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Putting the Pieces Together: Making the Movement.
Feb 21, 2007,21:05 PM
The parts are delivered to the watch maker’s room at Vaucher dedicated to the RM005 and RM010 movements. A line of about 8 watchmakers work in silence at their bench, concentrating on each intricate task required in constructing the movement.
New approaches to movement finishing and design require new tools and techniques. Once the pieces have been manufactured they are delivered to the watchmakers. Constructing the movements requires special techniques and tools, combined with a watchmaker’s skill. PVD coated movement parts are easy to scratch with traditional tweezers and vice holds, hence, the watchmakers constructing RM movements at Vaucher have learned to pick up parts using small vacuum tubes, hardened rubber ended tweezers, and screw drivers specially fitted with screw heads to match the RM screws. The watchmakers’ bench:
Manufacturing some of the last of the RM005, this young watchmaker painstakingly added the pieces together. Note that one small slip, one line (however small) across the PVD coated plate, and the part is must be thrown out. There is undeniable and palpable tension in the air of this room!
The assembled piece (awaiting the balance wheel and bridge) along with the rotor:
The PVD coating presents an alluring black candescence and when combined with the layered coated crystals in the case, the watch presents a many faceted attraction upon which to gaze.
Imagine then the additional perspectives for the RM010 movement. With the skeleton PVD components now adding further depth to the watch face and movement. Completed RM010 movements were arrayed on the work bench behind awaiting testing and final adjustments.
To give some idea of the differences in appearance in the constructed movements, I was able to line up a finished RM010 movement and an almost finished RM005 movement so that the difference can be appreciated: