tristan.led
15
It is not the first time we cross path on a thread
Feb 26, 2021,03:48 AM
And I have to admit I quite enjoy reading your thoughts.
One thing is sure, as I happen to make parts by hands, no one can do a pinion without a motor (you can use a steam engine if you want, but still). So IMHO any watchmaker out here that makes his parts on a Schaublin (mine has 2 motors) Aciera, Hauser, Sixis etc, it's all handmade.
As I've said before, what everyone needs, is honesty, and transparency. I decided to become a watchmaker, I followed the path I followed because I honestly belived Dufour made his watches by hand, that Voutilainen did as well (For Smith, I already knew he had a cnc mill back then). Imagine my shock after investing years and money into hard to find machines only to realize that ANY watch made in series of more than 5ish HAVE TO be made on a CNC. It's simple to understand, there's no interchangeability with hand made parts and machines on a large scale.
There's no shame in using CNC mills, lathes, EDM, Laser etc. All needs to be out in the open. I have a huge respect for the level of finishing of a Dufour, although the parts are CNC made.
CNC ensures accuracy, more reliability for the customer etc.
Micro brands launched on Kickstarter have used this angle before "lets be honest and say "yes, our parts come from Asia, but we offer something different and that's why you shoud buy from us"". I hope more Indies will follow that route as well.
In my opinion, as a maker, I want to believe there's a middle and that one can be happy with something made by hand and by CNC as well.
For example, I make the bridges, wheels, mainplate, screws, pins, parts of the case (bezel, lugs, middle case but not the case back nor the buckle).
Pinions and escapement come from an ebauche, and dial indexes and hands are either lazer or EDM made Custom but outsourced then.
So as one could indeed easily say "Yes but the strap is outsourced" "The gear cutter used have been made by Louis Belet and not X watchmaker" or "He used a DRO on a Hauser" lets all agree to recognize the good in the products. Kikuno is a genius for how he makes is watches, Dufour is a genius in the finishing. Not one has to be better than the other, they both are independent, both are very skilled, their products are different, and I hope their customers are happy with the manufacturing processes.