Wooden watches - yeah it'd wooden tell the time, har har
Discussion
OK in the mad world of cyberface, I've been ranting about all these fancily branded and expensively marketed watches being mostly simple steel cases with generic cheap ETA movements in them, and sold for a massive markup.
Now I've been practising on various fakes and broken watches my friends have brought to me for repair, and feel it's time to have a shot at a bespoke watch. Just like that 1-2-1 time website, mind you - I'm not building a movement from scratch because I can't.
However a case, dial, hands, holes for springbars for a leather strap, well within my capabilities.
One thing I thought would be really cool would be a wooden watch. Someone's already probably done it, but I could carve out a watch case from a good hardwood easily enough, pop in an ETA 2824 or something simple, get a wax-transfer colour printer to print a dial and cover it with enamel solution, then find a generic crystal to pop on the front.
It won't be waterproof, it may not last long, but with a good wood it would look nice for a while. An oddball piece, so to speak.
What do you guys think? What sort of wood would do the job best? I'm thinking a very dense hardwood that doesn't absorb water / sweat too easily.
Now I've been practising on various fakes and broken watches my friends have brought to me for repair, and feel it's time to have a shot at a bespoke watch. Just like that 1-2-1 time website, mind you - I'm not building a movement from scratch because I can't.
However a case, dial, hands, holes for springbars for a leather strap, well within my capabilities.
One thing I thought would be really cool would be a wooden watch. Someone's already probably done it, but I could carve out a watch case from a good hardwood easily enough, pop in an ETA 2824 or something simple, get a wax-transfer colour printer to print a dial and cover it with enamel solution, then find a generic crystal to pop on the front.
It won't be waterproof, it may not last long, but with a good wood it would look nice for a while. An oddball piece, so to speak.
What do you guys think? What sort of wood would do the job best? I'm thinking a very dense hardwood that doesn't absorb water / sweat too easily.
Found a nice collection of wooden watches here http://www.sacredways.com/meandlawowac.html
StevieGee said:
Found a nice collection of wooden watches here http://www.sacredways.com/meandlawowac.html
So much for original thought then - that's my idea out of the window. 
Those ones look lovely.. even with a wooden bracelet... I wonder if they have proper movements inside them though.
Dont bin the idea - use it as a prototype. Shaping wood would be much easier than metal and I assume would allow you to create a template to CNC (or cast from).
I was thinking about making a wooden case, using it to create a sylicon mould, then casting a watch case with a clear material (lucite?), and showing off the movement from all sides - like a modern skeleton watch.
I was thinking about making a wooden case, using it to create a sylicon mould, then casting a watch case with a clear material (lucite?), and showing off the movement from all sides - like a modern skeleton watch.
Edited by Maxf on Monday 23 June 10:57
Maxf said:
Dont bin the idea - use it as a prototype. Shaping wood would be much easier than metal and I assume would allow you to create a template to CNC (or cast from).
I was thinking about making a wooden case, using it to create a sylicon mould, then casting a watch case with a clear material (lucite?), and showing off the movement from all sides - like a modern skeleton watch.
That was the idea - because wood is something much easier to work with initially and get a rough shape to finish, also it doesn't cost a fortune to experiment with different approaches (I don't have a CNC machine and I'm no expert at Solidworks!!!)I was thinking about making a wooden case, using it to create a sylicon mould, then casting a watch case with a clear material (lucite?), and showing off the movement from all sides - like a modern skeleton watch.
Edited by Maxf on Monday 23 June 10:57
Those wooden watches in the link though are really rather nice - and the bracelets are works of art (my woodworking skills are far too poor to consider doing links like that!)
Still procrastinating about the best way forward - wood is probably best for a bespoke shape (loads of room to make random shapes cheaply), taking a fake made out of real stainless may be easiest to just do a Dremel job on and alter cosmetically (whilst still having a waterproof case)...
Now that transparent watch with a proper movement - brilliant idea! I know Swatch make these types of things but they have quartz movements... a reasonably decorated ETA, gold plated, you'd be able to see all the bits moving around. I love that idea - wouldn't be able to put it into practice though with my limited skills. It'd definitely require some decoration because the blank movements are normally only meant to show the bottom (and sometimes top) - the sides of the movement, which will partly be a blank metal band, would be an ideal place for your maker's mark.
What an excellent idea! It could even go Bell & Ross style square watch - because the entire design concept would be the movement as the only significant part of the watch, as opposed to the case and bracelet as normal.
It's such a good idea that someone must have done it already
Even a simple cylinder and transparent plastic strap, but with a normal gold-plated ETA would look really cool. I'll google it and see if anyone's already done this - if not - patent it before I do!
cyberface said:
Maxf said:
Dont bin the idea - use it as a prototype. Shaping wood would be much easier than metal and I assume would allow you to create a template to CNC (or cast from).
I was thinking about making a wooden case, using it to create a sylicon mould, then casting a watch case with a clear material (lucite?), and showing off the movement from all sides - like a modern skeleton watch.
That was the idea - because wood is something much easier to work with initially and get a rough shape to finish, also it doesn't cost a fortune to experiment with different approaches (I don't have a CNC machine and I'm no expert at Solidworks!!!)I was thinking about making a wooden case, using it to create a sylicon mould, then casting a watch case with a clear material (lucite?), and showing off the movement from all sides - like a modern skeleton watch.
Edited by Maxf on Monday 23 June 10:57
Those wooden watches in the link though are really rather nice - and the bracelets are works of art (my woodworking skills are far too poor to consider doing links like that!)
Still procrastinating about the best way forward - wood is probably best for a bespoke shape (loads of room to make random shapes cheaply), taking a fake made out of real stainless may be easiest to just do a Dremel job on and alter cosmetically (whilst still having a waterproof case)...
Now that transparent watch with a proper movement - brilliant idea! I know Swatch make these types of things but they have quartz movements... a reasonably decorated ETA, gold plated, you'd be able to see all the bits moving around. I love that idea - wouldn't be able to put it into practice though with my limited skills. It'd definitely require some decoration because the blank movements are normally only meant to show the bottom (and sometimes top) - the sides of the movement, which will partly be a blank metal band, would be an ideal place for your maker's mark.
What an excellent idea! It could even go Bell & Ross style square watch - because the entire design concept would be the movement as the only significant part of the watch, as opposed to the case and bracelet as normal.
It's such a good idea that someone must have done it already
Even a simple cylinder and transparent plastic strap, but with a normal gold-plated ETA would look really cool. I'll google it and see if anyone's already done this - if not - patent it before I do!StevieGee said:
Found a nice collection of wooden watches here http://www.sacredways.com/meandlawowac.html
Sorry but.....
I know... 'each to his own' and all that!
I’m trying to build my own watch too. I’ve got most of it done but couldn’t find a movement to finish it off. I hadn’t thought of using a face and pillaging it for parts but I’m now planning to do that if anyone had a good idea of where to get one I’d be interested. Proper replicas are really expensive was quite shocked.
Also I did think about making a casting out of jewelers wax…don’t know if you’d thought of that? No grain like wood and maybe easier to play with. They have it on eBay or jewelers/ watch part supplies websites. It’s about 7 quid for a lump of it, thinking of giving that ago myself but my first is going to be turned form a billet of Stainless Steel, I’ll post pictures if I ever get it finished.
Also you might be interested, I found a dial company. They can make then to your spec and they’re only about £12 if I recall. I’ll find the website and post it if you’re interested.
Also I did think about making a casting out of jewelers wax…don’t know if you’d thought of that? No grain like wood and maybe easier to play with. They have it on eBay or jewelers/ watch part supplies websites. It’s about 7 quid for a lump of it, thinking of giving that ago myself but my first is going to be turned form a billet of Stainless Steel, I’ll post pictures if I ever get it finished.
Also you might be interested, I found a dial company. They can make then to your spec and they’re only about £12 if I recall. I’ll find the website and post it if you’re interested.
Daimeydum said:
Also I' am an expert in solid works (well not solid works but Inventor which is a 3D drawing package) so if you wanted your sketches drawn up I might be able to help you with that. Could produce a nice 3D model.
Ta very much! But I have a very good mate who runs a company teaching Solidworks to engineering firms, so I've got that line sewn upTo be honest, my first efforts are going to be modifications of existing replicas - I've got a few I've been researching for their movements, so once I've put the movements back together (still waiting for some tools!!!!) I'll use the cases.
Completely bespoke case, designed and CNC'd to my spec - that's a way further down the road. I could probably get Karl into my mad designs big style and he'd do the Solidworks for me, but we'd then need someone to manufacture the case from the design. And I've been doing project management for too long to think this is a realistic goal for a beginner
My plan:
First steps - understand two widely used ETA movements - the 2836-2 and the 2824-2, i.e. be able to dismantle and reassemble them.
Next steps - get hand removal and reassembly without damaging the face sorted. Have some new tools on the way to help me with this (first hand remover broke on first use)
Then - use an existing replica case / movement and build my own dial.
Simple steps. Once I've got dial making sorted (which is hard to make look excellent without expensive printing equipment - I could farm this out with a PDF) then I'll think about case design and whether I can Dremel a shape from a base replica case, or need to have a case made. Bracelets - forget it - I'll be using an Oyster bracelet because (a) they're damn comfortable and (b) they're damn cheap. Or a good leather strap.
It's all going to take lots of time, which is good because I need an intense hobby to take my mind away from itself.
Sounds very interesting, I’m coming form a slightly different angle. I’m not so interested in how the movement works (for now anyway) and I’m planning to just fit a movement (most likely the ETA variety that you spoke about) into my own case with my own dial etc. more of a design exercise, with off the shelf hands and strap, most likely leather (I was thinking I could get those things form a fake maybe) still unsure.
I’ve created drawings which has been a real learning curve having leant more about watches in a month than I’d known in my life time. I’m now stumped without the movement so I’ll have to make a decision on what to get before I can finalise the design. I was hoping to get a jewelers or find a contact who could assemble the hands and the like for me and save me the hassle of breaking everything whilst learning how to do it.
At my place of work we have a 3 axis milling machine so I hope to be able to create the lugs after turning the internal profile.
You may well know this but you can get pdf’s of detailed drawings of the movements form the ETA website. https://secure.eta.ch/CSP/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabi...
Also the company I found that can make dials http://www.bedforddials.co.uk/design.html
It’ll be really interesting to see your results.
I’ve created drawings which has been a real learning curve having leant more about watches in a month than I’d known in my life time. I’m now stumped without the movement so I’ll have to make a decision on what to get before I can finalise the design. I was hoping to get a jewelers or find a contact who could assemble the hands and the like for me and save me the hassle of breaking everything whilst learning how to do it.
At my place of work we have a 3 axis milling machine so I hope to be able to create the lugs after turning the internal profile.
You may well know this but you can get pdf’s of detailed drawings of the movements form the ETA website. https://secure.eta.ch/CSP/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabi...
Also the company I found that can make dials http://www.bedforddials.co.uk/design.html
It’ll be really interesting to see your results.
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