plating on 02. To date I have not found a source for plating who is capable of delivering 100%. 02 was delayed nearly 2 months because of plating issues. I trust that the protected environment of a watch case will keep the brass from tarnishing. On the other hand, tarnish might add a different dimension to the look of the watch over time. It might even act as a service indicator :-). In any case, bare brass can always be plated at a later date when a good source has been identified & developed.
These are my thoughts as I plan work on No.1-03.
Great job Aditya! All that hard work really shows. Good job on the box too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks :-)
ReplyDeleteI will post some better pictures soon.
Aditya