Collection
Mike H provides the highly anticipated fourth and final update on the WatchProSite 20th Anniversary Hentschel H1, a project that has captivated the community. This post offers a crucial look at the near-completion of this special edition timepiece, detailing the meticulous craftsmanship and the journey from concept to reality. His dedication to transparency and regular communication has kept enthusiasts engaged throughout the development process.
As we are approaching the D-day very closely, here is a last update before shipping for the the lucky members who pulled the trigger…
After the movement is assembled the dial is attached and fixed with two tiny screws.
The construction of the movement is calculated as such that one rotation of the seconds wheel takes exactly one second, one rotation of the minutes wheel takes exactly one hour and one rotation of the hours wheel takes exactly 12 hours.
The pivots of three wheels are extended so that they will reach through the dial. Now the hands can be pressed onto the pivots.
The seconds hand with its Breguet-style counterweight.
All three hands are now pressed onto their pivots.
The hands are cambered to follow the arch of the dial and to avoid interference with each other. This can be only done by hands and one needs a lot of experience to align everything perfectly.
The very tip of the minutes hand reaches precisely into the minute markers where it belongs. This is only possible with taylor made hands for every different case size.
There is only about 0.5mm space between the tip of the minutes hand and the inside of the crystal. Due to the combination of cambered dial, hands and sapphire crystal the H1 gives a very three-dimensional impression.
The watch being checked on the timing machine is spart of the adjustment to six positions for six weeks. The regulation is facillitated by the swans-neck-regulator.
On the timing machine.
The movement is tested in six possible positions.
The result: The case back before it receives a final polish / deep clean.
…and the front side showing off its special custom dial and the thermally blued hands.
What a journey, and it’s only the beginning!
20 years! Congrats to the lucky ones!
Thank you Mike (and Nico) for your efforts on this watch. Looking forward to pick it up soon!
The watch is lovely, I love the big seconds hand! Lots of nice details and great execution: members who acquire it will definitely be happy
... to the entire management team at WatchProSite for putting this together. The result looks amazing, can't wait to get it on my wrist!
for making this happen and for keeping us updated in a way that makes me look forward so much to receive this work of art!
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