![]() The charm of parts embellished by gestures and skills passed down through generations and performed by talented craftsmen cannot be rivalled or equalled by industrial finishing processes. While modern CNC machines can be used to produce and pre-finish watch components, elaborate hand-finished movements are something else, and can be considered as true works of art. ![]() Hours of meticulous handwork are needed to obtain the flawless polish of the balance bridge. Understated at first glance but beneath the apparent simplicity lies exceptional craftsmanship in every respect. In any case, finishing and decorating a movement is a sign of the attention given to the minutest details in making the movement, hence a guarantee of its technical perfection.ĭetails of the superb movement by Finnish independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen. ![]() The traditional heating of steel screws changes their colour to a deep royal blue while also hardens them. Geneva stripes are sometimes said to help “trap” dust away from the moving parts of the movement – at least, this would have been true in the past, before modern manufacturing techniques made the stripes only a decorative technique. Beyond the aesthetic interest, plating protects from corrosion. In some respects, some of the finishing techniques might have a practical application or function. As always with the Saxon manufacture, the movement is identifiable at first sight through unique details, among which technical features and characteristic finishes, such as the gold chatons for the jewels held by blued screws. Raw metal is turned into works of art – horological alchemy. All the traces of machining are erased, parts are polished and decorated with extreme care by hand. The term “finishing” encompasses the vast array of techniques performed on watch components, once they have been produced by machines. Here is an in-depth guide to the different techniques used to finish a movement, according to the concept of high-end watchmaking. Beyond the intricacies of the mechanics of time, the relentless search for perfection in their manufacturing is the hallmark which we call “Haute Horlogerie”. The Promethean ambition to master time has inspired inventive minds for centuries with the hands of talented craftsmen bringing exquisite horological art to life. The avant-garde mind needed to design the complex inner workings of a watch fascinates all but a selective few of us, mere mortals.
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