Swiss watchmakers are slowly but surely adopting 3D printing as a way to cut costs in the making of bespoke pieces.

In 2016, Deloitte surveyed more than 50 Swiss watch industry executives. You guessed it: it wasn’t an easy year for Swiss watchmakers. In the first half of 2016, exports dropped to CHF 9.5 billion; 82% of watch executives were pessimistic about the outlook for the Swiss watch industry.

But there’s a brighter side. The Swiss brands gain visibility in the smartwatch market, online shops become more important… and the companies have discovered 3D printing to reduce cost and save time.

64 percent of the watchmaker executives said they already use 3D printing for prototyping. Most notably, Swatch Group says the technology is already in use for multiple purposes. As well as this, TAG Heuer use 3D printing for models of crowns and buckles.

Perhaps the most interesting case is of Romain Jerome whose mechanical timepieces can set you back 200,000 Swiss francs. For the prototyping of cases, dials, and bracelets, 3D companies Zedax and i.materialise were enlisted.

Using 3D Printing Technology For Personalized Swiss Watches

However, it’s still uncertain what impact 3D printing will have on price tags. According to Yves Bellouard, who holds Richemont’s chair in multi-scale manufacturing technologies at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, it could go either way.

“A personalized watch – a certain type of watch for one single person – would certainly be added value, and people would buy it for that, so the price could go up,” Bellouard says. “Simplified manufacturing by reducing the number of components could also make it cheaper in certain aspects.”

Although we’re still some way away from wearing a completely 3D printing watch, there’s no doubt that the technology could hugely aid production.

However, Manuel Emch, chief executive or Romain Jerome pointed out that equipment and materials can be pricey. He also states that completely printed timepieces could hit resistance. Many customers prefer handmade craftsmanship and quality. It seems only time will tell.

Source: South China Morning Post