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Off Hours
Off Hours episodes
- A Relatively Primitive Setup
Jon Chris discuss the first chips made on Project Minotaur, using the new wobble stick, and what the next steps are in the process of making their first watch caliber.
Interested in sponsoring a future episode of Off Hours? Get in touch.
This episode of Off Hours was made possible in part thanks to the Amazon Associates Program. As a part of the program, the show earns from qualifying purchases when you click on links to Amazon (like this one) from our show notes.
- Rich Loen of Loen Design
- Q-Switching A technique for producing laser pulses with extremely high peak power
- Laser Etched Insignia The incognito Rolex logo on their sapphire crystals
- 3D Crystal Portraits
- Hamley’s Toy Shop
- Structured Light A technique for capturing three dimensional data
- Parthenon Marbles
- Robin Renzetti Official YouTube channel
- Robin Renzetti Official Instagram account
- Machinist Paul The Instagram feed of friend of the show, Paul Burberry
- Breguet
- Bleaching a Watch Dial
- Jewellery Pickling Kit
- Wobble Stick
- A Chat with David Walter on the Minutia Repeater Podcast
- PCB Drill Bits
- Tripan Makers of quick-change tool posts
- Precitrame Machines SA
0 min - The Hero Egg
Chris and Jon follow up on a number of topics old and new, including Christian Lass’ new movement, Ferdinand Berthoud’s FB 2RE, fumé dials, the “Faberge Egg” of Octopussy, as well as some new tools Chris has been making.
Interested in sponsoring a future episode of Off Hours? Get in touch.
This episode of Off Hours was made possible in part thanks to the Amazon Associates Program. As a part of the program, the show earns from qualifying purchases when you click on links to Amazon (like this one) from our show notes.
- Free-sprung Update A sneak peek at Christian Lass’ custom movement with updated regulating system
- Christian Lass Interview Part one of Jon & Chris’ discussion with Christian Lass
- Ferdinand Berthoud FB 2RE
- Statute of Limitations on Spoilers Chris & Jon discussed the FB 2RE at length in the previous episode of Off Hours
- FB 2RE Lecture Karl-Friedrich Scheufele & Vincent Lapaire of Ferdinand Berthoud lectured recently at the Horological Society of New York
- XRF X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy can be used to non-invasively analyze the elemental composition of materials
- Kicked Out by Royalty Chris shared about his time touring the Goldsmiths Hall in London back in episode 17
- Rich Loen
- Dave Merry
- Roman One of five wrists
- Lewis Heath The founder of anOrdain talks enamel dials with Roman & Sean on Fifth Wrist Radio’s Independent Thinking podcast
- anOrdain
- H. Moser & Cie
- Stratocaster One of Fender’s most iconic guitars, with characteristic fumé-like finish
- Enamelling Tips A helpful conglomeration of information from Thompson Enamel, including tips on successfully applying red enamel (the discontinued red enamel from Japan that Chris referred to during the show is Aoki 105-B, also sold under the name Kujaku)
- Fabergé
- Treasures from the Kremlin A book detailing the Forbes Fabergé Collection that was on display in Las Vegas
- Red Cross with Imperial Portraits One of Chris’ favourite Fabergé eggs
- Blue Serpent Clock Another of Chris’ favourite Fabergé eggs
- A True Polymath & Autodidact Chris relayed how the James Bond film, Octopussy, sparked his interest in Fabergé eggs & engine turning all the way back in the inaugural episode of Off Hours
- Octopussy Stolen art leads to a plan that will see Europe fall to Russia unless Bond can put a stop to it.
- Octopussy Egg The James Bond scene that served as Chris’ first introduction to the art of engine turning
- Brenda Roy
- James Miller Master Goldsmith
- The Work of a Master Goldsmith A book showcasing the work of James Miller
One of the lampshades made by James Miller that Chris referred to during the show- Akanthura A series of sculptural carvings in metal, by Christian Lass’ wife, Hanne
- Tough 2000 A durable 3D-printing resin from Formlabs
- Bonny Doon Engineering
- Phil Poirier
- Donzé Cadrans An enamel dial specialist based in Switzerland
- Inside Donzé Cadrans A look behind the scenes of the enamel dial making process at Donzé Cadrans
- Comblémine Formerly Dialtech SA, the dial making company owned by Kari Voutilainen
- Enamel Craft at Seiko
- Struthers Watches
- Deakin & Francis
- Wringing Gauge Blocks
- Mitutoyo Ceramic Gauge Block Set
- Sine Vise
- Tripan Makers of quick-change tool posts
- Reglus A precise, universal drilling jig that Chris used while making a wobble stick for his lathe
Chris’ Reglus drilling rig0 min - Statute of Limitations on Spoilers
Chris and Jon discuss the model making techniques of The Mandalorian, Ferdinand Berthoud’s FB 2RE, and a new project they’re collaborating on.
Interested in sponsoring a future episode of Off Hours? Get in touch.
This episode of Off Hours was made possible in part thanks to the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, the show earns from qualifying purchases when you click on links to Amazon, like this one, from our show notes.
- Squeegee Work Episode 55 of Off Hours
- Blade Runner Four disc Collector’s Edition, including the Theatrical Cut, which is Chris’ favourite rendition
- Blade Runner The Final Cut
- Blade Runner 2049
- ILM Industrial Light & Magic
- Inside ILM Creating the Razor Crest
- Virtual Production of The Mandalorian A look behind the scenes at ILM’s new virtual production technology
- Form 3 A highly capable 3D printer from FormLabs, used by both Chris & ILM
- John Knoll Co-creator of Photoshop & longstanding creator of movie magic at ILM
- John Goodson Digital artist & miniature maker at ILM
- Canon EOS Cameras
- Ferdinand Berthoud
- Ferdinand Berthoud FB1
- Ferdinand Berthoud FB 2RE
- In-Depth: Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 2RE From Watches by SJX
- Incognito Emblem Rolex’s laser etched crown on their sapphire crystals
- Sapphire Rotor The automatic winding rotor in Vianney Halter’s Contemporaine & Antiqua timepieces were made of sapphire, in order to provide a less obstructed view of the movement
- Vitreous Enamel
- Silver Hand Studios
- Thompson Enamel
- TechForm Casting is equipped to cast in high temperature alloys, like 316L stainless steel
- Hot Isostatic Pressing Teresa Fryé’s paper on The Effects of Hot Isostatic Pressing of Platinum Alloy Castings on Mechanical Properties & Microstructures for the Santa Fe Symposium
- DeBethune Independent watchmaker, with a knack for polishing titanium
- Chronomètre Contemporain by Rexhep Rexhepi
- Derek Pratt “The Greatest Unknown Watchmaker”
- Derek Pratt Watches Once a man, now a microbrand carrying on the legacy & watchmaking concepts of the late master watchmaker
- T0 Concept Tourbillon from Grand Seiko
- In-Depth: The Grand Seiko T0 Constant Force Concept Tourbillon by Jack Forster, for HODINKEE
- Grand Seiko 9SA5
- Tripan Makers of quick-change tool posts
- Sine Vise Chris’ latest tool acquisition
- The Lord Chancellor Chris & Jon first spoke about gage blocks back in episode 23
- The Perfectionists by Simon Winchester
- Metric Gage Block Set
- Wobble Stick
- Peseux/ETA 7001
- Eterna Movements
- Learn Watchmaking with last episode’s special guest, Christian Lass
- Unitas/ETA 6497
0 min - Christian Lass Part 2
Chris and Jon continue their conversation with independent watchmaker, Christian Lass. They dive into more details about his upcoming watch, complex mechanical marvels, and collaborating with his wife, master engraver, Hanne Gleich.
- Part 1 of Jon & Chris’ conversation with Christian
- Christian Lass Official website in English (also available in Danish)
- Follow Christian Lass on Instagram
- Vianney Halter Christian worked with independent watchmaker, Vianney Halter, for several years
- Søren Andersen Horological conservator based in Copenhagen, Denmark where Christian worked before joining Vianney Halter
- Christian’s CNC Machine Made by the man himself
- Microdrilling
- ASCO Micro Drill Bits
- Aciera Thread Cutting Machine
Aciera Precision Tapping Machine Type ET 3 that Christian Uses
- ASCO SPIROLEX Drilling tap
- Cabestan Watch The first piece that Christian worked on developing while at Vianney Halter
- Mont Noir
- Visiting “Musée de la Boîte de Montre” An audio account of Christian’s time at the Watch Case Museum in Mont Noir
- Musée de la Boîte de Montre Official website of the Watch Case Museum
- Beutler Casemaking Lathe One of Christian’s Beutler casemaking lathes
- Brocading Engine
- Rose Engine
- Breguet
- Lindow Machine Works
- Patek Philippe Museum Where Christian worked for nearly a decade after his time at Vianney Halter
- What are Repeating Watches (including minute repeaters)
- Daniel Quare A 17th Century watchmaker credited with inventing the repeating watch
- Jaeger-LeCoultre was the foremost supplier of minute repeating watch mechanisms, to brands like Patek Philippe & Vacheron Constantin, throughout most of the 20th century
- Optical Comparator Also referred to as a profile projector
- How to Prepare a Supersaturated Salt Water Solution
- Making Minute Repeater Gongs A superficial look at the gong-making process
- An Incomplete Introduction to the Minute Repeater From gongs to governors
- Girard-Perregaux 27 The watch caliber that Christian is basing his series of watches off of
An early render of the movement side of the timepiece that Christian is crafting- In Progress A sneak peek at the movement that Christian is creating
- The Geneva Seal
- Valjoux 23
- Valjoux 72
- ETA Supplier of watch movements
- Jens Olsen’s World Clock One of the more complicated timepieces Christian worked on while at Søren Andersen
- Curta Calculator
- Odhner Pinwheel Calculator A video from Christian detailing how his Odhner mechanical calculator functions
- Curta Calculator A video showcasing Christian’s Curta Calculator
- FACIT ESA-0 A Swedish-made electro-mechanical calculator
- Antikythera Mechanism
- Akanthura Series by Christian’s wife, Hanne
- Watch Movement by Hanne with Akanthura Motifs (posted after this episode was recorded )
- Gravalance Hanne’s independent engraving workshop n Haarby, Denmark
- One Cubic Millimeter Hanne’s 1mm3 project
- Hans Christian Andersen Engraved at microscopic scale, in 3-dimensions, by Hanne
- Philippe Dufour
- Watchmaking by George Daniels
- LearnWatchmaking.com by Christian Lass
0 min - Christian Lass Part 1
Christian Lass is an independent watchmaker hailing from Denmark. He has worked for the likes of the Danish Royal Family under the tutelage of Søren Andersen, spent several years working with renowned independent watchmaker, Vianney Halter, and served for nearly a decade as the watchmaker responsible for the collection at the Patek Philippe Museum. In part one of our interview with Christian Lass, we discuss some of his early studies, the collection at the Patek Philippe Museum, and his thoughts on handmade watches.
- Christian Lass Official website in English (also available in Danish)
- Follow Christian Lass on Instagram
- LearnWatchmaking.com by Christian Lass
- Independent Thinking with Christian Lass on Fifth Wrist Radio
- Keeping Time Podcast with Christian Lass from Oster Jewelers
- GSM Christian’s initial studies in engineering centered around the Global System for Mobile Communications
- Ham Radio Christian took an interest in ham radio at an early age
- Watchmaking by George Daniels was the book that sparked Christian’s interest in watchmaking one day at the library
- ZBC Home of the Danish School of Watchmaking
- Danish School of Watchmaking An archived description (in Danish) of the horology program at ZBC
- AHCI Academy of Independent Horologists
- Søren Andersen Horological conservator based in Copenhagen, Denmark where Christian worked for 4 years
- Jens Olsen’s World Clock One of the more complicated timepieces Christian worked on while at Søren Andersen
- Rust There’s more to it than meets the eye
- Rust Removal Using Electrolysis
- Patek Philippe Museum
- Philippe Dufour encouraged Christian to apply to work at the Patek Philippe Museum
- Watchmaking Book by Martens Beschreibung der Hemmungen is an old book, written in German by J. H. Martens, on the craft of watchmaking that Christian found particularly useful
- Beschreibung der Hemmungen The full text of Martens’ book, courtesy of Google Books & Columbia University
- Inside the Patek Philippe Museum A photo report by HODINKEE’s Benjamin Clymer
- Ferdinand Berthoud
- Jacques Frédéric Houriet
- Jacques-Frédéric Houriet, No. 61 Made for Berthoud Frères, this timepiece is an example of the one of the watches that Christian restored while at the Patek Philippe Museum
- Sylvain Jean-Mairet
- Sylvain Mairet Pocket Watch with Thermometer One of Mairet’s pieces that Christian restored while at the Patek Philippe Museum
- Albert H. Potter Pocket Chronometer An example of a pocket watch crafted by Albert Potter that Christian worked with in the Patek Philippe Museum Collection
- Catalogues of the Patek Philippe Museum
- Dr. Peter Friess Curator of the Patek Philippe Museum
- Tourbillon Pocket Watch by Albert Pellaton from the collection of the British Museum
Tourbillon movement made by Albert Pellaton
Image licensed under Creative Commons 4.0
© The Trustees of the British Museum- Albert Pellaton-Favre & James C. Pellaton Tourbillon
- James Pellaton Tourbillon Another example of a tourbillon pocket watch made by James Pellaton, for Patek Philippe, adjusted for observatory trials by both Hermann Heck & André Zibach
- Wristwatch Tourbillon Adjusted by André Zibach The personal watch of former Patek Philippe president, Philippe Stern, the same article also features a fine example of one of Patek’s 34T tourbillon calibers also mentioned in the show
- Patek Philippe Caliber 34T
Patek Philippe Caliber 34T
Photo by Andrew H- Henry Graves Supercomplication by Patek Philippe
- Patek Philippe Caliber 89
- Star Caliber 2000 by Patek Philippe
- Patek Philippe 2499
- Modern Patek Philippe Minute Repeaters The entire Patek Philippe Minute Repeater Collection, chiming courtesy of HODINKEE
- Patek Philippe 6300G Featuring the caliber 300
- Spiromax An in-depth look at Patek Philippe’s foray into making silicon hairsprings
- Vianney Halter Christian worked alongside independent watchmaker, Vianney Halter, in Switzerland for a number of years
- Watchmaking Workshop A short tour around Christian’s studio
- Profile Projector Christian’s Nikon profile projector in action
- Hauser M1 Pointing Machine The pointing machine Christian referred to using in his shop
- Drilling by Hand The hand tool Christian uses to drill the initial holes in plates, cocks, & bridges after marking out each point on the Hauser M1
- Dixi Wheel Cutting Machine
- Kari Voutilainen
- Studio 7h38
- Beutler Casemaking Lathe Christian contour turning from a master profile on one of his casemaking lathes
- Phil Poirier
- Turret Lathe A photo of the turret on one of Christian’s Beutler casemaking lathes
- David Lindow
- Schaublin 102 A look at Christian’s Schaublin 102 lathe
- Inside Roger W. Smith’s Workshop “We’ve always used CNC machines” – Roger W. Smith
- Kari Voutilainen Haas Profile for Metalworking Magazine
0 min - Hacking About
Chris and Jon discuss some new potential camera and video options for watchmakers, specifically in the studio, as well as some follow-up on free-sprung balances.
- Seeing Through a Watchmaker’s Eyes IWC’s Cyberloupe
- IWC Virtual Tours In light of COVID-19, IWC has launched an online initiative allowing people to tour their manufacturing facilities virtually, including getting a peek through the loupe of a watchamker, thanks to their Cyberloupe
- A Digital Loupe Chris & Jon first chatted about the concept of a virtual loupe back in episode 19
- Scalar Teleglass T3-F The head-mounted display Jon used to build a digital loupe over a decade ago
- GoPro 4K Action Cameras
- Back-Bone A Canadian company that mods GoPro and Sony cameras
- Raspberry Pi High Quality Camera A 12.3 megapixel camera module for the Raspberry Pi
- DIY Book Scanner
- C-Mount Lenses
- Book Scanner at Ottawa U The University of Ottawa has a self-serve book scanner available for public use at the Morisset Library
- Adobe Scan Scanning and OCR software for mobile devices
- Getting the iPad to Pro Craig Mod echoes some of the foibles Jon has experienced using Apple’s Notes app
- PDF Expert The PDF app Chris uses
- Aluminum Rail
- Antique Hairspring Vibrating Tool
- Digital Hairspring Vibrating Tool from Rataspari
- Watchmaking by George Daniels
- Microset Watch & clock timer
- Light Gate
- KHWCC Watchmaking Competence Center, where Henrik Korpela is a professor
- WOSTEP Watchmakers of Switzerland Training & Education Program
- Hamilton Watches
- F.P. Journe
- Kari Voutilainen
- George Daniels
- Roger W. Smith
- Philippe Dufour
- Gyromax The free-sprung rate adjustment system used by Patek Philippe
- Patek Philippe
- Nivarox
- The Swatch Group
- Ferdinand Berthoud Chronomètre FB 2RE.2
0 min - Simplicity is King
Jon and Chris follow up on a few projects discussed over the last few years, and take a deep dive into the details of free-sprung movements.
- “Beginners acutely feel the struggles of other beginners” Tatiana Mac on why beginners should teach
- Watchmaking by George Daniels
- Dean DK YouTube Channel
- USB C Unicorn Jon took North’s AR glasses for a spin back in Episode 38
- Google Acquires North, makers of Focals AR glasses
- Focals by North
- Myo Armband A gesture control armband made by North (then known as Thalmic Labs) prior to their AR glasses
- Mudra Band A gesture control strap for the Apple Watch
- Back Tap A new accessibility in iOS 14
- Braille Keyboard A video demonstration of Apple’s braille keyboard for iOS
- Luc Monnet One of the watchmakers behind the SPEMT project that Chris & Jon discussed last episode
- Cyril Brivet-Naudot Another of the key watchmakers behind the SPEMT project that Chris & Jon discussed last episode
- SPEMT A collaborative watchmaking project Chris & Jon discussed last episode
- AP Escapement A new take on a Robin style escapement released by Audemars Piguet a number of years ago
- Coaxial Escapement
- Craig & Rebecca Struthers on Minutia Repeater
- Equation of Time
- Krayon Anywhere A novel take on a mechanical sunrise & sunset complication
The watchmaker-adjustable cam in the Krayon Anywhere- Krayon Everywhere Jon & Chris chatted about the Krayon Everywhere back in episode 14
- The Horizon Clock by Rosie Kirk
- Jantar Mantar, Jaipur A collection of nineteen architectural astronomical instruments, including the world’s largest sundial
- Seiko 9SA5 A new Grand Seiko caliber with free-sprung balance, dual barrels, new escapement, & thoughtful movement architecture
- Grand Seiko’s Studio Shizukuishi Opens its Doors
- Making Waves in a Bad Way Fratello’s coverage of Bonhams’ Making Waves Seiko Watch Auction fiasco
- Rare Apple Watch Bands
- Seiko 5718-8000 made for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
- A Complete Guide to the Regulating Organ Monochrome Watches spells out some of the differences between a free-sprung balance wheel vs. a pin-regulated balance wheel
0 min - Open Source Movement
Chris and Jon take a deep dive into a few of the open source movement projects online, as well as discuss the business of independent watchmaking.
- SPEMT A collaborative watchmaking project, with a novel escapement
- Open Movement Project
- ETA 6497
- Dan Spitz An interview on Minutia Repeater
- Remy Cools
- SIHH 2019 Jon & Chris chatted about some of Remy’s work back in episode 35
- Lycee Edgar Faure A New York Times profile of the Lycee Edgar Faure polytechnic school in France, which specializes in watchmaking
- George Daniels
- Roger W. Smith
- Habring2
- ETA 7750
- Learn Watchmaking A course by Christian Lass
- Incabloc Anti-shock system for mechanical watches
- Philippe Dufour
- Fusion 360 3D modelling software
- Blender Open source 3D modelling software
- Red Hat
- F.P. Journe
- Max Büsser An interview with Max Büsser of MB&F on Oster Watches’ Keeping Time podcast
- MB&F LM Perpetual A new take on the perpetual calendar by Stephen McDonnell
- Making Machines Come to Life A video about Max Büsser from the Hour Glass
- Swatch Group Gets Green Light In Mechanical Movements Case
- Atokalpa Niche supplier of hairsprings & other horological components
- Vaucher Manufacture
- Sellita
- Eterna
- Hamilton Khaki Field Equipped with free-sprung caliber H-50
- ETA 7001
- Ming Watches
- Machinist Paul The Instagram feed of pen restorer, and friend of the show, Paul Burberry
0 min - Potpourri in Your Pomander
Chris and Jon discuss Christian Lass’ online Masterclass, Dr Rebecca Struthers’ talk on Fakes and Forgeries, and how Chris uses reference books for inspiration.
- Awair Air quality monitors
- Esembl-o-graf by William O. Smith Sr. and William O. Smith Jr.
- The Hardy Boys Old school, blue, hardcover Franklin W. Dixon mystery fiction
- Farewell The last day of metal typesetting at the New York Times
- Movement by Guido Mocafico
- Book of Plates from Lost Art Press
- Learn Watchmaking A series of online courses from Christian Lass
- Roger W. Smith
- Christian Klings
- Haas Automation
- Kern Microtechnik
- Gorton Pantographs
- Project 248 from Struthers Watches
- Fakes, Forgeries and the Birth of the Modern Watch Industry A presentation by Dr. Rebecca Struthers, for Fellows Auctioneers
- Fakes, Forgeries and the Birth of Mass Production in the Watch Industry A similar presentation Dr. Struthers made for the Horological Society of New York
- Masstige
- Alicorn
- The Art Forger’s Handbook The book, by Eric Hebborn, that Chris referenced but couldn’t recall the name of during the show
- The Next Rembrandt Creating new paintings in the Rembrandt style using a combination of AI & advanced robotics
- ROM The Royal Ontario Museum
- Stonehenge
- Mediaeval European Jewellery by Ronald W. Lightbown
- V&A Lightbown was a curator at the Victoria & Albert Museum
- Watchmaking by George Daniels
- Touhrbillon by Steffen Pahlow
- BHI Distance Learning Course The British Horological Institute’s DLC course, which Chris digitized the content for for ease of reference in the shop
- Why You Shouldn’t Reshelve Library Books
- The Wristwatch Handbook A guide to mechanical watches
- Pomander
- Melanchthon’s Watch Pomander-like in shape, thought to be the oldest surviving watch
- A Twelfth Century Hand-Warmer
- Plague Doctor Mask
0 min - Time Capsule Workshop
Chris and Jon discuss the current reality of holding major conferences virtually, as well as the challenges and importance of sharing knowledge.
- T4AP vGTG Season 1 Wrap Up Time 4A Pint is taking a (much deserved) break
- Google Meet Adding Blurred Backgrounds Last episode Jon & Chris spent some time discussing how to use external cameras on video calls, which can have the added upside of introducing a bokeh effect, Google will soon be adding a “virtual bokeh” effect to Google Meet
- Blurred Backgrounds in Skype Turns out Skype has had the ability to blur the background of video calls since early 2019
- WWDC 2020 Keynote Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference goes all digital for the first time ever
- Baselworld
- Watches & Wonders
- Santa Fe Symposium
- Virtual Horological Tutoring through the Horological Society of New York
- ETA 6497
- Loen Design Channel on YouTube
- Frozen in Time An abandoned machine shop in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
- Museum of the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham, UK
- NDM 2 An update on the Naissance d’une Montre 2 project, by Dominique Buser & Cyrano Devanthey of Oscillon watches
- SIHH 2019 Chris & Jon first spoke about the Naissance d’une Montre 2 project back in Episode 35
- Learn Watchmaking with Christian Lass
- Clickspring Channel on Youtube
- Four Generations of Watch Case Making A preview of one of two documentary films featuring watch case maker, Martin Matthews
- Robert Whiteside
- Steffen Pahlow
- Dean DK Channel on YouTube
- Every Tool’s a Hammer by Adam Savage
- A Day in Watchmaking School by John Davis
- Hellacious Mode Doorbell
0 min
About Off Hours
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Off Hours is a conversational podcast that delves into technology, working with our hands, and other curiosities.