Video of No.2-00

Here is a video of No.2-00.



In the background you can see one of the desk clocks I have made for No.2. Not sure what I will do with them. Perhaps I will give these to the first few people who order no.2. Here is a picture

No.2-00

Hello after a long break and a very happy new year to all!

I have been busy with a number of things over the past few months but I shall share the most exciting bit first.

Here you see No.2-00, my next model. No.2 is based on the Swiss ETA-6498 (No.1 is based on the Russian Molnija-3603). The case diameter is just a shade over 41mm. The gold plating is flawless. I have also revised the design of the hands. These are more visible & they contrast very well with the frost finish on the plates. Overall I am extremely pleased with the results :-)

George Daniels

George Daniels, CBE, DSc, FBHI, FSA passed away on the 21st of October. He has been hailed as the greatest watchmaker ever even in his lifetime. Comparisons are always drawn with the great Abraham Louis Breguet whom he admired and whose work he studied in great detail.

In the course of a long career Daniels made 37 watches from 'scratch'. This means that he made 'everything'- the gears, jewels, springs even the cases! He always placed technical advancement over pointless decoration. This is why his watches have a rare beauty.

He is most famous for the invention of the co-axial escapement. This has been described as the most important advance in mechanical timekeeping in 250 years. This design takes away the need to use oil in the escapement by reducing friction to a minimum.

Daniels selflessly poured out all his knowledge into his book 'Watchmaking'. This book & his work have been an inspiration for some of the big names in independent horology today. My wife gifted me a copy on my birthday this year.

A ruined dial

I have started making parts for No.1-04. The movement ring is done. I am working on the dial now. Everything was going well till I started drilling the minute markers. Halfway through I had an uneasy feeling about some of the earlier holes I had drilled (the holes are not clearly visible while drilling since they are under a paper template). This is what I found under the template-
If you look carefully you will notice that some of the holes at the six o'clock position (in the image) are a bit dodgy.

Here is a close up-
They are elongated. These holes are 0.4mm Dia. The problem was that I had allowed the drill bit to project too much out of the drill chuck. A 0.4mm bit will certainly flex when you drill brass.

Here is a closer look at the offending holes-

There is nothing else for it but to start over. Silly mistakes can sometimes cost an entire days work.

Aditya

Pictures of No.1-03

My friend Sachin Kadam, who is an avid photographer, visited on saturday. He did not really know what to expect and just got his camera along (no macro lens, light tent etc.). All the same, I think he took some really nice pictures of No.1-03 (that was finished a couple of weeks ago).






Hope you like them as much as I do :-)

A Family Reunion!

Ladies & gentlemen, in the picture below you see the entire production of A D Sambhare Watches over the last two years.

From left to right, No.1-01 (which is essentially a prototype that I decided to keep), No.1-02 (this one is sold) and No.1-03 (I just finished this one a few days ago).

This picture is possible because No.1-02 is back for a check up and the reason is interesting. The owner said that the power reserve is just about 25 hours. This is considerably less than the 40 hours that I promise. So I requested him to send it over. I wound it and it went for over 43 hours! I can only assume that he is not used to winding a brutish 16 1/2 ligne hand-wound movement :-). Perhaps he is too delicate with it. I will observe if he winds it all the way when I meet him next.

Anyway, I spoke to a friend who dabbles in photography and we might take some nice pictures of these three soon.

Aditya

No.2: Sneak Peek

No.1-03 is on the way & I have only got enough parts for three more. This means that I have to start design work on No.2. So, I bought some parts.

No.2 will be based on the ETA 6498 movement. I want No.2 to have the seconds hand (if I decide to put one in) at a more symmetrical location, i.e. at 6 o'clock. Also, I want it to be a little more compact. No.1 is 44mm without the crown. The case I have found for No.2 is 41mm. I feel this is a great size for a man's watch.

One case is required for development purposes. It needs to be measured for a 3D model. I file somewhere inside to be absolutely sure that it is not a plated case. All this renders it unsuitable for a customers watch. Here is the 3D model of the case. I also need to make one of the movement.

Also, I would like to wear it for the next few months to make sure everything is as I want it to be. The hot Indian weather & my sweaty wrist should highlight any potential problems. To this end, I happen to have an NOS, older version of the 6498. This got a quick service

The older movement is marked 'Unitas' under the balance. The new ones are marked 'ETA'.

I love the way it fills up the case. This case does not require a movement ring.

and here's the front. This is the watch I will be wearing for the next few months, come hell or high water :-)


And this, gentlemen, is how one justifies the purchase of yet another watch to ones wife, "It's just a development prototype, darling!" :-)