Masahiro Kikuno, Japanese Independent Watchmaker (2017)

I can’t help but admire people who create incredible intricate pieces of mechanical art hy hand. Not ever in my life could I hope to replicate even a crude, barely functional version of such a device. While I’m not a watch geek, the process and methodology behind creating these time-pieces is endlessly fascinating to me. I’d totally love to watch a documentary of someone doing similar work!

Re: Masahiro Kikuno, Japanese Independent Watchmaker (2017)

#6

Post by astdb » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 12:27 AM UTC

I found a documentary[1] on Masahiro a while back and it was mesmerizing to watch him work.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTiPNqeMS8E

Re: Masahiro Kikuno, Japanese Independent Watchmaker (2017)

#7

Post by AtomicOrbital » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 1:01 AM UTC

In traditional Japan the custom was each day had 12 hours of daylight and 12 of night time so to accommodate this the length of hours shifted day by day ... Masahiro was inspired by an ancient clock which implemented this idea such that he decided to craft by hand a watch to perform this as well ... incredible master and some impressive video documentary taboot

Re: Masahiro Kikuno, Japanese Independent Watchmaker (2017)

#8

Post by paulgb » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 1:02 AM UTC

beezischillin wrote: post #5

I can’t help but admire people who create incredible intricate pieces of mechanical art hy hand. Not ever in my life could I hope to replicate even a crude, barely functional version of such a device. While I’m not a watch geek, the process and methodology behind creating these time-pieces is endlessly fascinating to me. I’d totally love to watch a documentary of someone doing similar work!

I don't know where you're located, but you may enjoy the Horological Society of New York's traveling education program[1] if they are going to be near you.

(I'm not affiliated with them, but I've enjoyed a few of their classes)

[1] http://hs-ny.org/traveling-education/

Re: Masahiro Kikuno, Japanese Independent Watchmaker (2017)

#9

Post by dugditches » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 1:07 AM UTC

swimfar wrote: post #4

The "old school milling machine" they mention is actually a pantograph milling machine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantograph#Milling_machines

Which is an 'old school milling machine'. Just as a Turret Mill with Rotary Table to cut curves is an 'Old School' milling machine.

Re: Masahiro Kikuno, Japanese Independent Watchmaker (2017)

#10

Post by shawnps » Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 2:38 AM UTC

For anyone interested in purchasing a mechanical watch, there are plenty of brands making affordable mechanical timepieces today. Hamilton, Seiko, Tissot, Swatch, Orient, and Timex are a few that come to mind for the sub-$1000 category. It's a fun hobby with a nice community of enthusiasts.

Some advice:

* If possible, wear the watch before buying it. Seeing a watch on your wrist is different from seeing photos of it.

* Avoid the "grey market" and buy from an Authorized Dealer. Grey market watches won't have the manufacturer warranty.

* Avoid replicas and fakes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHgKMA6Bh6U)

Some links:

* The Urban Gentry (https://www.youtube.com/user/theurbangentry) is a YouTube channel run by a horology enthusiast with a positive attitude who does lots of watch reviews.

* The r/Watches subreddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/watches/) has lots of photos of watches contributed by the community.

* A video on how mechanical watches work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1XBb7kJJWg

* S-Town podcast (https://stownpodcast.org/) is an intriguing story about a man who repaired antique clocks.

* Affordable Wrist Time (https://www.instagram.com/affordablewristtime/?hl=en) the tagline is "Promoting watches under $1000."

Some terminology:

* A quartz watch is usually powered by a battery. They tend to be cheaper and more accurate than mechanical watches.

* A mechanical watch is powered by a mainspring.

* An automatic watch has a semicircular rotor inside which automatically spins when the watch moves, winding the mainspring.

* Hacking is a feature that stops the second hand from moving when the crown is pulled out.