How Swiss watches are made. Manufactory Frédérique Constant

How are watches made?

The watch making process is incredibly interesting. After all, they consist of many small details, the manufacture of each of which is a real art. The process of rotating parts is also fascinating. We invite you to take a short excursion into the world of these amazing mechanisms and find out how, who and where watches are made.

Factories

In Russia, there are many factories that produce watches: Vostok, Pakman, Pluto, Polet, Vostok-Gold, Russian Watches, Raketa and others. But only at the last enterprise, watches are made "from scratch" from parts produced here.

watch making

Watch production technology begins with the creation of platinum - a special blank designed to fasten all mechanisms. All machines participate in its production, on each of which holes are applied to it, which will be needed for the next part. In automatic mode, platinum is subject to adjustment. To do this, the operator places the part in a special machine and presses the lever.

The next step is to create the necessary filling of the clock. The machine tool masters are given a project created by designers. According to the sketches of the project, they stamp all the necessary details. Any mechanical watch has four main groups of components. Different manufacturers will have their own characteristics, but the division pattern is the same:

• a spring that acts as an engine;
• gears that form the transmission mechanism of the impulse;
• a regulator that ensures the uniformity of the movement of the clock;
• distributor or descent. In the watch, it performs two functions. Firstly, it provides the transfer of momentum from the spring to the regulator, which maintains its oscillations. And secondly, it subordinates the movement of the wheels, and hence the action of the spring, to the oscillation of the regulator.

To make sure that all the details are made correctly, they are subject to verification. To do this, the parts are placed in a container. In it, using a special device, a shadow is projected onto a panel with a sketch applied. All parts must be perfectly fitted, otherwise the clock will not work.

Let's understand further how the clock is made. The next stage is no less responsible - assembly. It is produced by hand. Most often, women are hired as pickers, whose thin and quick fingers are better suited for such work. This process requires workers to be extremely precise, attentive and have good eyesight. Assembled according to all the rules, the clock will work for many years.

Finished watches must be checked. At each plant, they put forward requirements for the accuracy of the course. For example, a Raketa watch should not deviate beyond the limits - 10 and + 20 seconds per day. The accuracy control itself is carried out in two stages, which allows manufacturers to be responsible for the quality of their goods. The first time the watch is checked immediately after its assembly, and the second time after a day.

The running accuracy is checked in three different positions. Indeed, in everyday life, our hand can be raised up, lowered down and extended to the side.

You can learn about the first inventors of watches from the article.

If you are interested in the process of assembling watches and want to make them yourself, check out the article. With it, you can make an interesting gift for yourself or your loved ones.

Switzerland is famous for its beautiful landscapes, delicious cheeses and great clocks. Many believe that Switzerland was at the origins of the watch industry. However, few people know that completely different people stand behind the history of Swiss quality: German and French masters, hiding from religious persecution.

"Nuremberg egg" and the French king

The first wearable watch in the usual sense for us appeared in 1510. They were created by the German locksmith Peter Henlein. He was the first to come up with the idea of ​​using a mainspring in watches, which made it possible to significantly reduce their size. Up to this point, the clock was installed only on the towers. These were huge mechanisms that were set in motion by weights. Henlein became a revolutionary, because now the watch could literally be carried in your pocket. However, the design of the "Nuremberg egg" - that's what the watch was called because of the oval case - was not perfect. As in the tower clock, the "Nuremberg egg" had only one hour hand, in addition, the clock did not differ in accuracy - the hand completely depended on the degree of spring winding. However, from that moment on, the fashion for watches began to gain momentum.

The first serious watch production appeared in France, where in 1544 King Francis I signed a decree on the creation of a watch manufacture. The first customers were the nobles - few could afford watch-masterpieces of jewelry art.

Religion is the engine of the watch industry

France did not remain the center of watchmaking for long. In the middle of the 16th century, the country was engulfed in religious clashes. Hiding from persecution, Huguenot watchmakers fled to Switzerland, where Protestant views flourished. In fact, Protestantism created the Swiss watch industry. The fact is that the theologian John Calvin, who had a great influence on the Church, set strict standards and introduced a ban on an idle lifestyle. Theaters, music, dances, holidays - all this fell under severe restrictions. Moreover, bright clothes and jewelry were also banned. However, somehow, wearing a watch did not fall under church prohibitions - on the contrary, the watch was recognized as a useful item. Swiss jewelers teamed up with watchmakers from France and began to help them in making watches. Moreover, the demand for watches as a high-quality and beautiful product was constantly increasing.

Masters of the mountain cantons

By 1600 there were at least 500 watchmakers in Geneva. To improve interaction in 1601, the masters united in the guild of watchmakers. Geneva prospered, and the spread of Protestant ideas attracted more and more Huguenot masters to this country. However, if a few years ago, watchmaking in Switzerland was only in its infancy, now there is serious competition. The watch guild, whose masters stood at the origins of watchmaking, simply did not want to give up their positions. The newly arrived masters were forced to disperse to other cantons of Switzerland. An interesting fact: ordinary peasants became followers of the masters. Their work was seasonal, and in their free time, in order to keep themselves busy, they simply began to study with the Huguenot masters. Thus watchmaking from Geneva spread throughout Switzerland.

Swiss blacksmith and English traveler

In turn, all the innovations of the watch industry accumulated in England. From the very beginning, English masters focused on the perfection of the mechanism, and not the appearance. Already in the 17th century, English clocks were highly accurate. All watch improvements - pendulums, reinforced spring anchors - were also developed in England.

Switzerland could forever remain in the catch-up, but everything changed with the advent of Daniel Jean-Richard. This man became interested in watches quite by accident. While still a young man, he worked as a blacksmith for his father. Once an English traveler came to them, he was interested in crafts made of silver and iron. Admiring the art, he took out his broken watch from his bag and asked them to fix it. The young man got the job done. A little later, Jean-Richard, remembering the English mechanism, was able to fully reproduce it.

In 1698, Jean-Richard opens his own manufactory. Moreover, he constantly improved the watch mechanism, studying the technologies of English and French masters. In addition, Jean-Richard was able to standardize production: he established cooperation with craftsmen who made mechanisms and accessories, and created a full-fledged commercial network. Eventually, Jean-Richard begins to invite students so that knowledge can be passed on to other generations. By 1730, Jean-Richard's enterprise became the largest in Switzerland and was the first to engage in mass production. It was the mass character and constant improvement of quality that ensured worldwide fame for Swiss watches.

Mass production is the key to success

In the 1800s, mass production put Switzerland at the forefront of the watchmaking world. Other countries simply could not keep up with its production volumes. Much later, mass character will help the Swiss industry to maintain its leading position. In the 1970s, the Swiss watchmakers abandoned the production of digital watches, thereby making a major mistake. For several years, Asian manufacturers have filled the market with a variety of quartz watches and simply captured it. In fact, expensive Swiss watches have become useless to anyone. The industry could have ceased to exist if not for the intervention of one person. It turned out to be Lebanese businessman Nicholas Hayek. It was his consulting company that Swiss banks approached to assess the watch industry. It was planned that it would be sold to the Japanese, but Hayek proposed a project to revive watchmaking. The banks agreed with this idea, moreover, Hayek took over most of the investments. Believing in the success of Swiss watch brands, he merged the two leading concerns into a single company and thus saved many of the oldest firms from ruin. Previously, each company produced watches independently, now the factories were divided into manufacturers of universal spare parts and watch assemblers. The merger reduced costs and increased production turnover.

"Second Hours" Becomes First

The most important step in saving Swiss watches was the creation of the Swatch brand. Nicholas Hayek decided to move away from centuries of developments and instructed engineers to create cheap, but high-quality watches. The result is the legendary Swatch, a simple watch face in a thin plastic case. The product turned out bright and cheap. In addition, it favorably differed from competitors, because it guaranteed European quality. For Europeans, Swatch was more elitist than Asian competitors. In the end, good sales were not long in coming - by the beginning of the 90s, more than 10 million Swatch watches had been sold.

Nicolas Hayek became a real savior of the Swiss watch industry, and his name is firmly entrenched in history. He did the impossible - few believed that it was possible to create cheap high-quality watches in Switzerland. However, it was Swatch, which, according to many, could "kill" the entire industry, became its savior.

Comfort and coziness in our home sometimes depends on even the smallest details and elements. Even most interior designers agree that the most important attributes for getting comfort in the house are well-chosen curtains, original lamps, soft and chosen in the right shade, blankets, pillows, bath rugs and clocks.

This article will focus on a master class on how to decorate a clock at home yourself.

There are a large number of photos of watches on the Internet, most of them are made by famous designers, but making original watches at home is also not difficult.

There is, of course, one key and difficult moment - this is the installation of a mechanism on the clock for its operation, but the finished mechanism should be bought in a store and installed according to the instructions. But the appearance of the future watch and its rest design completely depends on personal preferences and tastes.

There are several modern techniques that help to independently make watches in any style.

Decoupage watch style

A similar technique for designing and creating a wall clock involves working with a ready-made store template, where there is already a blank, the base of the hands and the finished mechanism. You can also purchase ready-made patterns on paper, special paints, glue and other decoupage elements.

The workpiece for the clock is made in this way: several times the base is covered with a primer of acrylic paints, and finally polished. The desired shade and texture is given to the base in the next step.

There is one trick - if you want to make an old-style clock with a shade that is scuffed, then the paint must be applied with a sponge.

Decorating a wall clock with your own hands is a process of bringing out the imagination and creativity of a person. You can stick special water stickers on the base. Or draw a preliminary sketch yourself and transfer it to the dial.

After that, the finished mechanism and arrows with numbers are already attached. After a series of actions, the clock created by your own hands will come to life and will give the house a special original look.

Quilling clock

Quilling is an arts and crafts process in which you work with straight strips of multi-colored paper of various widths. Such strips, as a rule, are twisted and glued to the surface, while creating the most varied patterns and pictures.

To create a clock using this technique, it is best to take a tree as the basis of the clock, since quilling elements can be well glued to it.

The color scheme should be in harmony with the interior of the room. After all, a bright clock will look ugly in a room made in a minimalist style. Therefore, the choice of shade is a key point in this matter.

Most often, multi-colored quilling elements are used to create flowers, insects, trees, animals, berries, and so on.

Plaster clock

Ordinary gypsum tiles will serve well as the basis for future watches.

Romantic and reverent natures will surely find a large number of solutions for creating watches from this material.

Among professionals, such a tile is called a medallion. The mechanism of the future clock is attached to its back side. To make the product look more elegant and restrained, its surface should be covered with matte paint in light colors.

And, if you want some highlights, then glossy paint will do.

Note!

This material is most suitable for creating clocks in the bedroom. At the same time, shades are chosen - beige, pale pink, pearl, the color of coffee with milk, purple and so on.

Clock with wooden sticks

In this situation, you should have items such as sticks and quality wood, good glue, scissors, and a ready-made work clock with a flat surface in your arsenal.

Many small sticks of the same size should be cut out of wood, and then connected

If the sticks are applied to the base in two layers, then you can achieve a wonderful “explosion” effect, which looks luxurious and original.

Now you know how to make a clock at home. Handmade clocks are ideal for the kitchen, and for the hall, and for the bedroom.

Note!

DIY watch photo

Note!

"Petrodvorets Watch Factory" is the oldest Russian company specializing in the manufacture of watches. The plant was founded by Peter I in 1721 as a factory for cutting precious and semi-precious stones, but began to deal exclusively with watches from the middle of the last century. Then the brand "Rocket" appeared, the appearance of which was timed to coincide with Gagarin's flight into space. Let's walk around the production and see how watches are made. By the way, to make one watch "from and to" you need at least six months. Today, the factory is practically the only company that manufactures all watch components in-house and assembles them in one place. It would be much cheaper to buy a mechanism, for example, from Swatch, but the company is faced with the task of carrying out a full assembly cycle in Russia. Since 2009, the plant has been run by a Frenchman with Russian roots, Jacques von Polier. Just at this time, the plant began to be modernized and updated. The watch collection has also been updated. Today in it you can find such simple but cute specimens:
The company employs Swiss watch engineers who have collaborated with such well-known brands as Rolex, Breguet and Hautlence. They say that when one of them came to look at the plant for the first time, he immediately refused to work. But when he found out that the balance and the spiral, the most complex elements in the clockwork, are produced here, he decided to stay. In simple terms, a balance is an oscillatory mechanism that balances the movement of a watch's gear mechanism. To make this same balance, you need to do about 200 operations. One of them is performed by this woman.

The process of creating watches begins with the production of platinum - the part on which all movements are attached. This is what is in the box:
In order to reach the ready process, platinum must be on almost all the machines in this room.
Each machine will make the necessary holes in it.
The most recent operation on platinum is performed by a young man:
Well, here is the calibration. In other words, check and correct. Everything happens in a semi-automatic mode: put the part, pulled the handle, took out the part and threw it into the box.

If necessary, you can check how the finished part corresponds to what needs to be done. To do this, she is placed in a “magic” box, where a special device projects her shadow directly onto the drawing:

A distinctive feature of the Raketa watch is the presence of the number 0 on the dial instead of 12.
One funny story is connected with this zero. Back in perestroika times, during Gorbachev's official visit to Italy, a photographer took a picture of his watch. It was a Raketa watch with a characteristic zero. The next day, the headline appeared in Italian newspapers: “In the USSR, they decided to start everything from scratch,” and a photograph of the Rocket flaunted next to it. In the room that bears the proud name of "Dial Area", there were, oddly enough, dials for every taste and color:


In the "arsenal" of the "Rocket", my attention was attracted by several types of watches for polar explorers, with a 24-hour dial. Indeed, at the North Pole it is sometimes difficult to understand whether it is day or night. The final stage of production takes place behind the door:
Here, people in white coats, with love, assemble a bunch of gears into a finished mechanism.
The work is hard enough. Just imagine, all day, all eight hours in a row, look through a magnifying glass, painstakingly collecting small details.

Some have been working here for over 40 years:
Curiously, the watch on the hand does not look like a "Rocket"
Workplace of one of the women:



But it's not enough just to assemble the watch. It is necessary to check the mechanism for the accuracy of the stroke and write everything down in a journal:
The running accuracy is checked in three positions, first immediately after assembly, and then again after 24 hours. Why three? Because for the most part, we wear our watches hand down, hand up, and hand to the side.
In addition to checking the accuracy of the course, you need to check the watch for leaks.
These are all right. Withstand 5 atmospheres:
They say that a few years ago a divers' club contacted the plant, whose members raised a rather rare Raketa watch from the bottom of the sea, which had lain there for several decades. The divers wanted to determine who was the owner of the chronometer. What was the surprise of the masters when, after they cleaned and started the mechanism, the clock started running again, as if those long years under water had not happened. All testing equipment is made in Switzerland. This is due to the fact that the "Rocket" is sold not only in Russia, but also in Europe, so the watch must comply with foreign standards. On the hand of the director of the plant, of course, "Rocket":
Almost the same as on the wall:
In general, work in production is really jewelry. Just imagine that these little purple pebbles need to be carefully placed somewhere without losing:
Prices for watches are not the lowest, starting at about 7,000 rubles. It costs at least 50-60 dollars to produce a simple Raketa mechanism without complications, while you can buy a ready-made mechanism of good quality for 20-40 dollars. This is the price of the mechanism alone. It is necessary to add another bracelet, a case and other details, wages for workers, etc. At such costs, one can still call the retail price humane. At the price of "Raketa" you can buy good Swiss watches, but the Swiss are not considered competitors at the factory. As Jacques von Polier says: "We focus on those who want to buy something real, not fake, made in Russia." It should be noted that in March 2011, for the first time in its 300-year history, the Petrodvorets Watch Factory took part in the well-known international watch exhibition in Basel, where the Raketa watch aroused the interest of visitors.

To create a cozy home, you need to think through many details. First of all, this applies to interior and decor elements, such as curtains, lamps, clocks and pillows. Today we propose to consider how to make a watch with your own hands. Anyone can make them. The main task is to install a large working mechanism, usually bought in a specialized store. The presence of an old clock will greatly simplify the task, because you can use their mechanism. Everything else depends on your skill and imagination.

Wall clock in decoupage technique (MK)

You can make a clock in the kitchen with your own hands from improvised materials. But, if you want to create an original product, then the decoupage style will be the perfect solution.. These clocks look elegant and will be a unique decoration for the interior of the house. We offer an interesting master class that will help you create a wall clock yourself at minimal cost.

You also need to prepare:

• clockwork hands;
• wooden base (round or square);
• napkins and ready-made patterns on paper;
• acrylic paints;
• brushes;
• sponges and varnish.

Making watches with your own hands in the decoupage style is carried out in a certain sequence:

1. The workpiece is being processed . The basis of the future product must be sanded with sandpaper and coated three times with white acrylic paint, it will serve as a primer.

2. When the paint dries, a couple of centimeters recede from the edge of the workpiece and outline the future frame .

Outlining the frame

3. The basis is given an invoice , the color of painting is selected, the most suitable for the interior. The paint is diluted and applied with a sponge in a chaotic manner to age the product.

Applying a second coat of paint

4. The frame of the future watch stands out more dark color, brown paint is ideal for this.

Related article: Original lamps from various bottles with your own hands (3 MK)

Coloring the frame

5. From prepared rice paper cut pattern and applied to the workpiece. . If a napkin is used, then it is soaked in water and applied to the selected place on the dial. Glue is applied over the image.

Paste the image

6. Now you need to connect your imagination and make sure that the drawing fits organically into the surface. Paints of appropriate tones and a sponge will help here. With their help creates a smooth transition from the pattern to the surface of the dial. It is important to be extremely careful, if you cope with this task, then you are a great master.

Making a smooth transition

7. At this stage need to aging the product , for this, a two-component cracking agent is applied to the surface with a dry brush (you can buy it at a store where needlework products are presented).

Applying a layer for craquelure

8. After the craquelure dries, cracks will appear on the product, which will give it elegance. The workpiece is varnished as a protective layer.

We cover with varnish

At the end, it remains to install the arrows, the mechanism and glue the numbers (the latter can be drawn according to the template). Now the clock has a complete look, they can be used as decor for the kitchen, bedroom, living room.

Finished result

On video: making wall clocks using decoupage technique

Cardboard clock (MK)

Some needlewomen make do-it-yourself clocks for the kitchen from cardboard. Such a decor item can become not only useful, but also an exclusive thing. Before answering the question of how to make a clock out of cardboard, you need to make sure that you have the appropriate materials.

For work you will need:

• thick cardboard;
• multi-colored caps or buttons;
• working mechanism and arrows;
• compass;
• PVA glue.

To make your own wall clock, follow the steps below:

1. A circle is made on cardboard with a compass, after which it is cut out.

Cut out a circle from cardboard

2. Using glue, caps or buttons are glued in appropriate places.

Related article: Making decorative boxes with your own hands: some interesting ideas (MK)

Glue the lids to the cardboard

3. Numbers are depicted on the caps (use a marker or acrylic paint, depending on the material from which the parts are made).

Draw numbers

4. A hole is made in the center of the intended circle for installing the mechanism and arrows.

Making a hole

5. The last step is to install the arrow mechanism. A battery is also inserted to operate the watch.

As you can see, you can make a clock out of cardboard very quickly and you don’t need special skills for this, but such decoration will complement the interior of the selected room.

Quilling product(MK)

A good option would be to make a quilling clock. In such arts and crafts, paper strips of different widths and lengths are used.. They twist into patterns, a composition is formed. You can make such a clock according to the following scheme:

• The basis for the clock will serve thick cardboard or plywood. Black paper is glued to the body. To create contrast, decorative elements are mainly created from white or light-colored paper. When choosing a color, the interior of the room where the clock will be installed is taken into account. They should fit in harmoniously.

This is what the finished product looks like

• Numbers are made from prepared strips of paper. To do this, use short strips. At the same time, decorative elements are twisted. Various compositions are used for decoration. It can be flowers or just patterns. It is better to draw a sketch in advance, which will allow you to evaluate the appearance of the future product.

We twist patterns and numbers from paper strips

3. The created numbers and decorative elements are glued to the selected places using PVA glue.

We glue the finished elements to the base

4. A hole is made in the center of the base and a mechanism with arrows is installed.

Installing the clockwork

Ideas for creating wall clocks are different. Focus on the materials that you have available, but there can be a lot of them. It is allowed to use additional elements, be it lace, satin ribbons, beads, rhinestones or even stickers.. A wall clock for the kitchen made of paper or other materials will always let you know the time. And the made element of decor with your own hands will please the eye.