[HN Gopher] Mechanical Watch: Exploded View
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Mechanical Watch: Exploded View
Author : fellerts
Score : 528 points
Date : 2025-06-22 14:56 UTC (8 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (fellerts.no)
(TXT) w3m dump (fellerts.no)
| jasonjmcghee wrote:
| These look incredible. I'm guessing there are museums that would
| love display these.
|
| Also https://ciechanow.ski/ is an absolute inspiration.
| kiru_io wrote:
| This is such a cool idea! You could potentially sell this or
| contact some watchmakers!
| cjaackie wrote:
| This is a labor of love, there's no way the 15+ hours would be
| worth it commercially.I think it's cool and if you start
| looking at things like this as a business idea they get unfun
| really fast.
| charcircuit wrote:
| There is currently no competition, so he gets to set the
| price.
| crazygringo wrote:
| Except that above a certain price, demand falls to zero.
|
| The question is whether there is _any_ overlap _at all_
| where the price would be high enough to motivate supply
| (worth it to him) but low enough that there 's still demand
| (worth buying). Also factoring in the cost of marketing,
| since potential buyers don't just automatically find you.
|
| There are a _huge_ number of business ideas where there is
| no overlap at all. Finding an overlap even without
| competition is hard enough. (Then add competition and it
| gets even harder, of course.)
| mholm wrote:
| I'd wager OP will get some DMs from people willing to pay
| $1k+ for this sort of thing. Watch people can be very
| spendy, especially for something unique like this.
| fellerts wrote:
| Nothing of the sort has happened yet.
| mholm wrote:
| That's a shame, might just have to circulate in front of
| the right people.
| shepherdjerred wrote:
| I don't think I'd pay $1000 but a couple hundred would be
| reasonable to me. This is so cool!
| cybertim wrote:
| l'm curious if Bartosz will actually contact him for that final
| casting, i know i would definitely love to own one. And mainly
| because I love mechanical watches, especially what's inside, but
| I don't like to wear or really use them, this is a great solution
| for this "problem".
| azhenley wrote:
| I wear mechanical watches and have a small (and growing)
| collection. It's irrational, but I like them anyway :) I'd
| appreciate an art piece like this.
| hinterlands wrote:
| I've done some projects like that, although not with as many
| parts! I think the main disappointment that awaits the author is
| that within two years or so, the epoxy will turn yellow. These
| resins are unfortunately not UV-stable, even if kept in a
| reasonably well-lit area indoors (bookshelf, etc).
|
| There are resins you can use for projects like that if you want
| them to last, but they're less fun to work with.
| fellerts wrote:
| Modern epoxies often claim to be UV stabilized, and as far as I
| can tell, this is a relatively recent advancement. For
| reference, I used Entropy CCR (slow cure) for the final model:
| https://entropyresins.com/product/ccr-clear-casting-epoxy/
|
| I guess we'll wait and see!
| hinterlands wrote:
| We had UV-stabilized resins for the past two decades or so,
| but it just slows down the process. I used several UV-
| stabilized products and it just doesn't last.
|
| For the UV-stable options, you have polyesters (which are
| very smelly) and premium aliphatic polyurethanes (which are
| finicky to work with).
| hunter-gatherer wrote:
| Would putting some UV filter glass, the kind often used in
| museums, work to protect it the resin? I'm wondering if you
| fixed a glass casing around it that way... granted you'd have
| corner seems for the glass though
| cyberax wrote:
| Maybe a cylindrical glass instead?
| fellerts wrote:
| I tried that. Refraction makes it hard to understand what
| you're even looking at.
| https://fellerts.no/img/epoch/first-cast.jpg
| lukan wrote:
| Yellow and not transparent anymore?
|
| Or just a yellow tint?
| hinterlands wrote:
| Just an orange-yellow tint. Here's a good example: https://pr
| eview.redd.it/k98iwl9flsk71.jpg?width=1080&crop=sm...
| lukan wrote:
| Hm, the left example does indeed looks bad in the sense of
| loosing transparency. But it was kept in direct sunlight.
| KomoD wrote:
| That is so cool, I really want one lol.
| jv22222 wrote:
| If I saw that in a shop I'd be super tempted to buy it.
| Peterpanzeri wrote:
| Hope i can implement ths soon
| nativeit wrote:
| > I don't have the tools or knowledge required to sand this down
| to a perfect mirror finish, but that's okay.
|
| That was my only note: it would look incredible if squared off
| and polished to perfection.
| Retr0id wrote:
| > I don't have the tools or knowledge required to sand this down
| to a perfect mirror finish
|
| I did a resin cast that had a similar "lip" at the edge (I turned
| a LGA CPU socket into a coaster), and I was able to sand it down
| fairly easily using regular sandpaper of progressively higher
| grit, producing a more or less perfect cuboid. The flatness was
| achieved by taping the sandpaper to a flat surface, and moving
| the part.
|
| It's been a while, I can't remember if I used some kind of
| polishing compound at the end or whether the sandpaper alone was
| enough for a good finish.
| fellerts wrote:
| I suspect you're right, but knowing myself I'd quickly get sick
| of sanding (6 faces with 5-6 different kinds of sandpaper), and
| I'd want an orbital sander. Then I'm pretty sure you want to
| polish the surfaces: lots of elbow grease or a
| polishing/buffing tool. If I had a workshop with space for
| tools and dust I'd probably go for it, but I'm doing this in
| the living room of a small apartment.
|
| Here's the process as explained by a reputable epoxy vendor:
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-WYOK90KNo
| YZF wrote:
| Incredible work. I love it.
|
| This would be a similar process to finishing any painted
| surface. Progressive through the grits, each time removing
| the scratches from the previous grit, wet sanding with the
| higher grits. You can then hand polish with polishing
| compounds you can get at any hardware/car accessory store.
| You can start with an orbital sander or a belt sander of some
| sorts. I've done this on guitars I've built.
|
| If you're fairly close it shouldn't be a ton of work.
| Loughla wrote:
| Tape or glue sandpaper to a piece of glass for a really flat
| surface. It works nicely for making consistent angles.
|
| Source: holy shit can you get a knife sharp using this method.
| amelius wrote:
| Wouldn't it make more sense to add the parts and epoxy layer-by-
| layer? So you don't need the sticks to hold everything together.
|
| (Of course that means creating a new vacuum for every layer,
| probably).
| rusbus wrote:
| perhaps you did not read the post--the author attempted layer-
| by-layer first but discovered it was impossible to get a smooth
| final result.
|
| This is apparently a well known issue among people who create
| resin-cast structures.
| amelius wrote:
| I think it may still work if you don't wait until the last
| layer has completely cured. The viscosity just has to be high
| enough to be able to suspend the artifacts.
| istjohn wrote:
| Again, you may want to read tfa
| amelius wrote:
| This sums it up:
|
| "To achieve the effect I want, I need around 20 layers
| for a regular pocket watch movement. If I were to cast
| each layer in a transparent container, adding components
| and epoxy as the previous layer was half-cured, I would
| be doing nothing else for a solid week."
| petermcneeley wrote:
| The suspension (supports) should not be visible if it has the
| same index of refraction.
| fellerts wrote:
| Yep, nylon and epoxy resin have similar indices of refraction,
| but it's not perfect. I tried casting thin rods out of epoxy to
| replace the nylon but failed to achieve a good result.
| buserror wrote:
| Have you tried Fluorocarbon? this has replaced Nylon for many
| fishing use (fly fishing in any case), it has a different
| refraction index -- not sure if it would be closer, or
| further from the resin, but at least it is different! :-)
| fellerts wrote:
| Never tried, because fluorocarbon's index of refraction
| (1.42-ish) is further from epoxy resin (1.50-1.57) than
| nylon (1.53). It does make sense that fluorocarbon has
| replaced nylon because it's going to be less visible in
| water (1.33).
|
| I guess the epoxy's index of refraction depends on all
| kinds of factors such as the mixing ratio and the
| conditions under which it cures.
| j_bum wrote:
| This is incredible... congratulations on creating such an amazing
| piece.
| thom wrote:
| Part of me wants to believe this is sacrilege: these are
| incredible machines, and the magic is in not just seeing _how_
| they work, but that they continue to work reliably for decades,
| and when they don't it's magic seeing them fixed somewhere like
| https://www.youtube.com/@WristwatchRevival. But also... this is
| incredibly cool! As kids, my brother used to do these little
| resin sculptures, putting in sand shells and little plans to it'd
| look like the bottom of the sea. I tried repeatedly to get into
| the same hobby but I was always too impatient so my designs would
| end up with fingerprints all over them before they'd properly
| set.
| woodrowbarlow wrote:
| it's magic to see the repair process, but not magic to see how
| the mechanisms work? i'm unsure how you could draw enjoyment
| from the former without also appreciating the latter.
| thom wrote:
| Kinda hoped that's what I wrote, but clearly not. For what
| it's worth, I'm already working out how I can give the same
| treatment to my Atari Lynx when it conks out.
| tshaddox wrote:
| Does it help you to think of this as an instructional aid? That
| was literally the purpose of the digital version that inspired
| the project.
| aDyslecticCrow wrote:
| Pocket watches are sold in antique shops by the price of their
| weight in brass. Finding one that is complete but needs a
| cleaning and new oil to spring to life is relatively easy.
|
| There are 10x more pocket watches than owners interested.
| Theyre incredible machines... but their greatest use is
| practice materials for aspiring watch repair technicians.
|
| They're expensive to repair because few people have the skills
| and tools. The demand is so low. (I have two)
| polishdude20 wrote:
| How does one get started in this? I'd love to have this as a
| hobby!
| thom wrote:
| You can buy a kit that comes with a practice movement:
|
| https://sutcliffehansen.com/pages/tool-kits
| fellerts wrote:
| Watch a few hours of watch repair on YouTube. If you're
| still intrigued, I highly recommend Mark Lovick's course
| over at https://www.watchfix.com/. You'll learn all you
| need to know about tools, lubricants and techniques to
| service most watch movements.
| technothrasher wrote:
| I literally started by buying a bunch of cheap Waltham
| movements on eBay and tearing them apart. From there my
| progression was read a few books, watch some videos, buy
| some tools, join the NAWCC and go to some local meets, and
| meet local folks to teach me directly. Once you make some
| helpful friends who are a lot more knowledgeable and
| experienced than you are and are eager to teach, you're off
| and running.
|
| I actually discovered pretty early on that my interest was
| more in clocks than watches, but the early explorations in
| the watch realm were almost entirely applicable to clock
| repair as well. I have since repaired at least a hundred
| clocks and pocket watches. Next month I'm going down to the
| NAWCC school of horology in Columbia, PA to take my third
| workshop there, this one on the repair of wooden works
| clocks. The school was closed for a number of years, but
| has fired back up in the past few and I know they're
| actively working on getting more watch repair workshops
| going. Last time I was there they were just putting
| together a killer watch lab with some very expensive
| benches and equipment.
| WillAdams wrote:
| While it might not have the same cachet, an easier way to get
| this done would be to use a laser printing inside an glass or
| acrylic block --- just model all the parts:
|
| This company works from photos:
|
| https://beyond-memories.com
|
| but there should be companies doing 3D --- I distinctly remember
| a company doing a 3D map of the nearby star systems (which the
| _Universe_ role-player in me desperately wanted) --- perhaps:
|
| https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/diy/3d-model-neare...
|
| could be modeled in Lego bricks?
| jameshart wrote:
| Adam Savage took on a similar style of project trying to make an
| exploded cellphone cast in resin - with the added challenge of
| making the screen work. It was evidently a sponsored project and
| some of the work was rushed a bit - the outcome feels more like a
| prototype rather than the display quality piece he was going for
| - but the same kind of problem solving and techniques were
| involved.
|
| Still, if you're interested in more of the same sort of thing,
| worth a look:
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfEIstmyZaM
| fellerts wrote:
| Thank you! That video somehow slipped by my feed, but I'll make
| sure to check it out.
|
| I'd imagine Adam getting a kick out of my resin project, but I
| don't think he hangs out on HN.
| jameshart wrote:
| Agree he'd _love_ it (and likely have some solid tips for how
| to get that glass-mirror finish...)
| fellerts wrote:
| Well, if Bartosz doesn't reach out (I offered to send it to
| him), I'll consider sending it to Adam. My favorite builds
| of his are boxes that reflect their contents, and I'd love
| to see what he'd consider for something like this.
| pvg wrote:
| _but I don 't think he hangs out on HN._
|
| I mean, given sufficient resin to attract and then encase
| him...
| phatskat wrote:
| Plot twist, OP is Adam Savage and is throwing us off the
| trail!
| E-Reverance wrote:
| Would love to see a gaussian splat of this
| modeless wrote:
| Is there no transparent substance that is gel-like for a period
| of time before it cures solid so that the pieces can simply be
| suspended in it and nudged to their final positions manually?
| Like a gel suspension 3D printer but where the gel hardens
| instead of being washed away at the end.
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swB5-GzX3nQ
|
| I don't know how viscous SLA 3D printer resin is, but if it could
| be made viscous enough then it seems like maybe you could just
| suspend the parts in it, tweaking their positions as much as you
| want until they're just right, then blast the whole thing with
| enough UV to cure all of it.
| matsemann wrote:
| If it's fluid, I guess you always would have an issue with
| buoyancy/density. The things you want to suspend will either
| want to float up or sink down before it cures.
|
| But maybe it could work with something like beads of same
| refraction index, and then pour resin in when everything is in
| place? At least it works for water, I've seen it used for
| decorations and then pouring water over when everything is in
| place.
|
| Random video showing what I mean:
| https://www.youtube.com/shorts/LuTlY6DkHQw
| hinterlands wrote:
| There are gel-like resins, but you'd have massive issues with
| air entrapment. There's really no shortcut for making these.
| Casting in layers is the most common approach, but as noted in
| the article, it's hard to avoid slight refractive index
| discontinuities.
| yapyap wrote:
| TK Jewelers is a scam. The jewelry's fake. Watch exploded on
| date. Bent wrist, thing fucking exploded.
| ziofill wrote:
| I'm sure you have though about it already, but if you had a way
| to modify the refractive index of the resin, you could make the
| fishing lines disappear completely.
| fellerts wrote:
| I never gave that any serious thought. What additives would do
| that, do you think?
|
| Edit: A quick search reveals that there is quite a lot of prior
| art from the optical community. Darn, maybe I'm not done here.
| encom wrote:
| The rabbit hole never ends. Godspeed, friend.
| alexjplant wrote:
| I was pleased to see that the author used the PT5000, one of my
| favorite calibers. As pointed out in the article it's a Chinese
| clone of the ubiquitous ETA 2824-2; this movement is used in a
| lot of affordable watches that are sold on AliExpress. You can
| get a Submariner homage with a sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel,
| lume, and full water resistance powered by this movement for $100
| that keeps time just as well as a Swiss watch (i.e. within COSC
| standards). Before I sold it mine was running at +5spd... the
| Chinese watchmaking industry is truly something to behold.
| fellerts wrote:
| It is remarkable indeed! When not ruining watches with resin I
| enjoy servicing them, and I'm planning to learn how
| chronographs work next. The ST19 movement is on its way now,
| another very reasonably priced, reliable and fully mechanical
| chronograph with a column wheel. Hats off to the Chinese.
| luxuryballs wrote:
| next step do one that can somehow still work as a clock, maybe by
| projecting the hands down into the watch face from above with
| lasers, or just have a super thin working watch hidden in the
| face, or hardcore mode somehow connect all those parts with real
| functional shafts ^^
| ggm-at-algebras wrote:
| I like this, and respect the craft which went into making it. I
| still think an immersive 3D model you can interact with may be
| more functional to illustrate mechanisms.
|
| The room of clockwork/ratchet mechanisms in "Musee des arts et
| metiers" in Paris is fantastic.
| jessejjohnson wrote:
| Anyone know how these animations are created and displayed? Very
| well done.
| bastijn wrote:
| I believe he hand-codes everything from scratch in WebGL and
| plain js. Which is amazing. [0] is an example.
|
| [0] https://ciechanow.ski/js/watch.js
| vorgol wrote:
| You might also find the open source mechanical Swiss watch
| movement interesting: https://openmovement.org/
| slumberlust wrote:
| > The hands are set to an invalid time. 10:10 is the way to go.
|
| What made the time invalid? The synchronization of the seconds
| didn't match the position of the minute hand midway between the
| minute markers?
| fellerts wrote:
| The minute hand is set to 43-ish minutes past the hour while
| the hour hand is showing 15-ish minutes past noon/midnight. If
| you're used to reading analog watches it's jarring.
| dsalzman wrote:
| This is awesome! Reminds me of an artist that would encapsulate
| items like cameras into resin and then slice them with a water
| jet cutter creating a different version of an 'exploded view'.
| Can't find the link.
| fellerts wrote:
| https://fabianoefner.com/cutup/
| dsalzman wrote:
| Hmm. I think he sliced it after he encapsulated it. Or that's
| my memory! So he had a "book" of cut acrylic sheets/layers of
| the object.
| dsalzman wrote:
| You are right! Was thinking of the same artist just a
| different project he did. https://fabianoefner.com/the-
| bialetti-book/
|
| Video on the project https://vimeo.com/354927033
| poutrathor wrote:
| > Bartosz, if you are reading this, contact me and I'll send you
| the final casting. This project would never have happened without
| your blog post.
|
| I am impressed by the quality of your work on this side project
| and I love that final attention.
| lxe wrote:
| The Bartosz Ciechanowski's blog post referenced here is arguably
| the best thing you can currently find on the Internet
|
| https://ciechanow.ski/mechanical-watch/
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