making-a-titanium-gold-watch

I wanted to make myself a titanium watch.
Unfortunately I don't have all the pictures I took because of a computer crash and not being backed up. (I learned then)
Also, this watch was stolen from me so I thought I might as well write up the build with what pictures I have for what it's worth.
I don't have any equipment that can weld titanium, so I make everything out of solid stock.
So I start with some 4 mm thick titanium plate.
First thing is to mark out a center portion, which will determine the actual face size.

Then I drilled out a series of 3 mm holes that allowed me to remove the center part.

Then I filed all the drill marks away and drew a rough outline guide for my hacksaw blade.

The corners cut off.

So when I do work like this, I always need a base line from which to work from.
Here I have finished the center out to 220 grit sandpaper.
Then I put it on my triblet and bashed it round and flat.
I treat titanium as I would any other metal, in that I heat and quench it to make it softer.
I also heat it red hot and then forge it like one would do mild steel.

The wall thickness is scribed out at about 4 mm.
I am using an ETA movement and I already have the crown gasket and seal and shaft and all that stuff, so I know what my casing wall thickness must be.
So now I have my inner circle perfectly round and true, which will then be my base line from which all the other measurements will flow from.

Filing it closer to the final rough shape.
Titanium files about like stainless steel, which is to say it is quite hard and tough.

Now I file two semi circular grooves at the base of each arm.
The reason is to make the metal slightly thinner so that it will bend there when I heat it red hot.

Another picture of the grooves just before they were bent.

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Now I start forming the watch casing to its final shape.
I mark out the twelve dots for the hours.
I am going to drill holes there and inlay some gold into the titanium later.

This requires some careful filing, because there is only one chance to get it right and I absolutely dislike starting something over because I was careless.

Bottom view.

Here the casing is at the 1200 grit stage.
Now I set it aside and concentrate on building the watch strap.

I made the bracelet/strap out of some titanium strips that were about 5 mm high and 4 mm wide.

The bracelet was quite labor intensive.
I weighed the project so far and it only came to 56.6 grams, which shows how incredibly light the metal actually is.
Were the case and bracelet made of 18 kt gold for instance, I would now be at over 200 grams at this stage. ( 18 kt gold specific gravity at 17.80 -- titanium specific gravity at 4.5)

Here the watch is also at the 1200 grit stage.
1200 grit means the stage where the metal needs only one grit finer (3000) before going to the polishing stage. In the left of the strap I have started on the catch.

I use a fold over catch for watch straps like this.
I have used them extensively on bracelets that I have made for myself over the years and I have never had one come undone, even when I rode motoX.

A fold over catch requires a hinge.
So I used some gold wire, that I will drill out later to make the hinge.
I soldered two pins on the bottom of the wire, drilled two holes through the titanium and fitted it into them.

Then the two pins were peened over at the bottom.

Here is another picture before riveting.

When making a hinge, the center section is cut away in the middle after it has been riveted.

Then I made the top section that fits in between the hinge knuckles.

The hinge is peened down and the catch can be sanded down.

The catch temporarily fitted to the strap.

Essentially the 'chassis' of the watch was finished.

To fit the gold into the watch casing, I made a band of gold that fitted tightly into the center first.
Then I soldered the square wire that separates the watch hands from the glass.
I like a distance of about 1.2 mm so that the hands have plenty of space and don't touch the glass on the inside.
Then I used a ball large ball punch to flair the top and bottom ends out.
This then locks the gold very tightly into the casing.
The gold was then filed flush with the casing.

Another picture of the flared bottom before being filed flush.

The bottom after being filed flush.

The top after being filed flush. Now it was time to drill the holes and inlay gold into them.

The gold dots filed flush.
Now we come to the part of lost pictures.
So now I drill the holed for the crown wheel on the side. (watch winder and stuff)
I also made the face out of mokume gane red and white and yellow gold and rolled it down to 0.5 mm thick. I cut a glass out of flat sapphire and fitted it into the top.
I made a winder to adjust the time out of gold.

The feet that hold the movement in place are soldered to the back of the face.

The face came out OK-ish.

Once the watch and strap were polished and super cleaned, I heat them up until the titanium goes to the blue shade that I like.
Because the 18 ct gold goes black during the heating and coloring process, the watch first needs to be submersed in sulfuric acid to remove the oxide layer.
The a very light rouge brings the gold up to polish without damaging the blue color of the titanium.

I made 18 kt gold screws for the links in the bracelet.
This picture also shows the crown/winder that I made.

The watch is water resistant, in as much the it will not get water in if you get wet in the rain, for instance.

The back was also made out of 18 kt gold.
I made eight 1.2 mm screws the hold everything in place.
The back also has my makers mark and fineness stamps.

Finished.
This watch was not made for everyday wear, because the titanium will scratch off.
I was made for special occasions, like when you meet the Queen and stuff.