3D printing: technical changes and achievements

Sébastien Actis-Datta is a watch designer who has always been a trailblazer when it comes to new technologies. He has been making three-dimensional prototypes for the past twenty years. His aim is to discover new ways of working, but mainly he would like to respond to the needs of watchmaking brands.  So it is quite logical that he became a forerunner in the so-called fab lab (fabrication laboratory)segment in the canton of Vaud. As it is, he inaugurated FABLAB-Chêne20, named after the address where the business was founded in association with the Athenaeum school of industrial design in the town of Renens, in Switzerland. For the record, a fab lab is where those who want to design an idea but do not have the necessary know-how can go.

The primary goal of a fab lab is not to provide material, but rather to act as a hub for sharing knowledge and obtaining help.

Primordial concepts proper to horology are at the heart of this provision of state-of-the-art material for designers and other creatives: “The terms ‘Mitmachen’, ‘collaboration’ and ‘knowledge sharing’ are the foundations of a ‘fab lab,’” says Actis-Datta.“However, it is essential for these creative minds to meet. I have always been passionate about design and lately for rapid prototyping ever since my early work in the field in the early 1990s. I always wanted to share my knowledge and so when I met the new director of Athenaeum we decided to form a partnership. The know-how and facilities of Actis-Datta SA were utilised to meet the needs of the school, and particularly those of its students. So we came up with Oblong Impression, a 3D printing office. Seeing the amazing boom of a technology I had always believed in gave me the idea to create an open centre dedicated to 3D and knowledge sharing. That’s how FABLAB-Chêne20 came about.”

Knowledge sharing

This new creative sharing space is open to all. Will it generate new jobs for future watch designers? This is exactly what Olivier Barbeau, director of the Athenaeum school in Renens, thinks: “The aim is to democratise and demystify the new technologies. The fab lab is a place to materialise dreams. We sincerely hope that the watchmaking sector will profit from this generation of new talent in the coming years. This is a dynamic sector, where new talent is very much in need. It is in very good shape well obviously encourages the development of the most imaginative minds.”

Speaking about the impact of these new technologies on the watch industry, Xavier Comtesse, founder of the Swiss Creative Center in Neuchâtel, expresses the same enthusiasm. “The watchmaking industry essentially used subtractive techniques, that is, machining by removing material, cutting, and so on.  In the future, it will be using additive manufacturing, which is the adding on of material in layers. It is a rare and incomparable revolution, despite all the technical innovations that have taken place over the past decades. It is a paradigm shift, as has initiated a  new era of creativity.”

The hopes placed in this new technology are further highlighted by the excitement of the experts: “The development of 3D printing technology has pioneered a new means of communication through new presentation tools”, says Sébastien Actis-Datta.

What better way to present a watch than showing a 3D print-out along with the usual blueprints to provide a perfect illustration of the dimensions, volume and comfort of the timepiece? “Using our printers, we can just as easily put out the prototype of a completely articulated bracelet to perfectly simulate a metal bracelet, or brown leather one, or a rubber one, or in a smooth material or  even produce a sapphire crystal with transparent material. This 3D printing technology allows for very concrete grasping of the product and hence helps our clients make decisions more quickly. It is also an amazing communication tool, be it for case-strap assemblies, surface details or the layout of a dial.” For Actis-Datta, going back is no longer an option: "Working without this technology seems impossible to me, because the time-savings and understanding of the intentions of a particular design are now so vital. The popularisation of these tools is a real advantage for the designers”.

A niche market?

Prototyping is the first segment to benefit from 3D printing, but it seems that other revolutions are brewing. Hoptroff, a company based in London, has managed to rise to quite a crazy challenge: it has created a watch whose case is entirely manufactured by a 3D printer. Obviously, the method still has some flaws, but as far as precision is concerned, it appears to be a good start. However, it will probably take some time before the system is endorsed by a broader market. The need for precision, especially in Swiss watchmaking, is far too important to be met by approximate models. Professionals in the industry therefore consider this a “niche market”. It could nevertheless be the key to new sales possibilities, in particular for companies that do not put too much emphasis on the final output.