Caveman's Watch Forum


Travel Report Update! - It comes in handy to know people. Wink (Swiss trip 2011)

June 09, 2011 01:06AM

One of my goals on this trip was to visit a sure 'nough watch manufacture. Not the museum, not the "sanitized tour" for tourists, but to get down on the shop floor where the metal is cut. Turns out this is not so easy. However, I am not easily deterred. And, yes, I Know People. Wink

So I call up my friend Rainer, a machine tool salesman who specializes in high-precision 5+ axis milling machines for the Medical industry. However, there is a lot of over-lap between Medical and Watchmaking, as it turns out. So I tell Rainer that I am interested in one of their new 7-axis swiveling-head machines, but I really need to "see one in action". And, OBTW, if the machine were producing very precise and challenging components.. say, oh, watch parts Laughing that would be a plus.

Well, long story short, this tactic succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I got to spent 90 minutes of high quality time touring Hysek S.A. No, I'd never heard of them either. Crazy! Loco! Here's one their products:
Stock photo

Other products include such modest complications as perpetual calendar, tourbillon, and minute repeater. Smile

Anyway, please check 'em out and tell me what you think, guys. Whatever your opinion of the watches (and my feelings are mixed), I can tell you that touring the manufacture was a joy indeed.

Hysek watches on Google is HERE, and their Official Web Site is HERE.

Cheers!

-Ricky


"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn
Messages In This Thread

Travel Report Update! - It comes in handy to know people. Wink (Swiss trip 2011) Jpeg Attachments URL

 Anonymous User 332 June 09, 2011 12:06AM

Ricky, you are very lucky to see these!Cheers! (n/t)

 IF 137 June 09, 2011 12:24AM

Don't I know it! Wink (n/t)

 Anonymous User 106 June 09, 2011 09:36AM

Cool! I don't suppose they let you take pics, did they? (n/t)

 Anonymous User 129 June 09, 2011 05:19AM

Not only did they let me take pics, after I'd taken..
..a photo of a prototype watch the shop manager was wearing for testing, he gets a slightly concerned look on his face and says "I'm not going to find these photos on the Internet, right? This is a prototype.." Arrrrrrgh! Oops! So those I can't show you. I can tell you it's a.. well, I reckon I shouldn't even describe the complications. Suffice to say that it's pretty darned unique. Wink

I did take many photos of the machines and component parts, and I do have permission to post those. Probably not until I'm back home, though. Stay tuned. Laughing

 Anonymous User 143 June 09, 2011 09:46AM

You must have been in watch-geek AND machinist-geek heaven, all at the same time. laughing (n/t)

 DJM 121 June 09, 2011 07:11AM

Boy howdy! WIS Honeymoon Mind you..
..more the former than the latter. Wink

 Anonymous User 115 June 09, 2011 09:48AM

Re: Travel Report Update! - It comes in handy to know people. Wink
Sounds like a lot of fun. I did not no that they have a control for a seven axis mill. Any photos of control?

 MCS 125 June 09, 2011 07:24AM

Re: I did not no that they have a control for a seven axis mill Jpeg Attachments URL

Oh, sure! Swiss-turns are up to 22-axes now though, admittedly, not all can run simultaneous.

Calling this thing a "7-axis mill" is actually an injustice. It can also do the work of a 2-axis lathe on both the main and sub-spindle, and that of a 5-axis mill on main and sub-spindle. So, looked at a certain way, it's a 14-axis machine. They bill it a 7-axis because that's the maximum number of axes that can be driven simultaneously.
Quote
MCS
Any photos of control?
Well, it's just your average everyday Fanuc Series 31i. Wink

Here's a stock photo of the machine:

Stock photo

And HERE is a link to the machine in question, a Bumotec S-191.

It's a flipping awesome machine! I am determined, some how, some way, to convince my employer that we need one. Smile Or five. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off
 Anonymous User 131 June 09, 2011 10:03AM

Thumbs Up lots of interesting machining on the case and lugs. You must have been in RL heaven laughing (n/t)

 JP 132 June 09, 2011 09:46AM

And how! Henceforth, I will be too embarrassed to ever again post.. URL
..the RickyWatches. Comparing them to the Hysek cases is like comparing a 1st-grader's drawing hanging on the fridge to The Mona Lisa. Oops! Eek! Blushing

 Anonymous User 143 June 09, 2011 10:09AM

Interesting innovative design.Drooling (n/t)

 itschris 116 June 09, 2011 10:39AM

Did you take a sample for all us on the way out? You lucky guy (n/t)

 Reto 125 June 09, 2011 11:23AM

Alas, unlike Jaquet Droz, they were not handing out Free Samples. Wink (n/t)

 Anonymous User 128 June 10, 2011 11:02AM

Looks awesome to me Thumbs up! (n/t)

 Need_Omega 145 June 09, 2011 02:18PM

Part One - Prequel Part Ten - Travel Day, Giant Swiss Knife
Part Two - Arrival / Fribourg Part Eleven - More Window Shopping
Part Three - Biel / Bienne Part Twelve - Swiss vehicles
Part Four - Window Shopping Part Thirteen - Homeward Bound
Part Five - Neuchatel, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Jura mountains Part Fourteen - Bumotec and Hysek tours
Part Six - Swiss Cows, Misc. Part Fifteen - Musée Omega
Part Seven - Starting Gun Part Sixteen - Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle
Part Eight - Side trip Part Seventeen - Martin and Ueli do Memphis
Part Nine - M-Z factory, Patek < Return to Watch Blog Index >

< Next installment is HERE >