Freesprung

An in-depth discussion covering their microbrand’s early explorations & experimentation with precision gear cutting at Nicholas Hacko in Australia

Inside the watchmaking studio of Luc Monnet, with insight into his frosting & polishing techniques around the 9:05 & 16:30 marks

Intriguing to learn that the alchemist, Maria the Jewess, was likely the first person to create niello (a black silver) as well as the invent the concept of a double boiler

Now 69, Jean-Claude Biver to begin scaling back his role overseeing Louis-Vuitton/Moët/Hennessy-owned watch brands TAG Heuer, Zenith, & Hublot

This counterfeit has a faux balance bridge glued in place over top of the actual balance cock, likewise for the “screw” at the center of the oscillating weight.

“I don’t know if that’s going to be dozens of lives or thousands, but no matter the number, that’s really a hell of a thing.” – John Gruber on the lifesaving potential of Apple Watch Series 4. I agree.

‘Matic’ – a multi-script type family inspired by typography from vintage timepieces, thoughtfully crafted by ⁦@CriticaLEE⁩

Thanks to Rene Ritchie’s insights & experience interviewing in this sphere, Episode 157 of Vector serves up an excellent compliment to Ken Kocienda’s new book ‘Creative Selection’

Vaucher seems to be the movement maker of choice for up-and-coming independent watchmakers as of late

RT @OffHours: EP 25: A Box of Bandaids Chris’ first watch is taking shape. He and Jon chat through some of the process so far and where th… ,https://twitter.com/OffHours/status/1039628665372459008/photo/1

Still my favourite sundial

Dual processor chip architecture from Qualcomm promises to deliver always-on displays for smartwatches

Took me longer than it should have to diagnose that the position of this casing screw was what was keeping the minutes from chiming on this minute repeater

Far from the most important or insightful aspect of @elonmusk’s wide-ranging interview with @joerogan, it was interesting to catch a billionaire genius’ perspective on watches around 2 hours in

A magical episode of Talking Watches

After sales service is a challenging needle to thread. Few companies truly excel here. For the few who do, though, it pays dividends.

“This isn’t a great feeling as a customer — that they’re not only not taking my word that I didn’t do anything to it, but that they’re analyzing my Watch as if it were the Zapruder film.”

Some insight into the structure & manufacturing capabilities of Schwarz Etienne

Handy round-up of where to buy watch straps, by @pfhubbard

RT @OffHours: EP 24: Renaissance Version of a Twitter Troll Jon and Chris discuss follow up books to read, tricks for beating the Vatican… ,https://twitter.com/OffHours/status/1034814429286866944/photo/1

“Life is too short for boring stuff and too long for things that don’t last.” @JamesStacey on the rise of microbrands

Stoked to see such a glowing review from @AlmostStephen for the work of fellow Canadians, Charles Birchall & Brad Taylor, up on @HODINKEE today

A watch face like this seems like an inevitability when you put a man who oversaw the development Photoshop in charge of watchOS ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1035305476089688064/photo/1

The name Nivachron seems to play a bit off of Rolex’s Parachrom, which boasts similar properties. However, the “chrom” in Parachrom is a nod to the spring’s deep blue colour, while the “chron” in Nivachron is a nod to time.

Nivachron A promising new hairspring alloy from Swatch Group subsidiary Nivarox

Impressive first piece by 21-year-old watchmaker, Remy Cools

RT @simonwwriter: A truly wonderful #podcast in which #THEPERFECTIONISTS is picked apart in the greatest detail and yet emerges unscathed…

In distinguishing between precision & accuracy: It is possible to be precisely wrong. It is not possible to be accurately wrong.

Craftsmanship. Prestige. Longevity. Three pillars of watchmaking A thoughtful commencement speech address by John Davis, for this year’s graduating class at Rolex’s Lititz Watch Technicum, peppered with the flavor of wisdom that only experience can bring.

Valid point. More than likely true.

Clever use of wax by French watchmaker, Pascal Cotton, to protect the milled out recesses for the crown & ratchet wheels while applying a high polish to the chamfers that surround them ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1028252981349834753/photo/1

Charmed to see Jaeger-LeCoultre’s caliber 101 make a comeback

Unusual balance wheel configuration in this one-minute tourbillon by Karsten Frassdorf ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1027892870202699777/photo/1

“Rolex wants you to destroy its watches” Or, how to turn a @HODINKEE article into click bait, courtesy of @Bloomberg

The fact that this watch managed to continue ticking, with some degree of accuracy, to the point that it ground this pivot into oblivion is testament to the build quality of the rest of the piece

The pivot on the left is from a watch that has run almost continuously for 24 years, with routine service & fresh lubrication. What’s left of the pivot on the right is the same gear, from a different watch, that ran for 9 years & 11 months with effectively zero lubricant.

The design process behind @alangesoehne’s Zeitwerk

How to make springs

“For us it lasts a moment, for you, a lifetime.” Two facets of Patek Philippe’s legendary advertising over the past several decades: ,https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/untold-story-patek-philippe-generations-advertising-campaign

RT @billg: It's not a wearable if no one wants to wear it ,

Elaborate crystal watch dials, hand-crafted by Japanese watchmaker, Daizoh Makihara

The NAWCC museum has an open position to fill the role of their new Hamilton Watch Collections Research Fellow & Project Archivist. If that sounds up your alley, email jobs@nawcc.org

The current limitations & future potential of additive manufacturing in horology, from @thewatchestv

RT @OffHours: EP 22: The Memory Thief Jon and Chris talk about buying art, stone carving, and managing notifications without a wearable.… ,https://twitter.com/OffHours/status/1024699786786693120/photo/1,https://twitter.com/OffHours/status/1024699786786693120/photo/1

While it remains a little too hefty for my own wrist, James & crew did a superb job showcasing Tudor’s new Black Bay GMT in this video for @HODINKEE

Watchmakers: What material is your floor made of? Or what material would you ideally like the floor of your shop to be made of?

Why the classic wristwatch will always be popular An engaging read by @JasonHeaton for @OutsideMagazine

Sometimes it’s best to scrap what you’re making & start from scratch, even when it’s costly A detailed look at what went into creating the iconic starship that became the Millennium Falcon. HT Brad Slavic @HODINKEE

The art of guilloché at modern Breguet

“Annual watch fairs, as they exist today, no longer make much sense” Swatch Group—owners of Omega, Breguet, Rado et al & one of the tentpole exhibitors at Baselworld—announces it will cease exhibiting its brands at the world’s largest annual watch fair

A thoughtful editorial piece on brutalist watchmaking, by @jackforster (Had to bust out my dictionary a few times for this one. Brilliantly articulated, as always.)

The ‘Ribbon Chapel’ by Hiroshi Nakamura reminds me somewhat of Audemars Piguet’s forthcoming museum Mind you, it’d make for one hell of a hairspring to untangle ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1022892887090978816/photo/1

A balanced take on the tourbillon, from @jackforster

RT @kocienda: I wrote a book about my Apple career. Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs.…

The dance of the sun & moon around the dial of @ochsundjunior’s new Day/Night serves up a charmingly logical perspective on the waxing & waning of the moon The underlying execution of the sunrise/sunset feature is ingenious

The most common noun used in the English language is

“a great reminder that you can actually build things that last.” – @jasonfried talking watches with @tferriss Followed by a persuasive case for repasturing “Nature is never in a hurry, but it accomplishes everything.”

George Daniels achievements & contributions to the craft as a watchmaker are noteworthy This film provides rare perspective into his methodology & day-to-day life at the ripe young age of 50. Much gratitude to @rogerwsmithltd for making it available.

200-year-old definition of “watchmaker” found in Rees's Cyclopædia

RT @CriticaLEE: Had a great time at the Chrono24 GTG in London! ,

‘The Birth of Soviet Watchmaking’ Complete book, available as a free PDF download, written by Alan Garratt

Fun bit of aquatic aviation kit spotted at the beach this weekend ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1021220776224141313/photo/1,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1021220776224141313/photo/1

(So as not to propogate poor practice, the work here isn’t done yet, I just enjoyed the way the light was hitting the drops of oil. Still requires a little more lubricant to ensure good, consistent timekeeping through to the next service interval.)

The level of surface adhesion that Rolex’s RL-0 surface treatment serves up is remarkably fine-tuned

RT @remontoireau: When George Daniels made his first watch from scratch 1968, he unknowingly started a whole new era of watchmaking: Indepe…

New ooooold stock. A vintage hog skin strap from Longines

RT @Silver_hand: The first part of dealing with an addiction is admitting it. So let me be the first to say I don’t have a lathe addiction,…

In a surprising twist, an older design I made—the Blued Edition of the Freesprung Tee—has outsold the co-axial Escape Tee by 2x since linking to it a little over a week ago Still a few days left to take advantage of free shipping through Threadless ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1019020418085216256/photo/1

Sold out faster than an Ultraman transformation montage Robert-Jan Broer is back at it again with a fresh take on the Omega Speedmaster “Ultraman”

Nice, short interview with @fionakruger about her experience developing a new movement with AGENHOR

Nifty. Just needs the glasses...

“Is there anything more beautiful in the universe? I think not.” – @cgpgrey

Just added a co-axial take on the Escape tee to the Timely Tees shop Free shipping available, thanks to Threadless, thru to mid-July ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1014692828532871168/photo/1

In the latest episode of Off Hours, @Silver_hand & I chat about ‘Design Canada’. A brilliantly produced documentary from @gdurrell, @filmfirstco, & @gary_hustwit, who brought the design-centric films ‘Helvetica’ & ‘Objectified’ to life

Impressively detailed pencil drawings of iconic timepieces created by Canadian author & illustrator, Julie Kraulis

Lovely video, celebrating a master Philippe Dufour’s 70th Birthday Party

The Longines Annual Calendar remains the best value to have come out of Baselworld 2018

RT @the_watchnerd: When #watchnerds describe themselves as “desk divers” I always wonder how they manage to get their depth gauge under the…

A peek behind the scenes at Bovet, through the lens of @O_Muller

Given James’ penchant for capturing incredible lume shots, I thought this was his. Turns out it’s a press shot, which more than likely means it’s been retouched

If you still have a Pebble Watch & intend to continue using it after June 30, be sure to switch over to the Rebble

Fantastic lume shot of @nomosglashuette’s new ‘Siren White’ Club Neomatik by James Stacey for @HODINKEE ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1011948104562733056/photo/1

RT @ID_AA_Carmack: I have always found the idea of the Clock of The Long Now intriguing from an engineering standpoint, but other less epic…

I heard George Daniels say once that the best way to sell a handmade watch was to tell someone inquiring about it that they can’t have it. This anecdote about the original owner’s quest to acquire Daniels’ Spring Case Tourbillon falls in line with that

RT @OffHours: EP19: A Digital Loupe Chris and Jon discuss a few of the latest announcements from Apple's World Wide Developer Conference.… ,https://twitter.com/OffHours/status/1010582184548274177/photo/1

“Don’t forget that you are alive.” – Philippe Dufour (via Romain Gauthier) ,https://twitter.com/osterjewelers/status/1009846555199852546

The Horological Society of New York’s Watchmaking 101 thru 103 classes are coming to Canada for the first time, in Toronto, the weekend after Canada Day

Design friends in SF, London, & Tokyo, @gdurrell & @filmfirstco would love to bring a screening of @designcanfilm to you. I caught an early screening last night. It’s fantastic. If you can help or know someone who can, get in touch.

Given that the Leica brand name is a mash-up of “LEItz” (surname of its founder, Ernst Leitz) & “CAmera” shouldn’t these technically be Leiwa Watches?

Interviews with the instigator, designers, & craftsman behind Leica’s new L1 & L2 wristwatches ,https://twitter.com/UnderTheLoupe/status/1008338693608833026/photo/1

Grafts, imposters, a scion, and a Jeep The roundabout ways that a descendent of Newton’s apple tree came to take root at Canada’s National Research Council HQ

Nice round-up of some of the stand-out exhibitors from this year’s EPHJ, from @monochromewatch Including a form of anodic bonding that can be used to fuse glass to metal or ceramic

A single vintage watch lumed with radium gives off concentrations of radon gas ~4.5x greater than the recommended level that is considered safe, some pocket watches as much as 60x

“Small things make perfection, but perfection is no small thing.” – Henry Royce

Terrible GIF, but interesting bit of horological troubleshooting: Chatty reversers in the automatic winding system of a vintage Rolex turned out to be because they were magnetized. Happy duo when the poles were aligned, very inefficient when they weren’t (i.e. most of the time)

Hard earned & well deserved

A timepiece hand-crafted by 27 year-old French watchmaker Cyril Brivet-Naudot, with novel “libre excentrique” escapement

An unusual watch complication A dial with a tree whose leaves change colour with the passing of the seasons

There’s something ticking in Brooklyn