It’s one thing to pay for a Swiss designed and made mechanical timepiece, it’d be something else entirely to print the same thing in your own home. If you’re the proud owner of a 3D printer, you can do just that. And if you’ve already watched the explainer video above then you’ll know just how awesome it could be.
This almost completely 3D-printed ‘pocket watch’ – there are a couple of metal parts – is much bigger than your usual watch, because of the size needed for the printed components. The design was done by Swiss engineer Christoph Laimer, who included a tourbillon to show the seconds (and to show off) in his spring-driven, wind-up creation.
The watch isn’t perfect. The plastic spring can’t power the pocket watch for much more than 30 minutes at a time but if you’re interested in the mechanics of watch-making at all you’ll know that a 99% plastic watch is quite a feat in itself.
If you’re hoping to give making your own Laimer Christoph pocket watch at home, you’ll find the files on Thingiverse. Whether you can put it together with the same precision Laimer achieved, only trial and error will tell. Given that he’s, you know, a Swiss engineer, Christoph probably has a steadier hand than you can muster.
Source: via Gizmodo