1994 – Period 2.2 – «Caliber 11»

February 08, 2012

The Caliber 11 is a unique and heavily jeweled timepiece with a 360° time indicator and a chiming mechanism. The hand fitted movement features a special winding/time setting mechanism entirely made by hand.

The speciality of this setting device is the fact, that three functions need to be executed with one winding key. The less manipulation the customer needs to take care of the better for the clock’s future condition.

Turing the winding key clockwise and the chiming mechanism is being wound. Turning the key counter-clockwise, the setting device turns around its fixed axe and ensures a perfect transmission to the movement barrel. If you push the winding key towards the clock case, the time can be set while turning the key in both directions.

Back in those days, the entire construction was established using a 2D CAD program named Autocad. 3D programs were in the very early stage of development and too complicated for a simple use.

The hand drawn pictures were simply used for illustration purposes and were not meant for production. Most of the time the 2D drawings served as a roadmap for the manufacturing process.

Usually the watch movement shapes the watch case or watch face but sometimes the watchmaker needs to adapt the watch or clock movement to fit a specific design! In the case of the Caliber 11, the movement needed to be shaped and adapted in order to fit the jewelers design and technical approach…

Next week’s chapter : Period 2.3 – «Pimp my Ulysse Nardin»

1994 – Period 2.1 – «Spiky chain wheel»

February 01, 2012

Welcome to the 2nd year of apprenticeship, more precisely in the second half of the year 1994! The necessary tools were manufactured, the basic skills acquired. It’s time to deepen the knowledge about clock mechanisms and to dive into the world of pocket and wristwatches…

Wear and tear of old and vintage timepieces call for appropriate care and handling. After all, they deserve a general overhaul after years, sometimes even centuries of loyal service to humanity.

Whilst one needs to visit a dentist for broken teeth, watch- and clockmakers around the world take care of defective wheels and pinions and sometimes replace tooth after tooth for the well being of their respective patients.

The surgery in this particular case was necessary because the center hole was completely out of center and dramatically enlarged. The chain inexorably plunged every time the wheight was raised up causing additional damage to the weight and teeth of the chain wheel.

With fitting this new and spiky chain wheel, the clock finally found a new youth and may face again other decades to come…

Next week’s chapter : Period 2.2 – «Caliber 11»

1994 – Period 1.8 – «Little big wall clock»

January 11, 2012

Paul Gerber’s little big wall clock is a one foot high pendulum clock with an hourly striking mechanism, moon-phase and equation indication. The movement measures approx. 3 x 4 cm…! And yes, Paul loves small mechanisms!

A small production of cannon-pinions (chaussées) needed to be manufactured. You want to know how?

1. Take a steel bar, turn the 3 steps and drill the hole

2. Mill the square part and turn the recess

3. Mill the teeth, cut the pinion and turn the back steps

Then place the pinions into a brass piece with a center hole and harden both together. This prevents the tube from going out of shape during the sudden cooling process.

The last process is the most delicate; grinding and polishing of the pinions and teeth. This point is essential to the long term functionality of the item. The better the surfaces are polished the less friction the pieces show.

I was using an old machine which polishes pinions using wheels made out of wood. The shape of the wooden wheel is crucial for a perfect polishing of the teeth and the automatic stepping of the cannon-pinion.

With this note I’m ending the highlights of my 1st year of apprenticeship with Paul Gerber. I hope you enjoyed the journey and are ready for the 2nd year. Fabergé will feature among other interesting topics…

Next chapter : Period 2.1 – «Spiky chain wheel»

1994 – Period 1.7 – «BASEL 94»

January 05, 2012

Incredible how time is running! BASEL 94 was the very first time I was personally present during the entire show. In those days the fair was called «BASEL» plus two numerals denoting the exhibition year. In 1995 the name officially changed for «BASEL 95 – The World Watch, Clock and Jewellery Show». In 2003, the next step was a new corporate identity: BaselWorld, The Watch and Jewellery Show.

Every day I was running around the show to look out for my own highlight to learn from and write about. I was developing and analyzing among other themes George Daniels Co-Axial escapement which fascinated me.

Together with Paul I was at the booth of the academy AHCI and able to discover all the miscellaneous time devices and art pieces presented by their related watchmakers and creators.

Intrigued to find out which academy member was around at the fair in 1994? I was asking every participant to sign my workbook. Here they are:

…and16 years later, I was able to present my own watch creations at Baselworld 2010 under the umbrella of AHCI!

Next week’s chapter : Period 1.8 – «Little big wall clock»

1994 – Period 1.6 – «Driving-wheel for an old english clock»

December 28, 2011

Passing the first half year of my apprenticeship – lots of miscellaneous watches, clocks and other devices were repaired and taken care of. Yet another challenge was waiting for me; manufacturing and replacing components of a defective driving wheel of an old english clock.

The speciality? A helical groove needed to be milled into a barrel-drum…
I was using the only machine in Paul’s atelier which was able to perform this specific task; an old Schaublin 65 lathe with a special device which allows to connect the headstock with one of the two slide-blocks. When turning the spindle, the horizontal slide-block moves at the same time. The correct transmission ratio, however, still needed to get determined.

The barrel-drum and the barrel-axe needed to be replaced. The critical path for this work was to measure all necessary dimensions and to prepare the lathe for milling the helical groove. The pitch needed to be equal to the original and worn piece. Several test runs were necessary prior to end up with the final and correct groove cut.

The freshly cut grooves need to get slightly polished in order to round them up. Otherwise the sharp surfaces may damage the winding cord of the clock.

Even though you think it might be impossible to manufacture specific components or to handle special processes, give yourself a try and exercise! The result is often better than initially imagined!

Next week’s chapter : Period 1.7 – «BASEL 94»

1994 – Period 1.5 – «…?»

December 20, 2011

Watchmakers are polyvalent craftsmen and love new challenges! Nothing better than applying the newly acquired skills on something completely out of the watchmaking context…!

I needed to repair a vintage sewing machine! More precisely, replacing a missing walking foot. Luckily the owner had a second machine on hand so I was able to copy the missing part respecting the original lines and shapes.

«A walking foot is a mechanism for feeding the workpiece through a sewing machine as it is being stitched.» Source: Wikipedia

On the left side of the picture you can see the original piece from the 2nd machine and on the right side the tailor made adaptation of the missing foot and spring.

«Mastering the basic skills enables you to apply the knowledge in other fields of applications and is a perfect leverage of ones competences.»

Next week’s chapter : Period 1.6 – «Driving-wheel for an old english clock»

1993 – Period 1.4 – «Details of a mystery clock»

December 15, 2011

You can’t imagine how exited I was when I got the chance to work with Paul on perhaps the only «real» mystery clock existing on the market. Usually they feature a center axe in the middle of the dial around which the minute and hour discs are turning.

For the clock to perform at best, the movement was equipped with 3 barrels and an escapement with a constant force, a device that always transmits the same amount of force to the escape-wheel, resulting with a power reserve of two weeks.

Most of the components were manufactured the traditional way. The shape of the barrel bridge for example was scratched on a brass plate and then cut out with a saw. The inside turnings have been made using a face-plate on a 102 Schäublin lathe.

The positions of the wheels were marked using a wheel penetration compass. In order to insure a perfect alignment of the bushes, the holes were being drilled while the bridges were mounted onto the main plate.

In order to guarantee a perfect transmission between the mounted movement and the time indication mechanism located in the massive gold case, a lever serves to perfectly adjust the penetration depth of the involved wheels.

Some of the smaller components, such as the winding spring for exemple, were manufactured using a pantograph. In other words, the component was printed in 2D at a scale of 10:1 on a paper, glued onto a piece of brass and cut out. Finally these plates are used as the master on the pantograph and used to reproduce the component in a reduced size.

“The clock’s mystery is only as good as the watchmaker who is crafting it!”

Next week’s chapter : Period 1.5 – «…?»

Find out in next week’s chapter what the below picture is illustrating – curious…?

1993 – Period 1.3 – «Miss a minute hand?»

December 08, 2011

After weeks of spending time on acquiring the basic skills, the first repairs were coming in. Besides all the miscellaneous small repairs I’d like to emphasis on an old dutch clock with a missing minute hand.

Such old style hands cannot simply be bought at next door’s component supplier. In this case the minute hand needed to be entirely made by hand. But how?

First, observe the design and shape of the remaining hour hand. Since the minute hand needs to pair with the existing hour hand it’s just a logic approach that we are getting the design inspiration from what is original and still existing! Also use vintage watch books and look for similar clocks from the same period of time which help to take the final decision.

A hand sketch will be drawn on a piece of paper and glued onto an old and tarnished plate of steel. At the end it gives a vintage look to the newly manufactured hand and will match the existing hour hand texture.

The next steps will take some time; sawing the plate while following the hand-drawn lines. Drilling holes in order to access the internal cut-outs. Finally the sharp edges are rounded using different profiles of files and the major imperfections in the geometry get corrected. Not too perfect please – remember the age of that clock… back in those days no CNC machines were available!

At the very end, a brass bush with a square hole needs to be fixed onto the minute hand. Finally, both hands will be mounted and adjusted.

However, «Time» is the factor giving the final touch to the new minute hand – no one can copy or imitate a vintage pattern or a specific color of tarnish… so let time simply do it’s job!

Next week’s chapter : Period 1.4 – «Details of a mystery clock»

1993 – Period 1.2 – «Acquiring the basic skills…»

December 01, 2011

First thing to do when you start a watchmaking apprenticeship, is getting rid of your illusions and dreams! No Patek Philippe nor Rolex will be taken apart during the first weeks and no ETA calibers get dismounted. No – a watchmaker starts his career in getting bloody fingers… he starts to manufacture and to build up an inventory of his own tools and devices such as center-punches, bench-vice jaws, hand-fitting devices, miscellaneous cutters, etc.

I remember the particular painful period when the hand gravers needed to get ground and sharpened by hand, respecting a perfect geometry! This procedure is very tricky and tests ones skills, prestidigitation and patience! While pressing the hand gravers onto an Arkansas grinding stone, the sharp edges bores deep into one’s fingers… Every watchmaker recalls these moments of pain but is nevertheless proud to master these essential skills.

Among all the manufactured tools, I did manufacture my own hand graver grinding device.
The days of bloody fingers were counted!

During this exercise all basic related skills are used (e.g. filing, drilling, turning, sawing, milling). Furthermore, learning to respect the tolerances and to get familiar with the precision of 1/100 of a millimeter is essential as well as working and shaping different materials.

As you might have noticed, the two wheels got pimped up as well! Since both steel wheels were hardened I tempered them until it’s blue color and polished the two rims of each side… All other brass components were gold plated to prevent tarnishing.

Always remember; every tool and machine has its place and utility – they need to be in a perfect condition and before you even know they become essential to a point you cannot work without it any longer.

Next week’s chapter : Period 1.3 – «Miss a minute hand?»

1993 – Period 1.1 – «Welcome in the garage!»

November 24, 2011

Watches have always taken a large part in the world of luxury. They shine and dazzle in wonderful showcases – they create emotion, admiration and incarnate perfection!

I started my very first experience as an apprentice in a GARAGE! No glamour – no bling-bling…
But look closer – it’s not just any garage – it’s Paul Gerber’s garage!

«Good morning Marc» he welcomed me in the morning of August 16, 1993. «Come in and get yourself ready.» I entered the cavern of Ali Baba at the age of 16 and knew that I will leave this place 4 years later as an adult and hopefully as a trained watchmaker… (it was up to me on how things will turn out!)

Paul Gerber’s workshop in Zurich (Uhren Magazin 03/1996)

I was one of the lucky ones and able to start an apprenticeship with master watchmaker Paul Gerber who formed 7 apprentice during his career. I was the 4th one and ready to take on the challenge and to succeed.

Besides being trained in Paul’s workshop, I also followed in parallel the watchmaking school in Solothurn for my theory lessons. The «Zeit Zentrum» – formerly known as «Uhrmacherschule Solothurn» – is the only watchmaking school for Swiss-German fellows in Switzerland (whether they come from Bern, Zurich, St-Gallen or from St-Moritz).

Marc Jenni working behind his bench (Uhren Magazin 03/1996)

The cavern is Paul’s nest and play corner at the same time. I had a huge panel of machines and tools to excercise (e.g. Schaublin 102, 70, 65, Aciera F1, Hauser M1, pantograph, 3-axe CNC milling machine, etc.)

To mention all the machines and tools would take way too long! Too exhaustive is the list of old and new machines which were available at the workshop. For every specific task a specific tool is needed… Fact is, a well equiped workshop is a must for any genuine watchmaker – and yet – the skills to properly use the machines still needed to get acquired…

Marc Jenni working on a Schaublin 102 (Armbanduhren 02/1997)

Next week’s chapter : Period 1.2 «Acquiring the basic skills…»