Manu Propria - Urushi Watches

[manupropria]

Hi there,

I am new to this forum and was asked to show some watches I am making, not only pens.

Here you see a selection of dress watches with dials made in various urushi techniques.

The watch cases were made in 1.4435Ncu "Stybrire" steel on hand operated milling machine and lathe. The watch back is decorated with a hand engraved gild silver medallion. The movements are historical hand-winding movements manufactured by the "Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon" in 1955. The caliber is FHF 96, 18'000A/h, 17 jewels, 48 hours power reserve.
The 1950s to 1970s were called the "golden Era of Swiss watchmaking" because in these years movements of superieur quality were produced, quality in terms of longevity, reliability and accuracy.

Dials:
1st Tsugaru-Nuri (experimental Technique)
2nd Guilloche on black Roiro-Urushi
3rd Ishimeji (stone surface)
4th Guri (engraved urushi)
5th Roiro-Shiage (mirror polished black urushi)
6th Chinkin (engraved and filled with finest gold powder)
7th Sparkling Nashiji (nashiji-Nuri made by sprinkling diamond powder into black urushi

 

[Mortalis]

Those are gorgeous!
I wish I had half the talent you have in your little finger let alone what you have in your entirety.

I'm afraid to ask, what do you get for say a watch like the first picture?

 

[Jim15]

Those are truly works of art, beautiful.

 

[Skeleton2014]

Wow!! Went back and looked at all of your posts. Beautiful work, indeed! I think a step by step tutorial on the urushi finishing techniques would be a great addition to the website. Where on earth did you get the 1955 FHF caliber movements? Again, really nice work.
Jeff

 

[Turned Around]

Geez, those are amazing. I'm almost afraid to ask how much those typically cost.

 

[manupropria]

Thank you,

All I can say it that it takes years of intensive learning and doing to hone skills.
I will prepare a post on the urushi production process.
I have thousands of historical movements on stock. Switzerland has not invented the watch but the industrialized production of movements with interchangable parts. The "Fabrique d'Horlogerie Fontainemelon" has been founded in 1791 when they started to develop industrialized production processes. In 1900, the FHF already manufactured 1'000'000 movements a year and there were 35 other specialized movement manufacturers in Switzerland producing huge quantities every year. Together they made many millions of movements every year that were sold to the watch companies in Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere. In the early 20th century movements cold not be assembled by machine as today and many thousand Swiss people made a side business by going to the Fabrique, picking up boxes with movement parts that they assembled at home on the kitchen table. Then they brought them back assembled and got some money per piece. When I was young I remember there were many families around where I grew up doing this. There were specialized assembly companies for the final assembly of the watches who received movements, cases and dials and hands from the watch companies. They assembled the watches for little money and if a movement didn't work immediately, they put them back into the box but were never returned to the watch companies. Still today we can find large lots of old movements from such companies in perfect condition

 

[thewishman]

Martin, Those are all beautiful! I usually can choose a favorite thing from a group, that is not possible with your watch work. Each example is so unique and well done. Please keep sharing!

 

[manupropria]

Thank you Chris,
I will keep posting things

 

[Katsin]

So very impressive. Thank you for sharing.

 

[glycerine]

HOLY COW!

 

[Dalecamino]

Awesome!

 

[magier412]

Beautiful and artistically solid. The craftsmanship is outstanding. Certainly a treat to see such lovely work. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dale Lynch]

Truly stunning.Any man,woman or child would be proud to grace their wrist with such a magnificent timepiece.Thankyou for sharing.

Not to be a coniving weasel (well maybe just a little bit),the 11th annual birthday bash is coming up and one of those beautifull timepieces would make one hell of a donation drawing or auction prize.

 

[Paul in OKC]

Wow. What is funny is I have lately been looking into horolgy information and sites. Don't know if I have the patience for it, though. Beautiful work.

 

[Dalepenkala]

Wonderful looking watches! I used to repair watches and clocks with my grandfather back in the mid 1970's. I know the precision that it takes!
I enjoy watchs and collect them although nothing in the way of big luxury names.

Congrats on a job well done!

 

[TellicoTurning]

I no longer wear a watch, but those are beautiful, definitely one I would appreciate if I wore one again.