Watchlords

The case is now constructed from lightweight Grade-5 titanium. The dial is cast in a black livery with lovely applied-gilt hour markers, with no date(!).

It's available in your choice of 40mm or 42mm, both with a screw-down crown and a height of just slightly over 12mm. And the movement inside is the self-winding caliber L888.4, a COSC-certified movement with a silicon hairspring and a better-than-average running autonomy of 72 hours. Longines is even offering the new watch on a matching titanium bracelet or a nylon NATO-style strap.

$2,500


https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/longi ... ium-spirit

I like that! My only concern would be the crown. Cold soldered or threaded into the case. . .

So many watches. . .so little money. . . .

Uhmmm, nope.

Next

Fuck these are nice. Could be one in Underscore's future. Steel or Ti, not too fussed.

I'd prefer something other than gold trim...but that's a really nice watch 8-)

That’s beautiful. However, because it’s titanium, it’ll be all scratched and battered in no time.

MKTheVintageBloke wrote: ↑

September 10th 2021, 4:15pm

That’s beautiful. However, because it’s titanium, it’ll be all scratched and battered in no time.

I don't have tons of experience with titanium but my Shogun still looks near new after 6 years as a working dive watch.

Where I work, alloys such as GrCop84, Inconel718, HR-1, etc. are the norm. These are some seriously hard alloys used for some serious shit. 316L steel doesn't hold a candle to these bad boys. We use wire EDM (google it) or diamond blade saws to cut this stuff. And it still takes forever.

I am surprised that none of the watchmakers have picked up on these alloys; if for no other reason than they'd be the first.

I'm also surprised I haven't run into 3D printed watches. While they can't do a watch movement, cases could be printed all day long. Perhaps I need to trawl the puntstarter sites.

That dial just pops.

Woof.

Slightly off - topic: So Hodinkee (which I ignore) reviews watches it sells.

I mean, standards have fallen so low - that's just freakin' ridiculous.

Someday, some way, there's gonna be some watch journalism that doesn't accept freebies or have a profit motive. Other than that, all this shit is just opinion, and no better than yours or mine.

bbattle wrote: ↑

September 10th 2021, 5:48pm

Where I work, alloys such as GrCop84, Inconel718, HR-1, etc. are the norm. These are some seriously hard alloys used for some serious shit. 316L steel doesn't hold a candle to these bad boys. We use wire EDM (google it) or diamond blade saws to cut this stuff. And it still takes forever.

I am surprised that none of the watchmakers have picked up on these alloys; if for no other reason than they'd be the first.

I'm also surprised I haven't run into 3D printed watches. While they can't do a watch movement, cases could be printed all day long. Perhaps I need to trawl the puntstarter sites.

A Dutch microbrand, Holthinrichs, makes watches with 3D-printed cases. Horribly overpriced, and powered by unmodified ETA/Peseux 7001 movements.

I suppose the reason why watch companies haven’t picked up on these ultra-tough alloys is pretty obvious, and you mentioned it - they’re hard to process. However, I suppose it’s a matter of time before they do consider these alloys.

bedlam wrote: ↑

September 10th 2021, 5:44pm

MKTheVintageBloke wrote: ↑

September 10th 2021, 4:15pm

That’s beautiful. However, because it’s titanium, it’ll be all scratched and battered in no time.

I don't have tons of experience with titanium but my Shogun still looks near new after 6 years as a working dive watch.

This is because of Seiko's super-hard coating, you bogan!!

conjurer wrote: ↑

September 11th 2021, 11:26pm

bedlam wrote: ↑

September 10th 2021, 5:44pm

MKTheVintageBloke wrote: ↑

September 10th 2021, 4:15pm

That’s beautiful. However, because it’s titanium, it’ll be all scratched and battered in no time.

I don't have tons of experience with titanium but my Shogun still looks near new after 6 years as a working dive watch.

This is because of Seiko's super-hard coating, you bogan!!

As usual with the Swiss, you pay more and get less

[/quote]
A Dutch microbrand, Holthinrichs, makes watches with 3D-printed cases. Horribly overpriced, and powered by unmodified ETA/Peseux 7001 movements.
[/quote]

https://holthinrichswatches.com/watches/
Some nice designs, but agreed...
The polished exteriors (their words) make the unpolished (interior?) areas look horrible.

When 3D, or additively manufactured (AM) parts first come off the synthesizer, the powder has to be removed. Then the build plate holding the parts gets heated for stress relief in the parts. Then the parts are cut from the plate and any supports that were added in the manufacturing process are removed. Then the parts get heat treated to remove micro voids and to strengthen the parts. If machining, facing, tapping, etc. is needed, that is done and then finally, the polishing happens.

There are a lot of parts that can be made more cheaply by AM than regular, subtractive manufacturing. Nowadays, the plan is to combine several parts into one cohesive design that can save weight and be stronger. Like a one piece turbopump or heat exchanger.

I didn't see anything about Holthinrichs' cases that make AM necessary but depending upon the size of their synthesizer, they could print 20 or more cases at one time and not need expensive molds for casting. AM should be cheaper.