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A Fully Functional 3D Printed Watch With Tourbillon

59 points by curtis 11y ago

dang 11y ago
Url changed from http://gizmodo.com/the-first-3d-printed-mechanical-watch-is-an-intricate-p-1752690777 http://gizmodo.com/the-first-3d-printed-mechanical-watch-is-..., which points to this.
- logicallee 11y ago
  I definitely think that "with tourbillon" should be included in the title. A tourbillon is a very tricky complication (Rolex doesn't have any tourbillon watches for example), a kind of "tour de force." As amazing as the title is, with that addition it's jaw-dropping. (Still, trying to counter the effects of gravity in a watch with the ticking accuracy of plastic is a bit funny.)
  - dang 11y ago
    Ok, we added that. I don't know what it means, but we added it. :)
    - tagawa 11y ago
      Thanks. It was the "tourbillon" in the title that made me click. Amazing.
  - doug1001 11y ago
    > with that addition, it's jaw-dropping. absolutely right. So for instance, it's the difference between a high-quality mechanical watch costing $5K versus one that costs $100K.
dkhenry 11y ago
So this project is really cool, but its not the first. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:328569 http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:328569 That has been sitting in my print queue for some time waiting to be printed
- SoapSeller 11y ago
  Both are designed by the same guy. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1249221 http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1249221
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- owenversteeg 11y ago
  The difference is the form factor and most of all that this includes a tourbillon, an incredibly complex watch part (until recently) only found on watches costing several thousand dollars.
ChuckMcM 11y ago
This is pretty cool. I have yet to do anything so mechanically complicated on my printer. I was under the impression that it would be insufficiently round but perhaps I just need to spend more time calibrating it.
beeboop 11y ago
I wonder how accurate this is. I had assumed making a balance spring precise enough to be reasonably reliable was extremely difficult. Being made of a plastic like substance that can only be accurate down to a visibly low resolution, I would guess it's not very accurate. Sort of a moot point considering the main spring only lasts 30 minutes.
bobbles 11y ago
So when does something change from a watch into a clock? This thing is the size of a fist
kordless 11y ago
> will run for 30 minutes And thus a challenge is created.

59 points by curtis 11y ago

dang 11y ago

Url changed from http://gizmodo.com/the-first-3d-printed-mechanical-watch-is-an-intricate-p-1752690777 http://gizmodo.com/the-first-3d-printed-mechanical-watch-is-..., which points to this.

logicallee 11y ago
I definitely think that "with tourbillon" should be included in the title. A tourbillon is a very tricky complication (Rolex doesn't have any tourbillon watches for example), a kind of "tour de force." As amazing as the title is, with that addition it's jaw-dropping. (Still, trying to counter the effects of gravity in a watch with the ticking accuracy of plastic is a bit funny.)
- dang 11y ago
  Ok, we added that. I don't know what it means, but we added it. :)
  - tagawa 11y ago
    Thanks. It was the "tourbillon" in the title that made me click. Amazing.
- doug1001 11y ago
  > with that addition, it's jaw-dropping. absolutely right. So for instance, it's the difference between a high-quality mechanical watch costing $5K versus one that costs $100K.

dkhenry 11y ago

So this project is really cool, but its not the first. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:328569 http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:328569 That has been sitting in my print queue for some time waiting to be printed

SoapSeller 11y ago
Both are designed by the same guy. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1249221 http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1249221
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
owenversteeg 11y ago
The difference is the form factor and most of all that this includes a tourbillon, an incredibly complex watch part (until recently) only found on watches costing several thousand dollars.

ChuckMcM 11y ago

This is pretty cool. I have yet to do anything so mechanically complicated on my printer. I was under the impression that it would be insufficiently round but perhaps I just need to spend more time calibrating it.

beeboop 11y ago

I wonder how accurate this is. I had assumed making a balance spring precise enough to be reasonably reliable was extremely difficult. Being made of a plastic like substance that can only be accurate down to a visibly low resolution, I would guess it's not very accurate. Sort of a moot point considering the main spring only lasts 30 minutes.

bobbles 11y ago

So when does something change from a watch into a clock? This thing is the size of a fist

kordless 11y ago

> will run for 30 minutes And thus a challenge is created.