WatchTech

Each year one of the highlights of the watchmaking year is the EPHJ exposition at the Palexpo in Geneva.  This year was no exception.

Let's follow the arrow and enter the EPHJ.

The evolution of this fair over the last 10 years has been toward industrial watchmaking and away from the individual watchmaker, this year being the first that I can remember that a Bank had a stand.  But there is still no better place to complete your workshop and find subcontractors and suppliers.

Let's start our visit looking at suppliers for watchmaking ateliers.

You will find everything that you need.

All the "old fashioned" tools are still available.

New types of epilam and lubricants.

Of course there are also designer watchmakers benches with beautiful cabinetry if your budget is up to it.

Coming from the Jura mountains the smell of Absenthe at a stand is not that surprising.

Dial manufacturers and suppliers for dialmaking were in abundance.

Ceramic making supplies in all possible colors.

Your watchwinder needs a safe so no-one steals it?

The conferences this year where often geared toward startups and business building.  Necessary, but once the MBAs get their hand in the pudding it is difficult to find the products. 

Among the unusual and beautiful things seen.

We move on to the small machines, here we have an automatic oiler.  You d need a certain level of production to make such a machine worthwhile.

Metrology is always a big topic and very necessary for keeping up quality and reliability.

Torque controlled screw drivers.  If you are employing inexpensive unskilled labour such tools are necessary.

A precision milling machine.

Automatic heat treatment oven.

Cutting geared wheels.

Hand engraving supplies with demonstration.

Roxer has everything you need to test your watches for watertightness.

Schmid has machines for all the typical high end finishing styles.  This small machine is for snailing or Geneva strips,..

... perlage.

A CNC lathe with it's rotating took changer.

We're back measuring again.  Here machines for larger pieces such as cases.

Tooling is a big story and precision tools are presented like jewels (as they should).

For me, the most interesting new things that I saw where at Brasport, the watch band supplier.

These Noonmoon straps are really neat. Made of a strong flexible plastic the knobs on one side fit in the holes on the other holding better than a clasp and allowing nice multicolor effects without and metal parts.

Industrial fabrics imbedded in rubber straps.

A new system for easily changing straps.  These clasps on the end of the bands are much easier to use than the little buttons on the end of sting bars.  Here a normal spring bar is mounted on the watch and with these clasps the band is easily and without need for fingernails, etc,. mounted and removed.

Find the error!

More insets in rubber bands.

A small selection of alligator hides.

I hope you have enjoyed this small excursion at the EPHJ.  Therre is much more to be seen there.  I hope to see ou there next year.

Don

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