Artisanal Touch

Amidst the rise of automation, the human touch sets the stage for a deeper appreciation of the artistry encapsulated in every handmade watch.

- Asaph Low

In a world where automation and mass production dominate, the beauty of handmade watches reminds us of the enduring value of craftsmanship, artistry and the human touch. While watches primarily serve a practical purpose for time telling, they have perpetually served as canvases for artistic expression. With the skilled hands of artisans, watches become works of art that capture the essence of time itself rather than being just timekeepers.

Though mass production may be frowned upon by purists, the merits of mechanical monotony still play an essential role in contemporary watchmaking. Even the best in class harness it to their benefit. Essential and complex calibre components benefit from the precision a CNC (computer numerical control) machine-controlled cutting tools offer, especially when tolerances are measured down to mere micrometres. Crafting such parts by hand — while possible — are painstaking as they already are, but replicating them consistently in volume borders on being impossible.

The same rings true when working with high-tech materials such as milling sapphire blocks for watch cases and crystals (the former notoriously requires at least one hundred hours and diamond bit drills to mill) or sintering ceramic components (the pieces are sintered in furnaces well above 1000°C) — machines still play a pivotal role in the manufacturing process where the human hand lacks.

Yet despite it all in the watchmaking industry more than any other, computer-aided designs and other cutting-edge technological processes confirm the capital importance of the human touch (or eye). Only a gimlet eye can discern and interpret the nuances and minute final details which will go on to make each watch such a unique object.

Preserving Tradition