# Another Watch, Start To Finish



## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Hey everyone,

been quite some time since i posted here, well, i been busy 

But anyway, i started the works on another watch today (#20 i think), and i thought it would be nice to do another pictorial

Hope you'll enjoy it as much as i will 

So, what are we making? An all titanium, integral lug style watch case, 2801-2 movement, and a stainless damascus dial. This will all be covered with DLC.

So, here goes - i started by making the roughout of the dial. The dial will need to be sent to the heat treating (it etches better that way), so i'm thinking i should make it, fit the case to it, and while it's away, i should be able to finish up the case. We'll see how that works out 

So, the dial with the fixture it's made on. i'm leaving it a bit thicker, to prevent any distortion in the HT process. I will surface grind it down to 0.5mm after the HT.










Next up is the case. Now i just prepared it for the machining. On this picture, there is the material i'll be making it out of - a piece of titanium. And the pattern for it.

I'll be machining it and posting some more pics tomorrow.










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

Well, I for one can't wait Ondrej!

George


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Me neither!! Let's see it! :clapping:


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## Drum2000 (Apr 2, 2010)

I am greatly looking forward to your next creation!


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## BlueKnight (Oct 29, 2009)

If it's anything like the last one, it will be a beauty...!


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## Citiz (Nov 18, 2009)

Cant wait to see it, the rest are stunning, great talent :thumbsup:


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

I take it that this is a CNC project?

Mike


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## silverflyer (Feb 9, 2009)

I am looking forward to this, can't wait to see it grow into a wonderful watch.

What's Titainium like to machine and what tools to use?


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Hey guys,

thanks for the cheers, i will be making more progress on it tomorrow.

About the CNC - nope. The only thing that touches the CNC on my watches are the patterns for the integral lug cases. I have them made in 2.1:1 ratio, and use the patterns for my pantograph - manual copy machining.

You'll see tomorrow 

Ondrej

edit:

the titanium is actually very nice to machine, it's consistent (not like damascus), not too hard, and when i use carbide tools (endmills and lathe tools), i have no problem with it. Heard a lot of horror stories about machining it, but never experienced anything of it. It also finished nicely with various methods (polishing, satin finish, sand blasting, bead blasting, orange peel)


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## stradacab (Nov 15, 2006)

Where do I find the link to the last creation?


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

here:

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=58581&st=0&p=594346&hl=papi&fromsearch=1&#entry594346

and here

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=57635&st=0&p=585137&hl=papi&fromsearch=1&#entry585137


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Ok, i will post more pics as i'm building this one. My goal is to make you feel like you are right there with me 

So, what's the progress on this one...

The set-up - i had to change it though, cause the workpiece was a bit less than horizontal  I'm using 2:1 ratio, 3mm endmill, and 6mm follower (actually not exactly 6mm, but a bit more, to give me press fit when i'm making interframes)










First cut, to see if i placed the workpiece correctly (i did ) Here you can see the changed set-up










And, couple of hours later (i took a few breaks, cause my back was killing me), voila, the watch case is machined. I actually machined the heck out of this sucker, so i was able to just pop off most of the excess, hanging on just few thousands of an inch thick foil.










Like so: ...yes, i know i shouldn't be breaking titanium, but i got away without stitches this time 










Some excess couldn't be popped off, so i had to cut it off on my bandsaw


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

and here's the 'finished' product of today's work










This big excess on the back is a bit annoying, but i will use it. I will chuck it into my lathe by the machined case, turn the excess round, and then use it to hold the workpiece while i lathe the backside and the inside. Cool, huh? 










I also managed to squeeze a bit more thickness than i thought i would out of the material, which means i will be able to drop the lugs lower on the finished case. In my opinion, that's good for comfiness, and looks better 

Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## Davey M (May 18, 2010)

Very skillfull, very cool and the picture of your thumb says it all.


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Well i broke it couple of months ago, and lost the nail, so it's still kinda ugly and disgusting (sorry about that, if i could take pictures with my left hand, i would  ). It's gonna be all ok soon though 

Ondrej


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Here's more good stuff  I expected the machining today to take some time, but it surprised me how long i spent doing this. It was all the big attachment piece's fault, but in the end, it was actually very helpful.

So, the workpiece chucked in my lathe by the cut out case










spiiiiniiing 










here the rough parts on the top are gone, and i'm ready to start cutting the fixture out of it


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Here it is. I will use that to hold it while i'm shaping the backside of the case base.










but first, i have to re-sharpen my tools. All the rough machining is done, and i need the tools to be sharp for me to be able to do the finish machining properly.










then, i measure the thickness - 6.2mm this gives me 0.5mm for the dial thickness, 3.5 for the movement (it's a bit thinner, but i like the round number), and 0.2mm to square it from the other side - that leaves 2mm i can take off, and use it to tilt the lugs downwards.

Sounds complicated, but check out the pics, and you'll know what i mean.

The recess done










and the lugs shaped










Now, i flip it over, drill it through, square the face, and machine the dial seat. Also, i shaped the lugs from the front










All that was left was to machine a through hole for the movement.

Here is the result of today's work  Doesn't look like much, huh? 










Tomorrow, i will drill the springbar holes and machine the movement holders. Then it's off to have the strap made, and i will be back on it next week, to add the bezel and the backlid, and do a lot more stuff to it 

Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## tissotman (Nov 28, 2010)

Ondrej papi Berkus said:


> Here it is. I will use that to hold it while i'm shaping the backside of the case base.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


look forward to it


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## byrnes (Nov 11, 2010)

Im keeping an eye on this thread. Keep up the good work!


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Ondrej papi Berkus said:


>


Nice work.

Have you considered using carbide inserted tooling rather than your brazed tip tools, you would get a far better finish. Initially a bit of expense but I'm sure you could recoupe the initial cost in the sale of your watches. I was a long time user of Seco and Iscar tooling and inserts. Iscar in particular do superb grooving and turning inserts in numerous sizes and configurations. I'm thinking something along these lines might be of use to you. With the right tool holder it will face, turn, machine recesses and groove all with the same insert and isn't as flimsy as it looks.



















Here's a YouTube video of Seco's equivalent set up working.


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you guys 

Well i switched to carbide endmills in the shop last year, and they are just superior over the normal, HSS ones in every way. So i'm all for carbide in my lathe. I will just wait until i have a bit bigger lathe/milling machine combined machining center - i ordered one tuned exactly to my specs, should be getting it sometime next February. Well, ordered one is a wrong description - i bought one, and had it delivered to a machine repair shop, to have it taken apart, and tuned to be more robust, and more precise (than the straight out of the box product). Should be cool 

Ondrej


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Ondrej papi Berkus said:


> I will just wait until i have a bit bigger lathe/milling machine combined machining center - i ordered one tuned exactly to my specs, should be getting it sometime next February. Well, ordered one is a wrong description - i bought one, and had it delivered to a machine repair shop, to have it taken apart, and tuned to be more robust, and more precise (than the straight out of the box product). Should be cool
> 
> Ondrej


Good stuff, you are a step or two ahead of me :lol: :lol:

What sort/make of machine have you bought ????


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

a fairly cheap Bernardo 700...something  It's a combo machine, basically a lathe with a milling head attached to it, but it has soo many features - tilting head, automatic feed on x and y. Pretty cool toy 

Ondrej


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## Jay662 (Mar 23, 2010)

I am fascinated with watching this come together. It's a whole new experience.

I can't wait to see the next installment.


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## sparrow (Feb 7, 2009)

more stunning work :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

this is still my fav though!


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thanks guys 

Didn't do much today, just the holes in the lugs for the springbars. I'm visiting the strap guy tomorrow, so i'll take it with me.

Here's the set-up, simple really. I just put the case properly in the vise, mark where to drill with a ball end mill, and then drill through with a 1mm drill.




























voila 










i also managed to find a shot of the backside of the case in my camera










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

sparrow441 said:


> more stunning work :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:
> 
> this is still my fav though!


Mine too. Its that Damascus Steel. I'd never even heard of it before, I had to Google and Wiki


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## mjolnir (Jan 3, 2006)

Ondrej, Your posts are phenominal and I thoroughly enjoy reading them. Thanks for posting.

Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

You really do have some skills.


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you 

i have just a small update, i'm still waiting for the titanium to come in. My fault though, as i ordered it late.

So, i only did the crown hole today - started by marking the center of the case side, and a distance from the front (based on position of the winding stem, every movement has its own measurement)










Then i chuck it in my vise, and move the drilling head to the hole location. I do that using a spinning drill, cause it's pointy and centered.










For the start of the drilling, i use an endmill, cause it won't stray from the designated location, like a drill would










Then i just enlarge the hole a bit to accept the waterproofing tube (more on that later)










and a shot of the inside. i won't be deburring this just yet, cause i will use the burr to locate other features on the case later in the making. You'll see.










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Ok, here's the problem. When building a watch, i spend a lot of time waiting for something. For example, right now, i'm waiting for the titanium for the bezel and caseback to get here, the case base to get back to me from the strap maker...

So posting the WIP thread doesn't go as smoothly as i would imagine.

Anyway, to keep your attention, here's the picture of the dial as it got back from the HT today. i still need to surface grind it to 0.5mm. I had it HT'd this thick to preserve it from deformation. We'll see if it worked later on










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

I wouldn't worry about us losing interest/attention Ondrej. I think we are all just busy trying to figure out which kid to sell so that we can commission our own model from you.


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## rokerprogz (Aug 7, 2010)

feenix said:


> I wouldn't worry about us losing interest/attention Ondrej. I think we are all just busy trying to figure out which kid to sell so that we can commission our own model from you.


Absolutely ... in fact, the more I see that black one he made, the more I'm tempted to sell the kids AND the missus too to fund one!

EDIT: Who am I kidding ... if I sold the kids and the missus I could afford as many watches as I liked ... and I could use the little bedroom to store / display them ..... hmmm ... look what you've started!


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## Citiz (Nov 18, 2009)

Cant wait to see the finished article Ondrej :thumbsup:


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you guys,

but there is no need to sell the kids and your better halves  I'll settle for liver and kidneys 

Ondrej


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Hey everyone,

Here's more stuff i did - i got the two cases back from the strap maker today, so i went ahead, and worked on the bezel for the titanium one.

here's the case and the bezel material - 1/8" thick titanium.










here it is cut out










and onto the rotary table it goes. In case you didn't notice - i milled the chuck i have attached to the table, because i didn't really trust it to be entirely true and centered... proved myself right when i was milling it 










case screw holes spotted










and the bezel screws also spotted. those holes that appear to be a bit extra there... don't worry, we'll get back to those a bit later


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

milling the attachment points for the movement. Now, the movement only has two 'anchors', and from the tech. drawing of the movement, i didn't really understand which direction they go, i only knew they are 28Â° from the winding stem... so i did four anker points, just in case  Yeah, i have the movement here, and i could just have gone and have a look, but.... heat of the moment guys   










Next, all the holes are drilled, tapped and coutersunk, just the way they are supposed to be.










And the whole thing is put together, waiting for another lathe session. That will be tomorrow, if i'm in the mood (which i prolly will be  ), or on Sunday.










More progress coming soon 

Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## martinzx (Aug 29, 2010)

Just found this thread , excellent & like many others can't wait for the rest! :thumbsup:

Great work BTW

best regards Martin


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Just a quick shot of the bezel in between of the machining.. I'll do more to it tomorrow










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

This thing is getting pretty darn close to being finished :woohoo:

Making the backlid.

It's easier to make it this way, rather than cut it out first, and drill it like the bezel, on the rotary table. Saves me a couple of minutes in setting up, which is always a good thing


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Then i tap the holes for the backlid. I already tapped them from the bezel side, but as the M1.6 tap is pretty fragile, i just tap it a bit from the front, and then a bit from the back. Not risking breaking the tap that way, and it works just fine.










Then i attach the backlid...










and machine it.......










Now the fun really begins, with the finishing of all the parts. so far, i have finished the bezel (apart from a small detail on the inside), and the case. All the parts will go through one more stage of the finishing, but they are sooooooo close


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

As usual...

:notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:


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## packrat (Dec 15, 2010)

Ondrej, I am in awe! That is some mighty fine work you are doing.

Will have to go look for the previous threads now to see what else you have done, plus I cannot wait to see the finished product here.


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## gaz64 (May 5, 2009)

packrat said:


> Ondrej, I am in awe! That is some mighty fine work you are doing.
> 
> Will have to go look for the previous threads now to see what else you have done, plus I cannot wait to see the finished product here.


wait til you see the finished results you will have to oder one i know i did


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## packrat (Dec 15, 2010)

gaz64 said:


> packrat said:
> 
> 
> > Ondrej, I am in awe! That is some mighty fine work you are doing.
> ...


I KNOW!!!

Had a look at some of the previous work, and fell in love with no. 14, the Damascus Steel model. The thought of that with a (probably) slightly different face made my trousers all uncomfortable for a moment :shocking: 










Seriously, when I have been around here a bit longer, and when the kitty is large enough, I will definitely be getting in touch.


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## Phillionaire (Jan 23, 2010)

Looking good there Ondrej. Do you sell the finished ones to fund your next project, or just hold onto most and add them to your collection? Keen to see how this one ends up :thumbsup:

P.S. Work faster!


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## 86latour (Jun 3, 2010)

Very jealous, I could make my self a watch easily though....

admittedly it would be made of cardboard and selotape and wouldn't actually tell the time but thats ok right?


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you guys  But seriously, i'm working as fast as i can, while keeping the quality up to my (unreasonably high) standards...

And about your question, i started thinking, and i realised that i'm actually making my living this way... Well, watches and knives, but yup...

Allright, more goodies, this watch is getting interesting and nice to look at  At least i hope so 

The dial got back to me today, i made it from an over 1/8" thick damascus (remember? ) so the guys at the machine shop jumped on it with an EDM cutter and made it into four 1/64" thick pieces. I love those guys 










here it is put in the case










Now, i finished the inside of the bezel (the machining there wasn't exactly smooth) and marked the case base and backlid and sent it off to have it sand blasted. When it gets back here, i will re-sand some portions of the case and backlid, to create a nice play of different finishes. Then, i will send it off to the DLC, to have it all covered with the nice black scratchproof finish.

Yeah, i also finished the dial, so here's the first peek at what it's going to look like...










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## 86latour (Jun 3, 2010)

Things are really starting to take shape here, I await the finished article patiently.....

Not.


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## Walnuts (Apr 20, 2010)

I havent posted here before but have been quietly watching in awe, looks awesome so far. Well done


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## Mutley (Apr 17, 2007)

Ondrej papi Berkus said:


> The dial got back to me today, i made it from an over 1/8" thick damascus (remember? ) so the guys at the machine shop jumped on it with an *EDM cutter and made it into four 1/64" thick pieces*. I love those guys


That sounds like a serious bit of kit 

BTW The skill displayed in this thread is awesome


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you guys 

My own workshop is a bit meager, but i have a friend with a big, very well equipped machine shop who lets me bug his employees from time to time 

Just a quick little update, i got my bands from the maker today, so here's the bezel, dial, and the bands. The base is with my friend for sand blasting right now, so it couldn't be present in the photo...










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## 86latour (Jun 3, 2010)

Ondrej, your teasing me now...nearly there.


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## Parabola (Aug 1, 2007)

Looks to be another superb creation Ondrej


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## andytyc (Sep 9, 2006)

Wow,I'm waiting with anticipation for your next post.


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you all for your patience and kind words 

Guys, here's second to last post on this progress, all of these parts are now almost finished, just missing the DLC treatment, which i'm sending them off to tomorrow morning. So, the next post will be about me putting the watch together.

Anyway, i made the crown and the little thingy to screw the winding stem into today, and also, i took a picture of all the parts before sending them off to the DLC. In the meantime, i will prepare the hands, the movement, screws, and lots of other boring stuff 



















Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## Citiz (Nov 18, 2009)

Good work Ondrej, it is coming on a treat :good:


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## The Monk (Dec 23, 2010)

One word - WOW! And you are only 24. :jawdrop:

It is amazing to see a watch come to be. Thank you.


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## sparrow (Feb 7, 2009)

Ondrej, simply beautiful - I'm going to start saving my pennies :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

Do you know what...very soon, as well as people wanting an RLT, they'll be wanting an OPB to add to their collection.


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## packrat (Dec 15, 2010)

This was really interesting to start with, but it keeps on getting better and better!

Thanks for sharing. I look forward to the finishing pics with interest.


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## Citiz (Nov 18, 2009)

Roger the Dodger said:


> Do you know what...very soon, as well as people wanting an RLT, they'll be wanting an OPB to add to their collection.


I second that!

The watches Ondrej makes look 1st class, and I cant wait so see the end product and also when Ondrej starst on mine :thumbup:


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## Dr_Niss (Jan 4, 2011)

Just found this thread, great to watch it evolve


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you guys 

So, finally, the D-day is here, i got all the parts, and here is the final post, cause the watch is now finished, and ready for the photographer to do his magic on it.

Here i'm doing some stuff to the hands 










And all the parts laid out. While the parts were getting the DLC on, i switched the date ring on the movement for this lovely black one - to go with the overall concept.










And the last picture before the professional shots...










Thank you for looking, take care,

Ondrej


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## Drum2000 (Apr 2, 2010)

Looks a real cracker and I look forward to seeing the pro photos!


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## packrat (Dec 15, 2010)

Well Ondrej, that has left me drooling!

Excellent work :notworthy:


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## feenix (May 27, 2008)

Around 8 weeks? If you had no time off for Christmas, thats some speedy work Ondrej, and it looks stunning already.


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## Ondrej papi Berkus (Jul 31, 2010)

Thank you guys,

i'm having a courier pick it up tomorrow to get it to my photographer, and i hope i'll be able to post some pics soon.

Speedy work, well, that's very relative. The truth is, i myself work fairly quickly (cause i tend to not **** about in the shop  ), but most of the delays is caused basically by absence of certain machines in my shop.

Let me explain - i don't have a surface grinder, EDM machine, heat treating owen (i have one, but it's not suitable for stainless stuff), and DLC machine. So whenever i need something like that done, i have to either give the parts or send them somewhere to have it done. And that builds up the making times considerably.

With this one, i was able to time everything pretty well, but i have another watch in the making, and it's been stuck in my shop for about six months now.

Ondrej


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