Concepto Watch Factory SA
Rue du Collège 85
2301 La Chaux-de-Fonds
+41 32 911 19 19
info@conceptowatch.ch
Concepto Watch Factory SA
Rue du Collège 85
2301 La Chaux-de-Fonds
+41 32 911 19 19
info@conceptowatch.ch
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Following the client’s specifications, designers and engineers conceptualise a project, then bring it to life. They define the project’s technical and aesthetic characteristics using 3D conceptualisation tools.
The forms, finishes, and cinematography of the mechanisms are approved in close collaboration with the in-house laboratory, whose watchmakers are specialists in prototyping and reliability.
Once the specifications are complete, the plan files are created which the project manager sends to the methods department. Then the articles and the production operational procedures are created.
Whether producing an industrial calibre, an additional module or a grande complication, the Manufacture is highly responsive to clients’ quality and business needs.
A component’s ultimate quality begins with control of the supply and processing of raw materials.
Washing, annealing, hardening, quenching, cutting down to the micrometre, polishing and tribofinishing are some of the many techniques to master to ensure high-quality, flawless materials. All metals, precious or otherwise, are treated with the same standards of excellence.
We regularly update the substantial stock of machinery required for this work to keep up with technological advances.
5-axis machining centres and numerically controlled lathes, bar turning machines and electrical discharge machining tools are deployed around the CAPM programming office.
Nearly 150 units of specific machinery and equipment allow us to carry out all the different production operations in-house and independently.
The precision engineering workshop skilfully builds the tools and settings necessary to create movement components, such as those used in decoration, mounting, assembly and testing.
The workshop also produces full swages, which requires rare, highly sought-after technical expertise.
In order to ensure optimal quality at every stage of production, all pieces produced are meticulously tested using state-of-the-art equipment.
Charged with producing wheels (trains and pinions), different screws and axes, the “DTR” department [Décolletage, Taillage, Roulage, in French] is also equipped with a spectacular set of machinery, enabling them to carry out all the operations involved in profile-turning, cutting and burnishing with remarkable dependability.
The major difference between a movement producer and a truly independent Manufacture lies in their ability to produce their own assortments.
Also known as a regulating organ, this set of pieces consists mainly of a balance, balance spring, mounted pallets and the escape wheel.
It is considered to be the heart of the movement; through its workmanship, it ensures the regular frequency of energy distribution to the mechanisms.
Thanks to the specific equipment and alloys developed in-house, the Manufacture manages the industrial production of all these sets of components, guaranteeing the chronometric precision of the calibres it produces.
In addition to the purely technical side, the movement’s decoration and finish are distinctive elements that allow our partners to assert their personalities and signature aesthetics.
In order to support sustained, regular growth, combined with the long-term goal of a fully independent senior management team, a series of major building projects to enlarge and extend the Manufacture take place. Our new workshops give pride of place to the artistic crafts.
The added value brought to the components transforms the movement’s machined elements into true artisanal masterpieces.
Making a chamfer, then hand polishing the cutting line to create subtle reflections and highlight the aesthetic of the edge.
Finely brushed overlapping circles that create a unique surface effect, often applied to the underside of bars and plates.
An elegant hallmark of fine watchmaking, this finish features finely brushed, parallel lines in a semicircle.
Meticulous polishing on a solid zinc block coated in diamond paste to obtain exceptional optical effects.
The art of decoration also makes use of innovative equipment. The “Femto” laser provides a wide range of decoration, engraving and machining options as well as exceptional precision and repeatability.
The watchmaking workshop, our Manufacture’s beating heart that brings the final product to life, is housed in a single space of over 500m2. It offers the highest standards in terms of equipment and working environment, from mounting and assembling movements to all the casing operations.
With the same quality standards, the grand flux department is adjacent to the grande complication assembly and casing area. Whether producing movements in semi-industrial quantities or creating one-off complex calibres, expertise is shared naturally from one domain to another.
