A concentration of skills

 It is the sum of dozens of highly-skilled professions and generations of expertise.Once spread among countless workshops, all these skills are now brought together under a single roof at the Manufacture.Watchmakers who elaborate and produce the mechanical movements, and craftsmen who imagine, create and decorate the watch's exterior, work hand-in-hand towards the same creative goal.Numerous specialists bring their skills to the creation of a mechanical movement: designers, engineers, draftsmen, parts-makers, digital machine operators, metallurgists, chemists, technicians, watchmakers specialising in assembly, adjusting, testing and finishing, and master watchmakers whose task is to develop the most sophisticated mechanical "complications".Alongside them work craftsmen whose expertise is equally precious and diverse. Stylists, prototype-makers, makers of cases, dials and hands, polishers, bevellers, engine-turners, engravers, enamellers, jewellers, gemmologists and stone-setters all contribute to making the Fine Watch a rare and unique object which as well as "keeping time" celebrates its beauty and mystery.Each of the Richemont Group Manufactures cherishes its own culture, derived from its history, its discoveries and its traditions, often centuries-old.Now, thanks to the combination of knowledge passed down through generations and the most advanced technology, the Manufacture of today is able to create the most sophisticated, most accurate timepieces ever in the history of time measurement.All the while infusing them with a "soul" that transcends time.CREATING AND PRODUCING A FINE WATCH MOVEMENTOver the centuries and with each invention and innovation contributed by its most outstanding representatives, watchmaking has succeeded in achieving ever more reliable, accurate and sophisticated movements.Nonetheless, to create a mechanical movement still demands years of development.This task is entrusted to engineers in watchmaking and micromechanics who will use cutting-edge digital tools to conceive the movement and produce a functioning prototype which they will then verify and validate before drafting each individual part in readiness for series production.One should remember that a mechanical movement is composed of hundreds of parts, some microscopic in size (the micron is a common unit of measurement in watchmaking). All of these must fit perfectly together and contribute to the impeccable functioning of the whole. The smallness of a watch's movement contrasts with the grandeur of its construction.In a modern Manufacture, the making of these parts is coordinated and shared between highly-trained professionals in dozens of fields.The first step is to shape each element of the future movement. This calls upon a diversity of techniques, adapted to each part. Some are sculpted or stamped from a block of metal, others are produced using complex digital machines, others are laser-cut, others still are abraded.The process varies according to the form, function and material of each part which, once shaped, undergoes a series of transformations. At one workbench, holes are pierced to carry the arbours of the different wheels; elsewhere hollows are machined in which to lodge other elements; contours are shaved to within a micron, teeth are shaped in wheels, and so on.While the machine now plays a crucial role in each of these operations, the importance of the human hand should not be underestimated. When creating a Fine Watch movement, each part is meticulously examined at each stage of its transformation. The watchmaker's expertise, and sometimes the "secrets" that are passed down between generations, are fundamental.Each part, once it has its final form, is theoretically ready to be assembled. However, one of the characteristics of a Fine Watch is that its movement, although often hidden from view, must be finished and decorated to the same superlative standards as the visible parts. Each part will therefore be patiently polished or satin-finished, perhaps even hand-engraved or otherwise embellished. Screws are "blued" over a flame. The edges of the parts are bevelled to confer upon the movement its singular beauty and enviable perfection.Slowly, painstakingly, the watchmaker then assembles the different parts in a ritual that has barely changed over the centuries.He spreads the different parts before him on his workbench. Using the bottom plate as his foundation, little by little he will build the delicate mobile architecture that will slowly take form.Never taking his eye from his loupe, he positions the parts in relation to each other, secures them with screws, patiently adjusts each one and, with each new element, ensures the correct functioning of the movement as it comes to life in his hands.THE MASTER WATCHMAKER AND WATCH COMPLICATIONSThere is one domain of mechanical Fine Watches that is reserved for the master watchmaker: the "complications".These are the information conveyed by the watch beyond the basic indications of the hours, minutes and seconds:

• information about the date (day, month, leap year)
• geographic indications for measuring time in different time zones
• chronograph functions for measuring very short intervals
• astronomical indications showing the phases of the moon or the movement of other celestial bodies
• "repeaters" that sound the hours to order by means of tiny hammers striking gongs or chimes.

  The minute-repeater is one of the finest expressions of the watchmaker's art. It supposes complete mastery of timbre and reverberation, the creation of tiny, functioning hammers, and an understanding of the properties of metal for the gongs.The tourbillon is another feat of Fine Watchmaking. Invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, it is composed of a finely-crafted mobile cage that contains the regulating organ (the balance and the balance-spring) and the escapement (which supplies energy to the balance-spring). By rotating on its own axis, the tourbillon eliminates the variations in rate caused by gravitational pull. To conceive and construct a tourbillon remains one of the master watchmaker's finest achievements.Some watches combine two, three or even more of these complications. They are referred to as grande complication watches.These various indications are displayed analogically on dials (sometimes with retrograde hands that can be returned to their starting point) or by means of numbers in apertures (the date, for example).It takes a master watchmaker months of patient hand-crafting to assemble just one of these exceptional mechanical systems. A complication demands knowledge beyond the realm of watchmaking to encompass astronomy, science, metallurgy, or micromechanics. It also calls upon artistic flair… and an experienced hand.These superbly decorated and finished movements can be "skeleton" movements whose plate and bars are cut away, engraved, sometimes even set with stones or diamonds. The movement's parts are thus revealed in all their splendour. EXAMPLES OF COMPLICATIONSChronograph Split-seconds chronograph Perpetual calendar Moon phases Minute repeater Tourbillon Retrograde handPower reserve THE WATCH MOVEMENT – GLOSSARY OF THE MAIN TERMSBALANCE BALANCE SPRING BARBARRELCALIBREESCAPEMENTPLATEROTORSKELETONDECORATING AND ENGRAVING THE MOVEMENTMost movements are hidden from view, protected against humidity and dust inside their sealed case. Some though can be admired, thanks to a sapphire crystal back that reveals the watch's complex geometry of wheels, bars and mechanisms. What a surprise to discover that each of these tiny, meticulously superposed parts has been finished and decorated with such care as to have nothing to envy the watch's exterior.And even without a transparent case back, a Fine Watch movement is always richly decorated, for the private pleasure of the watchmaker who can open the case to contemplate this inner beauty.Why devote such time and care to something so rarely seen?Each Fine Watch movement is individually and patiently assembled, adjusted and tested. The care given to the decoration of each part is not just a question of beauty; it also guarantees its technical perfection. For no-one would devote hours to polishing, engraving and embellishing an imperfect part. Only when they have been shaped and individually inspected are the movement parts ready to be embellished and finally assembled. The perfection demanded of this interior decoration thus holds true even for movements that no-one will ever see.Nowhere is the finesse and complexity of this finish and decoration more apparent than in a skeleton watch, whose transparency reveals the beauty and architectural complexity of its movement; here the art of decoration is at its height.In a Fine Watch movement, the surface of each part is finished to eliminate the least trace of machining. Every last wheel, the smallest pinion is smoothed, polished, circular-grained or countersunk.Each stage calls upon a specific technique and requires special tools that go back through centuries of tradition.Many different techniques are employed, beginning with polishing each surface and edge. This requires a dexterous hand, as the polisher works with abrasive pastes and powders to alter the surface of the metal.The different polishing and brushing techniques are a means of varying appearances, textures and how each part reflects the light:

• a mirror polish brings out the full brightness of the metal;
• a satin-finish gives a softer sheen;
• brushing striates the metal;
• a stippled or a sunray finish catches the light in a unique way.

The edges of each part are also polished and chamfered to a superbly luminous finish… an art in itself. The result is practical too, as polished and chamfered parts are harder-wearing and more resistant to corrosion.The surface of larger parts such as the bars are often decorated with regular and parallel straight or circular lines (such as the "Côtes de Genève" decor), achieved using a boxwood pad and a lathe.Some parts can be hand-engraved or chased.The engraver, with extraordinary virtuosity, incises the metal to create patterns that give the entire movement the rare elegance and emotion that distinguish a Fine Watch.DESIGNING AND CONCEIVING A FINE WATCHLike every other aspect of Fine Watchmaking, to design a watch is a combined effort built around constant and close collaboration.From the very first strokes of the pencil, the designer knows for whom the watch is ultimately intended: whether it will be worn by a man or a woman, whether or not it will be set with stones, that it must incorporate a particular technology, and a given movement.The watch's outward appearance – its case, strap and dial – is intimately linked to the type of movement and the information it will display (hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, month, moon phases, astronomical indications, chronograph functions, minute repeater, power reserve, etc.).

• Each movement structures these indications in a different way.
• Each watch therefore has its own face (dial) and body (case and strap).
• There is no such thing as a minor detail as a watch is nothing but detail.

  With grace, elegance and clarity, the tiny space inside the case must house the countless parts that drive the different functions.Many lengthy stages separate the initial drawing from a detailed concept, ready to be made.Once the drawing has been approved, this artist's impression must be transformed into hard facts and figures. To achieve this, human creativity hands over to cutting-edge technology. The drawing will be quantified then reproduced as three-dimensional computer images.These 3D models are essential for examining the future watch from every possible angle and making the final adjustments.After this, the watch will be broken down into its separate parts.Each of these hundreds of parts, down to the tiniest screw, must be isolated, measured and drawn.Together, these drawings and representations compose the watch's "file", the basis from which the other specialists will work to contribute their share of this joint task.CREATING A FINE WATCH CASEIf one were to compare the watch to the human body, the movement would be the brain, the dial the face and the case the body.A watch's case is the immediate expression of the movement it contains and protects.The case is the part of the watch that we touch and caress as we feel it against our wrist. Its line must therefore be harmonious; it should express a certain sensuality but also strength. It must feel like a second skin on the wearer's wrist.The creation and manufacturing of the veritable sculpture that is a Fine Watch case demands the highest standard in all disciplines: aesthetic (harmonious volumes, contours and materials); technical (perfectly protects the movement from water, damp, dust and pollution); ergonomic (comfortable) and craftsmanship (superbly finished).From the very first drawings, engineers are consulted to transform the designer's ideas into precise blueprints. A Fine Watch case is composed of numerous parts (the middle - in one or more pieces - back, bezel, and horns) whose preparation, machining and piercing must be carefully coordinated so they then fit perfectly together.While modern technologies that call upon state-of-the-art digital machines guarantee the dimensions of each piece to within a single micron, nothing can replace the human eye and hand when inspecting and finishing each part.The middle section, which forms the main part of the case, is cut or stamped from a gold ingot or a block of steel. The case back is also cut from a bar of gold or steel.From machine to machine and from hand to hand, these parts gradually acquire their finished form with successive stamping, machining, heat-treatment and piercing. The extreme meticulousness with which each operation is performed is guaranteed by incessant controls. Specifications must be respected to the letter; not the least error will be tolerated throughout this highly-skilled process.The finished parts are assembled, soldered or glued then cleaned using ultra-sounds before burnishing each one. Next comes the polishing, from which they emerge shining like mirrors, or with a subtle satin sheen.The brilliant sculpture takes shape.The case back is engraved with the brand's name, the watch's technical specifications, origin, individual number and the name of the collection.Some cases are decorated using a traditional technique such as engraving or enamelling. Others are made ready to be set with precious stones.The final touch is to fit the perfectly transparent sapphire crystal that will seal the top of the case.Technically perfect, aesthetically irreproachable, the case can now be entrusted to the watchmakers who will fit it with its chosen movement.THE WATCH EXTERIOR – GLOSSARY OF THE MAIN TERMSBEZEL CASE BACKCASE MIDDLECHAMFERCHAMPLEVECLOISONNECROWNENAMELENGINE-TURNINGPOLISHEDPUSH-PIECESATIN-FINISHSTAMPSTAMP/PRESSTHE DIAL, THE FACE OF A FINE WATCHAs the true face of the watch, the dial expresses its "soul", displays its functions and defines its unique identity.The beauty of a Fine Watch dial is the most visible expression of the movement that brings it to life. Its appearance is dictated by the layout of the mechanisms, wheels and complications that form this movement. They determine the position of the hands, dials, apertures and other indications of the dial.The designers and craftsmen will therefore conceive the dial in accordance with the technical specifications laid down by the movement.Dial-making is an art and a craft in its own right that demands considerable expertise, and very often "secrets" that are handed down from one generation to the next.The dial must be both pleasing to the eye and legible at a glance.A host of information must be conveyed by means of hands or apertures on a surface that often barely exceeds a few square centimetres.Often, a dial is divided into several sections whose decoration, as sophisticated and attractive as it might be, must also serve to highlight these different zones. The dial-maker achieves this through hand-crafting methods, certain of which are centuries old.The base of the dial is cut from a sheet of gold, silver or copper, and sometimes gently curved. The dial-maker rivets tiny pins to this base, then traces the inner and outer contours of the hour-circle and other indicators. The dial is now ready to be decorated with engine-turning (guillochage).In this centuries-old technique, mastered by just a handful of craftsmen, straight or circular lines are cut into the surface of the metal. Each line is just a few tenths of a millimetre wide and three to four hundredths deep.These lines overlap and intertwine to form an infinite variety of patterns that catch and reflect the light.A layer of transparent enamel, just a thousandth of a millimetre thick, is applied. The dial is then fired and polished to an incomparable sheen.One of the final tasks is to diamond-drill then file the tiny holes in which the arbour of the hands will be inserted. Space is hollowed out for the dials, and the hour-circle is completed with applied numerals and markers.Some Fine Watch dials are also enamelled, painted or set with diamonds and other precious stones.Thus each dial is unique.THE ART OF SETTING STONESA Fine Watch is characterised by the extreme care given to each individual detail, and by the overall coherency and harmony that reigns between these details. To enhance a Fine Watch with precious stones and diamonds is therefore not a final step intended simply to add further to its value.From the very beginning, the smallest detail of a jewellery Fine Watch is considered with the stone-setter's and jeweller's work in mind.The stones that enhance a Fine Watch are therefore not merely an element of decoration but an integral part of the watch that dictate as much its form as its functions.The first task is to select the precious stones, and extreme severity governs each choice. The stones must be of the utmost purity as well as perfectly matched in size and colour, for on a watch's small surface they will be clustered together meaning the least impurity, the slightest difference in colour would be immediately evident and undermine the beauty of the whole.The gemmologist and the designer work hand-in-hand. Their choices and the cut of the stones (full-cut brilliant, emerald, baguette, etc.) will directly influence the shape of the case, the horns and the strap.Working to the designer's drawings, craftsmen fashion the case then prepare it to be set in accordance with different techniques, either piercing the holes in which the stones will be mounted, or carefully filing away the metal for a pavé setting. The brilliance and transparency of the gems depend on the absolute precision of these preparatory tasks.The case – and any other part that will be set with stones – is polished a second time to eliminate the least trace of filing or piercing. At last it is ready for the stone-setter to begin his work.There are many ways to set a stone. Some of the most frequently encountered are:

• the prong setting, where metal prongs (or claws) hold the stone in place
• the grain setting, where small shavings of metal are bent around the stone to form beads that secure it
• the closed setting, in which the stone is gripped inside a circle
• the channel setting, when the stone is held in a grooved channel between metal rails
• the invisible setting, where the stones appear to hold each other in place.

Any part of a watch - the case, winder, hands, bars, plate and of course the dial - can be set with stones.Usually the dial is pavé-set, either fully or partially. This requires an experienced hand: if the setter should even graze the dial's enamel with his chisel, its surface will be irretrievably scratched. The additional tension exerted by the setting can also cause the enamel to crack and, because the dial can no longer be fired once the stone-setter has begun his work, it would be permanently damaged.Setting the stones is therefore a crucial stage that hinges on the setter's expertise, dexterity and even genius. The least error can be fatal.Setting stones is a precision task. It is also an art: to illuminate a Fine Watch with the sparkle of precious stones.WONDERS OF ENAMELThe incomparably delicate art of enamelling can be traced back to the late fifteenth century.Enamel is a colourless and transparent substance which, when applied to metal and heated to between 800°C and 1,200°C, melts and is bonded by fusion to the metal.Three thin layers of this transparent enamel, when polished, give the uniquely pure and luminous white of a Fine Watch dial. Patterns can then be acid-engraved or chiselled, and numerals and other markings transferred. On a flinqué dial, the metal under the enamel has been engraved or engine-turned.Superb coloured enamels are obtained by adding metal oxides to transparent enamel. They are applied to the metal (usually gold) base using a quill or a very fine brush. The enamel is fired and the process repeated as many times as is necessary to obtain the desired colour.There are three main enamelling techniques.Cloisonné Champlevé Miniature painting Only at the very end of this long process will the enameller discover whether his work is a success - or a failure- as the enamelled piece is red-hot when taken out of the furnace then blackens as it cools down before the miracle of the final colours is at last revealed.Source : Richemont Group 2004