3 ms·

A little while ago I was confused about why, given that watchmaking as a field exists, we don't have any other field of endeavour that uses the same techniques.

A little while ago I was confused about why, given that watchmaking as a field exists, we don't have any other field of endeavour that uses the same techniques. Why is it that we can make tiny systems of springs and gears, and yet the only application we can find for these systems is luxury watchmaking? Well, this documentary answered that question for me: there used to be other applications! And if you imagine how you would recreate some of these automata yourself, you'll work out why we don't use these techniques today: it's not because we are under-utilising a valuable craft; it's because we have software. It's not that we can't find other applications for tiny gears and springs, it's that we have better options. The only reason to create things out of gears and springs is if you don't have software and stepper motors. But now we do, and we don't even realise how great it is! It used to be that if you wanted to do something complicated, you had to painstakingly make it all out of bespoke gears and springs, because there was literally no other way, but nowadays we use simple generic components for the mechanical parts, and we put the bespoke parts in software, and we can get so much further with so much less effort. There will always be a place for great craftsmanship with tiny mechanical systems, the same way there will always be a place for bushcraft and there will always be a place for retrocomputing. But that the mainstream has moved on from these things is not a step back, it's for a very good reason.

jhbadger 3y ago
It also explains why until the mid 20th-century, the metaphors used to explain the workings of the human mind and even the universe itself involved gears and springs. Before electronic computers, clockwork mechanisms were the most complicated and powerful systems people could think of.
- iancmceachern 3y ago
  And even the word computer used to refer to a human job
kragen 3y ago
in addition to the wind-up toys and music boxes featured in the video, you will find tiny gears and/or springs and other finely made metal parts, if you take apart a cigarette lighter, a ballpoint pen, a children's friction-motor toy, a padlock, a pre-electronic washing machine cycle timer (for washing machines that fill and empty themselves automatically), a tape recorder, a cd player (especially one for a laptop), an electric drill, a non-electric ratchet screwdriver, an automatic center punch, a can opener, an eggbeater, a mechanical pencil, a lightswitch (except the mercury type), a laser printer, a wired telephone dial or touch-tone pad, a chainsaw engine, a bicycle gearbox, a knitting-row counter, a pressure gauge, a non-electronic thermostat, an analog multimeter, a record player, etc. none of these use simple generic components for the mechanical parts it's true that there used to be more things built that way, like naval fire control computers, pid controllers, curta calculators, pascalines, cash registers, and teletypes; and watch gears and springs are smaller than most of these, because it was worth paying the huge premium for portability i do agree that with newer technologies you often get much further more cheaply. for pid controllers or communications even analog electronics are much faster and cheaper. plastic snap-fit parts replace a lot of latches that used springs. hydraulics are often better for power transmission, gearbox applications, and especially static mechanical advantage than shafts, cables, chains, and belts. tiny electric motors replaced line shafts with thin copper wires. digital readouts with glass, magnetic, or capacitive scales are much better than handwheel graduations or dial indicator. nc and cnc lathes replaced cam-driven screw machines. fluidic analog amplifiers and digital logic gates have been totally replaced with smaller and faster electronics. cmos is faster, cheaper, and lower power than ttl. and yeah, now that we have 3¢ microcontrollers and subthreshold microcontrollers, almost anything that can be simulated with a computer program will probably cheaper and easier to debug that way fuck steppers tho
blooalien 3y ago
> "There will always be a place for great craftsmanship with tiny mechanical systems, the same way there will always be a place for bushcraft and there will always be a place for retrocomputing." And the same way they will always be a place for amazing works of art (which this sort of craftsmanship absolutely qualifies as). Some people will always create crazy incredible things purely for the personal joy of having done it, and bonus points if it brings joy to others as well. ;~)
userbinator 3y ago
On the other hand, I'd rather debug/maintain one of these mechanisms than software. You can easily see what's going on, and why something might not be working, by simple visual inspection and manipulation. Also, these are going to survive EMP very well.
iancmceachern 3y ago
100%! I've made a little niche for myself as a mechanical and mechatronics design engineer who has one foot in the old world and knows how to design these types of complex old school mechanisms but with modern CAD and design automation tools. Much of the old world mechanical engineering stuff has been lost in the last few decades and digging it up and finding uses for it in my career is a passion of mine.
Cthulhu_ 3y ago
I think a lot of watchmakers skills are now used in mobile phones and other micro-electronics; take their cameras, they zoom in / out, physical movement stabilization, the works, etc.

jhbadger 3y ago

It also explains why until the mid 20th-century, the metaphors used to explain the workings of the human mind and even the universe itself involved gears and springs. Before electronic computers, clockwork mechanisms were the most complicated and powerful systems people could think of.

iancmceachern 3y ago
And even the word computer used to refer to a human job

kragen 3y ago

in addition to the wind-up toys and music boxes featured in the video, you will find tiny gears and/or springs and other finely made metal parts, if you take apart a cigarette lighter, a ballpoint pen, a children's friction-motor toy, a padlock, a pre-electronic washing machine cycle timer (for washing machines that fill and empty themselves automatically), a tape recorder, a cd player (especially one for a laptop), an electric drill, a non-electric ratchet screwdriver, an automatic center punch, a can opener, an eggbeater, a mechanical pencil, a lightswitch (except the mercury type), a laser printer, a wired telephone dial or touch-tone pad, a chainsaw engine, a bicycle gearbox, a knitting-row counter, a pressure gauge, a non-electronic thermostat, an analog multimeter, a record player, etc. none of these use simple generic components for the mechanical parts it's true that there used to be more things built that way, like naval fire control computers, pid controllers, curta calculators, pascalines, cash registers, and teletypes; and watch gears and springs are smaller than most of these, because it was worth paying the huge premium for portability i do agree that with newer technologies you often get much further more cheaply. for pid controllers or communications even analog electronics are much faster and cheaper. plastic snap-fit parts replace a lot of latches that used springs. hydraulics are often better for power transmission, gearbox applications, and especially static mechanical advantage than shafts, cables, chains, and belts. tiny electric motors replaced line shafts with thin copper wires. digital readouts with glass, magnetic, or capacitive scales are much better than handwheel graduations or dial indicator. nc and cnc lathes replaced cam-driven screw machines. fluidic analog amplifiers and digital logic gates have been totally replaced with smaller and faster electronics. cmos is faster, cheaper, and lower power than ttl. and yeah, now that we have 3¢ microcontrollers and subthreshold microcontrollers, almost anything that can be simulated with a computer program will probably cheaper and easier to debug that way fuck steppers tho

blooalien 3y ago

> "There will always be a place for great craftsmanship with tiny mechanical systems, the same way there will always be a place for bushcraft and there will always be a place for retrocomputing." And the same way they will always be a place for amazing works of art (which this sort of craftsmanship absolutely qualifies as). Some people will always create crazy incredible things purely for the personal joy of having done it, and bonus points if it brings joy to others as well. ;~)

userbinator 3y ago

On the other hand, I'd rather debug/maintain one of these mechanisms than software. You can easily see what's going on, and why something might not be working, by simple visual inspection and manipulation. Also, these are going to survive EMP very well.

iancmceachern 3y ago

100%! I've made a little niche for myself as a mechanical and mechatronics design engineer who has one foot in the old world and knows how to design these types of complex old school mechanisms but with modern CAD and design automation tools. Much of the old world mechanical engineering stuff has been lost in the last few decades and digging it up and finding uses for it in my career is a passion of mine.

Cthulhu_ 3y ago

I think a lot of watchmakers skills are now used in mobile phones and other micro-electronics; take their cameras, they zoom in / out, physical movement stabilization, the works, etc.