GiantSquid Loving the effort and your creativity! Am following this thread.
Thank you for the amazing effort bro!
Thank you for the amazing effort bro!
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RM11 Quartz Project
- Thread starter GiantSquid
- Start date
josephag94
Vintage enthusiast
your best bet is to collab with smp for that custom strap. this is going awesome i would gladly put some money for one of those
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
Short update: going to try an initial etch this weekend for the 50-04 dial, pics coming later today or tomorrow depending on how I get things scheduled. If this etch works out, making other dials (including for the 67) is relatively straightforward, albeit labour-intensive.
Progress on the 67: Lots of engineering! Modified the midcase to fit the crystal a little better, made a rehaut, movement holder (ring only, trays for specific movements not done yet), made a rear crystal surround AND (big progress) found a source that can print things in optically-clear resin normally used in guideplates for dental surgery. Material polishes clear as glass and can be printed straight to shape so I was easily able to design a holder for the crystal. The clear resin is expensive so I'm trying to keep prototype prints of the crystal to a minimum, but I'll be printing a full version of the case, bezels, rehaut, movement holder, deco holder, strap inserts, and a (solid) crystal for proof of concept on Monday. Will post Tuesday when I can get back in the office to the printer! If I can print the rear crystal to shape that's a game-changer, and the pieces are small enough that we can do smaller runs of parts so I may be able (NO PROMISES) to make fully-built ones instead of providing files for people to print their own. May use Xometry to print some bezels in white PC which would let me make the variants with white bezels and black midcase, depending on cost, or will print the all-black variants in PC/CF in-house. Strap is thought out, but need some fabric to come in before Mrs GiantSquid can sew it up.
As always, stay tuned. I'm excited about the 67, seems like it came together quickly and being a less complicated watch overall made the going easier. Ever upwards!
Progress on the 67: Lots of engineering! Modified the midcase to fit the crystal a little better, made a rehaut, movement holder (ring only, trays for specific movements not done yet), made a rear crystal surround AND (big progress) found a source that can print things in optically-clear resin normally used in guideplates for dental surgery. Material polishes clear as glass and can be printed straight to shape so I was easily able to design a holder for the crystal. The clear resin is expensive so I'm trying to keep prototype prints of the crystal to a minimum, but I'll be printing a full version of the case, bezels, rehaut, movement holder, deco holder, strap inserts, and a (solid) crystal for proof of concept on Monday. Will post Tuesday when I can get back in the office to the printer! If I can print the rear crystal to shape that's a game-changer, and the pieces are small enough that we can do smaller runs of parts so I may be able (NO PROMISES) to make fully-built ones instead of providing files for people to print their own. May use Xometry to print some bezels in white PC which would let me make the variants with white bezels and black midcase, depending on cost, or will print the all-black variants in PC/CF in-house. Strap is thought out, but need some fabric to come in before Mrs GiantSquid can sew it up.
As always, stay tuned. I'm excited about the 67, seems like it came together quickly and being a less complicated watch overall made the going easier. Ever upwards!
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
Short update:
https://imgur.com/a/MUBlLXP
Etch plate for the RM50 deco looks like that. Although this particular plate had a problem and was unable to be etched, this is what two of the layers look like when we get the process right. Not as successful a weekend as I had hoped but I learned a lot and we're going to keep trying till it works. Consider this proof of concept and feasibility!
The revised 67 will be printing tomorrow, hoping to have an update on both then but I figured I'd share this milestone in the meantime. We need the etch process to work for this deco too, so once that's nailed we can design and print the layers for the 67. Pics and updates tomorrow.
Ever upwards!
https://imgur.com/a/MUBlLXP
Etch plate for the RM50 deco looks like that. Although this particular plate had a problem and was unable to be etched, this is what two of the layers look like when we get the process right. Not as successful a weekend as I had hoped but I learned a lot and we're going to keep trying till it works. Consider this proof of concept and feasibility!
The revised 67 will be printing tomorrow, hoping to have an update on both then but I figured I'd share this milestone in the meantime. We need the etch process to work for this deco too, so once that's nailed we can design and print the layers for the 67. Pics and updates tomorrow.
Ever upwards!
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
Mrs GiantSquid (my ever-reliable assistant and etcher) has been sick so no progress on deco, but I printed the new 67 and hit another milestone in the build.
https://imgur.com/a/9miaweU
Crystal fits like a glove, and my scratchbuilt movement ring and rear crystal holder (not pictured due to being modded beyond recognition already) need their tolerances increased significantly but are conceptually strong. I also priced out the print from a manufacture-on-demand supplier and it comes in at $150 for a full case in CF nylon with some coloured components. I'd rather manufacture myself but after I finalize the design and make a couple I might order one to see how the parts compare.
I'll be printing the rear crystals and doing some minor tolerance revisions over the next week and hopefully back on my etching grind when fam is back to good health. Stay tuned next week for some additional updates!
https://imgur.com/a/9miaweU
Crystal fits like a glove, and my scratchbuilt movement ring and rear crystal holder (not pictured due to being modded beyond recognition already) need their tolerances increased significantly but are conceptually strong. I also priced out the print from a manufacture-on-demand supplier and it comes in at $150 for a full case in CF nylon with some coloured components. I'd rather manufacture myself but after I finalize the design and make a couple I might order one to see how the parts compare.
I'll be printing the rear crystals and doing some minor tolerance revisions over the next week and hopefully back on my etching grind when fam is back to good health. Stay tuned next week for some additional updates!
- 2/12/19
- 358
- 107
- 43
This project is exciting no doubt. Will there be plans to make more and sell it or is it a personal project only? Thanks
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
Mercedesslr right now it's somewhat a personal project because I only have enough screws and crystals on hand to make two, and the clear resin for back crystals is limited access for now. I'm planning at the very least to release the files so someone else could make them, but if I can nail down sourcing for screws and crystals it would be possible to do a limited run although each would take some time and I'd have to figure out how to price it. I'm not opposed to the idea of selling them at all, but there are some challenges to overcome.
The RM50 should be much easier to reproduce and sell since it uses a donor watch that gives me all the parts necessary, and those I'll be able to adapt for sale almost definitely.
EDIT: I bought more screws, will probably grab some more crystals later today. Back crystal resin is a problem but I'll see how many my dude can conceivably make before supplies get low
The RM50 should be much easier to reproduce and sell since it uses a donor watch that gives me all the parts necessary, and those I'll be able to adapt for sale almost definitely.
EDIT: I bought more screws, will probably grab some more crystals later today. Back crystal resin is a problem but I'll see how many my dude can conceivably make before supplies get low
Last edited:
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
Photoetching is a pain in the ass:
https://imgur.com/a/nCobHwM
Made the first run of two deco test plates for the 50. Etch was successful and it works great but it is the fiddliest and most annoying process I've encountered, and I used to be a lab tech. We'll be etching several of these plates and bonding them together to make the new deco. I've already verified it fits the subdial pinions on the VK, and the deco in the midcase, and everything fits perfectly, so we're on the right track but goddamn is this a pain. I can see why photoetched parts are like $50 for a tiny baggie of brass now.
I also bought a bunch of screws and crystals, so that makes producing 67s a bit easier once we get to that point. For those of y'all interested I can source parts to make a few of them and as long as the Ali shops don't disappear you can get more. No idea on timeline, still need to choose a movement and hands plus make the deco plate masks, etch the plates, etc. It's going to take some time to get everything set up but I see no reason why we won't be successful in a couple months. Once again, I'm still looking for pad printing partners to print on the etched and blued dial, so if anyone knows or has a pad printer, get at me so we can make this last puzzle piece in place!
https://imgur.com/a/nCobHwM
Made the first run of two deco test plates for the 50. Etch was successful and it works great but it is the fiddliest and most annoying process I've encountered, and I used to be a lab tech. We'll be etching several of these plates and bonding them together to make the new deco. I've already verified it fits the subdial pinions on the VK, and the deco in the midcase, and everything fits perfectly, so we're on the right track but goddamn is this a pain. I can see why photoetched parts are like $50 for a tiny baggie of brass now.
I also bought a bunch of screws and crystals, so that makes producing 67s a bit easier once we get to that point. For those of y'all interested I can source parts to make a few of them and as long as the Ali shops don't disappear you can get more. No idea on timeline, still need to choose a movement and hands plus make the deco plate masks, etch the plates, etc. It's going to take some time to get everything set up but I see no reason why we won't be successful in a couple months. Once again, I'm still looking for pad printing partners to print on the etched and blued dial, so if anyone knows or has a pad printer, get at me so we can make this last puzzle piece in place!
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
Any updates since May 28th? Watching this thread closely!
Not a substantive one but things have happened. I've been working on some big projects at my IRL job and haven't had much time to devote to big updates. Mrs GiantSquid has been working on the strap and gotten it down in the ballpark (+1mm) of where it needs to be but the insert needs adjustment before it'll fit and I'll need to make some relief cuts on the rear bezel to give the fabric some room to move.
I put some inserts into the 67 case and found that they'll fit with only a tiny bit of finish filing that won't disturb the threads, including the strap holes which I was worried about due to the lack of mass around the insert, but it fits and files down without wrecking the threading. I need to buy a better soldering station with a temp adjust so I don't melt through the thinner case so fast but I'll be doing that today unless the sun explodes. I was also worried that the two inserts on top of one another would be thicker than the case they'd be inserted in, and they are but only by about .25mm which is easily filed away from the top or bottom. The trick is not to insert them too far but let them butt up to one another about in the middle of the case, which is difficult and fiddly but not undoable.
We're running a test etch of the other two plates we need today; if those turn out I'll have some pics later. My crystals and screws landed stateside this morning so I'll try to get one of the 67 cases fully assembled (minus deco/movement) and screwed together this weekend and snap some pics of that too. I can most likely do the same for the 50 and I'll update the thread with those when I can!
Amazing! Looking forward to seeing photos. What do you think the timeline look like before you have a fully functioning piece?
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
ALDS522 conservatively the 50 will be done in 6 weeks and the 67 in 8-10 if I don't run into any other snags, but dial printing is still being figured out. My guess is I'll be able to assemble prototypes of each with unprinted deco and movement on those timelines. I'll try to get a pair of cases screwed together this week so y'all will have at least shots of the cases fully assembled without deco and movements. Etching each plate takes a solid 2.5 hours and I can only do two at a time out of the four, so etching deco for each watch takes about 5hrs plus assembly time for the 50 and it's looking like we'll have six deco layers on the 67 so that's 7.5 hours of prep and etch for each individual watch alone.
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
We have deco!
https://imgur.com/a/bEobVWp
There are still things that need doing (gear applique, etching two thicker plates, blackening, printing) but this is what the three main deco layers look like with the donor rehaut. Etch came out fantastic and we have enough supplies to fix the details and do it for real next go.
Now that we're here I need to reiterate that I need someone with a pad printer to make these plates properly. I can grab some brass black from the gun store and blacken the plates I need but for the top plate and the minute markers I need to access a pad printer. I can get plates for them but I'm not really looking to devote the money or space to a full pad printer, so a watchmaker with access to one would be the perfect partner. Hopefully someone on here has the connections to make that happen!
I'm out of town this weekend but I'm planning to etch the plates at full thickness, prep a case, and test assemble next week when I can find the time. Hope to bring you that soon!
https://imgur.com/a/bEobVWp
There are still things that need doing (gear applique, etching two thicker plates, blackening, printing) but this is what the three main deco layers look like with the donor rehaut. Etch came out fantastic and we have enough supplies to fix the details and do it for real next go.
Now that we're here I need to reiterate that I need someone with a pad printer to make these plates properly. I can grab some brass black from the gun store and blacken the plates I need but for the top plate and the minute markers I need to access a pad printer. I can get plates for them but I'm not really looking to devote the money or space to a full pad printer, so a watchmaker with access to one would be the perfect partner. Hopefully someone on here has the connections to make that happen!
I'm out of town this weekend but I'm planning to etch the plates at full thickness, prep a case, and test assemble next week when I can find the time. Hope to bring you that soon!
Giant Squid, I hadn’t seen this thread, (I’ve been living under a rock recently), all I can say is wow, you have some really great work going on here. I can’t believe the challenge you have taken on, but keep going mate, your doing an immense job - I am proud of you. I’ll be keeping a close eye on this now, hats off to you!
- 18/9/19
- 580
- 499
- 63
No pictures today but short progress report:
Redesigned the movement ring and crystal holder for the 67, will be printing the whole thing tomorrow and going to test assemble after some filing. We're halfway done with making the masks for the deco, so once we figure out how the rear is going to go together we can make those masks and etch the six plates we'll need for front and rear deco. I'm having some trouble sourcing the 4-spline bracelet screws (paying $12 per screw is a little much) and I'll need to clip those down to a custom length but we should be good for everything except the strap. Considering I know the bezel and midcase holes line up exactly (since I made both) assembly should be straightforward and I know the crystal fits already!
For the 50 I put it together only to find that my screw holes are fractions of a mm off, so I've had to revise those again. It's the tiniest bit but it's more than enough to make those tiny M1.4 screws bind. Like I said I revised the design again this morning and will hopefully be able to print it tomorrow as well. We know the crystal fits and the curvature is right, it's just a matter of fine-tuning the screw holes since they need to be precise and apparently aren't regular fractions but weird shit like 11.63mm apart instead. We'll be etching the thicker deco layers today (and maybe the thinner inner layers if time allows) and I know those will drop right into the midcase and fit the movement perfectly. Will shoot some pics and upload when I have them but wanted to give everyone an update since it's been a while!
Redesigned the movement ring and crystal holder for the 67, will be printing the whole thing tomorrow and going to test assemble after some filing. We're halfway done with making the masks for the deco, so once we figure out how the rear is going to go together we can make those masks and etch the six plates we'll need for front and rear deco. I'm having some trouble sourcing the 4-spline bracelet screws (paying $12 per screw is a little much) and I'll need to clip those down to a custom length but we should be good for everything except the strap. Considering I know the bezel and midcase holes line up exactly (since I made both) assembly should be straightforward and I know the crystal fits already!
For the 50 I put it together only to find that my screw holes are fractions of a mm off, so I've had to revise those again. It's the tiniest bit but it's more than enough to make those tiny M1.4 screws bind. Like I said I revised the design again this morning and will hopefully be able to print it tomorrow as well. We know the crystal fits and the curvature is right, it's just a matter of fine-tuning the screw holes since they need to be precise and apparently aren't regular fractions but weird shit like 11.63mm apart instead. We'll be etching the thicker deco layers today (and maybe the thinner inner layers if time allows) and I know those will drop right into the midcase and fit the movement perfectly. Will shoot some pics and upload when I have them but wanted to give everyone an update since it's been a while!