Ondrej Berkus
254
You are right
Sep 05, 2015,06:55 AM
it is a fulfilled dream and my baby. I did some very stupid stuff and had very stupid ideas, but as far as things turning out from stupid ideas go, this is probably the best one so far.
here is the working video... or should be, i can't embed it, no matter how i try.
https://youtu.be/eX-5kRXN_YU
The process, well, it went from thinking i could put a movement together from various bits of my favorite movement, the 6497/8. Well, my girlfriend quickly persuaded me otherwise - it wouldn't be my movement at all.
So i studied some gear geometry charts ( mainly ppt brochure) and later got a copy of Watchmaking for my birthday, figured out i could make my own wheels, probably, modified my lathe for gear cutting ( i attached a dividing head and milling head from my micro mill), with the geometry figured out, i made a cad drawing of the movement and of a gear profiles - those i had cut on EDM cutter from carbide (so i can make a pinion from hardened and tempered material, all in one chucking ), measured a lot of stuff, figured out the 6497/8 escapement (which i used for escape wheel, pallet fork and hairspring).
Then i 'just' started making all the parts, using brass for the plate and bridges, steel for pinions and axles, phosphor bronze for wheels and titanium for my cage, screws and balance wheel. My goldsmith buddy helped calculate the difference in weight beetween my new balance and the original one and then provided an 18k white gold wire to make the calculated size screws to bring up the weight.
And amazingly, it works...
I will be working on finishing the winding and setting (as i haven't even touched those areas yet) and the overall finish. Will keep you posted if you like
Ondrej