Made in Glashütte: 9 Bonding the escapement
NOMOS Glashütte
Nov 27, 2022
Small pink beads of adhesive create a firm, low-tension bond between the balance and the balance bridge. To be more precise, the end of the balance spring is glued to the stud. Previously, the spring was pressed together with a pin in a hole, which led to tension and deformation. A lot of time was required to ensure a stable accuracy. The bonding technique provides a tension-free connection between the balance cock swing system and the balance bridge. The balance spring and balance cock can begin their work as the watch’s pacesetter immediately and with consistent precision. Each bead of adhesive has a diameter of 0.35mm and a volume of 0.025mm³, weighing 0.029mg. With a half-liter bottle of adhesive beads, we could bond over 15 million balance springs.
Made in Glashütte: 10 Turning the corrector wheel
NOMOS Glashütte
Dec 4, 2022
Numerous operations are required to produce the corrector wheel. Turning, centering, drilling, countersinking, deburring… All possible on our CNC automatic lathe. But the machine only does what our programmers instruct it to do. And that involves numerous settings. Speed, travels, feed, the selection of the correct tool and the perfect amount and temperature of the cutting oil. And let’s not forget the toolmakers. After all, the quality is only this good because of the perfect work of the specialists behind the machines.
Made in Glashütte: 11 Electrical discharge machining
NOMOS Glashütte
Dec 11, 2022
Colloquially known as “spark machining”, a wire uses sparks to cut the smallest components with extreme accuracy from a disc. The machine can thread the wire into the work piece and then start cutting it out under water (ionized water or dielectric). What is great is that several discs can be machined simultaneously, thus producing several parts at once, something that is rather difficult with a fretsaw.
Made in Glashütte: 12 Inserting chatons
NOMOS Glashütte
Dec 18, 2022
The ruby set in gold—an aesthetic treat. In the past, this also had technical benefits: to perfectly define and maintain the spacing of the wheels. The ruby bearings for the wheel pivots were set, not pressed. A gold setting was ideal for this as the material is soft, allowing the stone to be set well. In addition, the stone in the polished chaton develops its “fire” when the red ruby is reflected in the hollow of the chaton. Inserting and screwing chatons in place requires a particularly steady hand. Watchmakers sometimes even hold their breath, because one slight wobble and the polishing starts all over again. Modern manufacturing accuracies no longer require setting. The stones can be pressed directly into the plates. But where does that leave the fire? This tradition and the perfect interplay of color and light, of cut and polish, live on in our finest watches.
Made in Glashütte: 2.1. Hardening steel
NOMOS Glashütte
Jan 1, 2023
Now things are really heating up!
Since our camera would melt rather than shoot great films at 800°C (1472°F), we’ll show you this process in a more conventional way.
Typical of many steel parts, the hardening of our crown wheel can be seen here.
Annealing the steel parts and quenching them in cold water or oil alters the microstructure of the steel, drastically increasing the robustness of the material and achieving a toughness that is often referred to as “glass hard.”
The material is now very brittle, and small parts in particular can break very easily. Therefore, hardening is always followed by tempering. Depending on the temperature and requirements, high wear resistance or also special spring properties are achieved.
In watchmaking, “cornflower blue” has established itself as the typical tempering color, corresponding to a tempering temperature of 300°C (572°F).
Our blue screws have undergone precisely this treatment.
for adding this video, Mike.