Swiss Alp Watch Final Upgrade
The last in the line of trollish, Apple Watchesque timepieces from H. Moser & Cie. Clever implementation of the seconds indication, I'll give them credit for that. Given a previous version included a minute repeater, though, I'd argue this should have been dubbed the Final Update & not the Final Upgrade.
Image credit H. Moser & Cie
A Visit to Vacheron Constantin
Jack Forster, reporting for Revolution, pays a visit to the manufacturing facilities of Vacheron Constantin, as well as fellow Richemont-owned dial manufacturer, Stern Creations.
While the notion of doing everything in-house is sedulously promoted by many companies, the reality, as usual, is more complex. Historically, watchmaking has never been something done exclusively “in-house” and virtually all watchmaking companies at every level, throughout their history, acquired at least some components from specialist suppliers — especially cases, dials and bracelets, and many great names made and still make extensive use of third-party movements as well. The myth that vertical integration in and of itself guarantees some extraordinary quality or exclusivity is well worth dispelling, although it remains true that as a symbol of legitimacy as well as a very real point of distinction, it can be an often compelling characteristic of the watchmaking houses that embrace it.
Young French Watchmaker, Rémy Cools on His Watchmaking Journey
"I think it’s good to have a critical eye on your work. In watchmaking, or in every job, you always have to grow & develop. To stay the same is not good. You always have to keep improving the finishing & when you look back you can see the progress you have made from your first creation to where you are now." – Rémy Cools
Image credit Remy Cools
How Sharpie Markers Improve Metal Cutting Performance
Ductile metals pose machining challenges, applying a thin layer of long-chain organic media—like Sharpie, Dykem fluid, or stearic acid (the primary active ingredient in epilame)—it introduces a tensile surface stress that improves cutting performance by forcing micro-fractures in the swarf.
Image credit Purdue Engineering