Reply With QuoteI'm offended.
Also intrigued.
I had to do it again. Over the summer I make new motorcycle parts for my VFR800. So it is back to making a watch or two. This model goes back to discussion I had with a girlfriend who dived. She told me a story about cave diving and the problem with kicking up silt. The problem she told me was that if you kicked up silt that you cannot orient yourself because you've lost any references. Weightlessness will rob you of what is up or down. She told me that some people run out of air looking for the passage out. I thought my next watch would have more functionality. This model utilizes a titanium ring with one flat sapphire crystal and a concave sapphire crystal on either side. Before the second crystal is bonded, I place a ruby bearing in open space. For now I will be leaving it dry, later I will test it our with a light oil to remove two reflective surfaces. This assembly raises the height of the watch, and for now is the only choice. All mating surfaces are either single or double sealed. It uses a 2824-2 clone(Seagull), and since the Swatch group is restricting sales to outsiders, probably will remain so. The crown guard sits out there, but does not touch my wrist at all. The band stays leather until I go and dive again. I am planning on adding an auxiliary lighting source, probably UV, to charge the indices. What the UV will also do is fluoresce the ruby. As I was curing the UV glue for the lens, I found that the ruby glowed. It is light, the hands are there just for the time being, as I am validating the watch under usage. I didn't want to make a copy of something, so here you go.
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I'm offended.
Also intrigued.
It's original I give you that. Looks a bit like a Panerai that has been hammered to a square
Well done on having a go, its definitely interesting! You mention the problem but not the solution? Is there something on the watch that always points up/down?
Cool, I like things like this. Things you make yourself.
Looks well made.
Thanks for posting,
:)
This exactly - the quality of the machining looks pretty good to my (untrained) eye.Originally Posted by pastrana72
The solution is the bearing sandwiched between the crystals. If you were upside down, and didn't know it, the ruby would be at 12 o'clock. If you were seated normally, it would be at six. The idea being that, if you know what up and down is, you could at least maintain that position and grope your way out of a cave. Loree, my ex, would regale me with stories of divers who ran out of air because the lost their references due to silt. It is not an end all, just some help.
I like it. Skilfully done
Don't be offended , I just don't get it, why would you.
I have bed side alarm clocks that are smaller.
Why? Because I get tired of wearing jewellery. Any watch can tell time, broken watches are at least right twice a day. This one will at least show you if the table is level, no other watch can.
I heartily endorse this product and/or service.
Wouldn't a simpler solution be to fill the cavity where the ruby is with oil but leave an air bubble (like a spirit level)?
This is why I posted on the UK site first. Your irony and wit are well appreciated. Well, the US site is down, but that doesn't really matter.
Well done to you. I applaud anyone who has the ability and inclination to attempt things like this.
Well it's different I'll give you that,good effort
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I would not listen to your girlfriends perspective on cave diving.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I bet John thought of that first, and then decided that trying to fit the second crystal with oil all over the gasket would be a bad idea.
And I already liked you for your engineering skills and innovative problem solving
Amazing. I wouldn't know where to start.
Oh come on, it looks miles better than a Panerai.
"A man of little significance"
Last edited by John800; 26th October 2016 at 22:33. Reason: grammar
I bet John thought of that first, and then decided that trying to fit the second crystal with oil all over the gasket would be a bad idea. I am working on a UV light source external to the watch. The man made ruby fluoresces in UV. The UV is also a way to recharge the luminous markers without flooding where you are with light.
And I already liked you for your engineering skills and innovative problem solving
Wow, it's certainly both original and innovative. I like it very much.
Not for the small-of-wrist. :-)
Fantastic!
I've often daydreamed about making my own watch, as I'm sure many tz'ers and armchair machinists have too, but my metal working skills usually stop short of proficiently using a can opener...
subtle lol,
makes a ProPlof look like a 3omm seiko,
but well done, I would love to have the tools to do this, I envy you a little.
Love the creativity and originality.
Could quite see a manufacturer doing a slimmer version.
Just a stupid question from someone who rarely dives these days - don't the air bubbles escaping from your regulator let you know which way is directly upwards?
I am offended by people who get offended by a watch and more so when it is a watch that involves original thinking:-)
Could you not thin it down by using an air bubble instead of a ball? I know it would then be reverse orientated and not as visual, but would save space.
If you intend to oil fill the glass area you will need an area hidden away with an open cell sponge like material as this traps any air bubbles that appear with pressure changes. You can't get all the air out and this is Sinn's solution in their UX watch
Looks really cool. I like it!
Preferably without the caves?
It's not something I would actively seek, but you must be congratualed on a very good effort.
Intriguing, original, quircky and definitely a talking point. I like it.... a lot!
Superb effort. But maybe have it without a watch component just a safety device - making it less bulky? Martyn
Absolutely brillaint and it's not that big. If you ever flip it and want any trades etc give me a PM.
Interesting idea.
I really love that you have done it.
I also love that the results look lke a panerai designed on minecraft.
More power to your elbow.
Dave
and we need more photos
I admire your perseverance and originality of thought.
Brilliant story, thanks for sharing. It does look like some Panerai's I seen in Thailand last year :)
Would love to have the skills to do something similar myself.
I'm looking forward to the flood of infinitely better handmade watches lovingly produced by those who don't like this one and want to ante up...
That's what I thought. Also, what happens if for whatever reason the ruby gets stuck?
I don't like the bulk or the design, but applaude the skill involved and innovation in make this watch
Looks a bit strange but well done for doing it!
Its a bit of a beast! Kudos to you for having the skills to do it and making it work!
Be interesting to see what mark II looks like
How big is the gap between the two crystals? Could you have some sort of oil filling hole that goes out to the side of the case? A bit like the hole that goes round to the movement on a Bell & Ross Hydromax except yours would go to a filling hole with separate crown and gasket. This way you can fill the cavity after the crystals are fitted.
See at 6 o'clock:
The gap between the crystals is just enough to keep the bearing from wedging. I have already thought of filling the gap with a light oil to slow the bearing down and remove two reflective surfaces. I am going to first get all of the seals installed. Once I use oil, I better be sure of the tapered hole that I put in the titanium ring is tight. I don't want a bubble and an over lubricated movement. Thanks for your thoughts and kind words.How big is the gap between the two crystals? Could you have some sort of oil filling hole that goes out to the side of the case? A bit like the hole that goes round to the movement on a Bell & Ross Hydromax except yours would go to a filling hole with separate crown and gasket. This way you can fill the cavity after the crystals are fitted.
See at 6 o'clock:
I like that for what it represents. Problem solving, home made, and way beyond my capability. Brilliant.
Bit too hefty for me though
What skill and ingenuity, I wish I could do that sort of thing.
Funny, my Sea Dweller is only 1.75mm thinner. This thing, being made out of Ti, is still a third lighter, using my wrist scale.
It is a tool watch. What I think I mean is that I built it from the inside out. Movement cavity, dial cavity, crystal assembly height, and so on of what I neede. I look at my factory made watches, and see why Rolex and Omega sometimes are correctly styled, or like anyone's favorite watch. In the end, it's form followed it's functions.
Without giving too much away can you explain how you work with titanium; I had understood that it was a difficult material to fashion?
I will call it Ti for short. In between steel and aluminum in weight, warmer than other high conductive metals. That is the problem with it. It will eat high speed steel, unless cooled, as the heat generated will not conduct thru the work piece or the chips. The cutting bits have to absorb heat, so carbide is the way to go. Slow speeds, push harder than usual, as Ti develops a hard skin if you make light passes. The metal almost is elastic in the cut, as I usually have to measure each on the digital readout, and then remeasure what actually was cut. Tapping is harrowing, as you have to oversize the drill hole, because a normal drill hole followed by a normal tap will a lot of times be accompanied by a broken tap. It is almost as if the Ti expands around the tap and then compresses around it. Most Ti taps are back cut, to minimize friction. I use plenty of moly lube, but the fit is so tight, it almost squeezes it out. I machine with no lube. I like the carbide to almost soften the Ti up a bit, as the melting temp of the Ti is lower. Eliminate all play in the machine. As the cutters are rotating, a flexible machine or mount will bounce the fragile edges of the cutter, and then you've lost a nice expensive cutter. Using no fluid keep the temp consistent, splashing coolant on a hot carbide bit is a good way to fracture it. If I could, I would have almost everything made out of Ti. It is not as hard as steel, but it has so many other attributes that compensate for that misgiving.
Yep, me too.
If i lived to be older than Methuselah and you had the patience of Job in explaining how, that would be utterly beyond me. Absolutely brilliant skill set.
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