The right kind of speck

Hinwil, one Friday in October…

The ochs und junior enamelling oven (used to produce the patina on the anno cinquanta dials) was transported by Citroën DS to Peter Cantieni’s workshop in Hinwil. The first anno cinquanta dials were patinated by Ludwig in back at his workshop, where he spent night after night researching the optimum temperature and baking time (using not a little gold in the process!).

He then milled the dials, reheated them and milled them again. His CNC machine and modus operandi are geared more to the production of prototypes, which means he works without the use of lubricants. His approach produces a variety of really quite charming, very slight distortions on the indices. The initial batch of anno cinquantas were assembled using these 100% Oechslin dials, which meant that each one was different, each unique.

Peter Cantieni’s involvement in the ochs und junior venture means we have the series manufacturing expertise we need – hence the transfer of the oven and glass bead-blasting equipment to Hinwil. Peter (Pedro) and Ludwig spent a real man’s day transferring the latter’s milling and heating know-how to the former. The model they worked on was the new timepiece with the two-part dial – the la due ore – in nickel silver (alpaca).

Pedro saw the point…

They experimented with clamping methods…

And had their bit of fun…

They tested the appliances…

And appraised the results… Pedro:”That one’s got a little speck.” Ludwig: “Sometimes little flecks are better  –  that’s life: quirks and tension!…” (What does Cindy Crawford’s mole mean to her? You have to admit it’s just a little bit of kitsch… ;-))

The first Oechslin/Cantieni time disk for la due ore is ready for assembly…

These little items are of course still at the testing stage…

Either way, Ludwig will carry on experimenting on the dials that Pedro has been producing for us in small batches. The unique objects Ludwig comes up with are quite possibly destined for new, future ochs und junior watches…

Here’s a white gold dial that’s been glass bead-blasted and features orange luminescent indices.

Ludwig bored the indices and applied the luminescent material from behind. This one’s destined for a silver or white gold case with coloured hands.

It’ll soon find its way to a timepiece of his, and he’ll take great pleasure in it – unless someone else wants that very one, of course…

Pedro’s workshop contains all manner of disks…This slightly warped one came from Robert Kubica’s BMW Sauber F1 car (Montreal, June 2007)…