Moo!

WEEK 5:

Harman Wadhwa 

Origin : New Delhi, India

Age : 28

Watchmaking class : 8 month Service & Technician course

Current mood : this week, I started oiling and assembling of mechanisms, learning and understanding the type of oils which are used and at which sections. A regularly well oiled & serviced watch, it can run for over 100 years. 😮 

Not an easy peasy week: the movement's click spring and incablocs are hard to deal with..!! Thanks God It's Friday!!

Pierre Aubert

Origin : Toulouse, France

Age : 22

Watchmaking class : 2Y Fullskill Program

Current mood : "Just got introduced to the mother of machines: the Jig Borer..! What does it do? It drills holes to the micron. It's insanely accurate. Without its aid, many of today's production machines could not even be made. It also played a key role in the establishment of the metre as a measuring unit. In fact, the Société Genévoise d'Instruments de Physique (SIP) built the first jig boring machine (1921) to provide the International Bureau with viable copies of the Mètre des Archives (standard for the Metre). Previous copies were only metal bars of 1m length with no subdivision..!! Work options offered by these models were thus very limited..!!*

 Haha sorry I got a bit overboard 😆. But what a fascinating machine!! I've really enjoyed using it, and only look forward to using it more in the future..!! 

I have also started to make 10:1 cardboard samples for my own design of the setting mechanism. I look forward to getting ahead with it throughout the week-end and hopefully start making it soon!! Stay tuned for more pictures :)!"

PS: *Jig Boring by Robert  S.Connell is a brilliant book should you want to explore the history of Jig Boring 😉!!

STEP 1:

 HARMAN & OILING 

Incablocs: 

Shock absorber to protect the delicate balance pivots (of only 0.07mm diameter!). Why is it important? Because the balance wheel is what a pendulum is to a clock: a regulating organ. Without it, no accurate timekeeping!

                                Incablocs: Not enough oil has left me with a kidney shape..!!                            Incablocs: good minimum portion of oil and shape!! Bingo

STEP 2: 

HARMAN - CLEANING WATCH PARTS

  Parts are in for a bath!! 🌊😜 

STEP 3: MAKING NEW FRIENDS!!

                                                  STEP 4: PIERRE - JIG BORING!!

It is key to have a very detailed plan before machining..!! A good plan helps to create the right routine, which will most importantly ensure consistent and accurate operations!! It helps you to respect the machine. You can't beat it. You're only its steward- you need to understand its own language should you wish to achieve precise work! 

  STEP 5: PIERRE - Cardboard Assisted Design

10:1 Drawing of my setting mechanism

 10:1 Cardboard Model 

I am making cardboard samples of my setting mechanism.This will allow me to easily determine if it is functional or not! 

 HENRIK's WORDS

Its getting more intensive as expected deeper into the program, Harman progressing very well with his assembly, cleaning and lubrication skills, next week he will try out servicing and repairing the barrel with mainspring (energy accumulator) of a mechanical watch. Pierre is progressing well with the Fullskill program, just got introduced to the jig borer, he seemed amazed by it and will continue to practice on it next week. I have nothing new from my side to report back except my custom project, a watch with sapphire case is progressing as expected, will show pictures of it when finishing more of it.