Casio re-design
The Problem
Quartz watches are seen as cheap by consumers. This is because the Quartz mechanisms typically made off-shore using sloppy manufacturing techniques that create cheap, mass-produced movements. However, in almost every case, a Quartz watch is superior to a mechanical watch.
In this project, I set out to create a Quartz watch that wouldn’t be considered inferior simply because it has a Quartz movement. I set out to create a watch that uses this movement for a specific reason.
Oil-filled watch from reddit
Swatch oil-filled from reddit
Inspiration
The concept for this watch originated from a modification some watch enthusiasts have been doing to their cheap Quartz-powered watches. The mod involved opening the watch while it’s submerged in Silicone Oil to fill the watch with oil and remove any air bubbles.
So, the reason why this works so well with these cheap Quartz mechanisms is, quite ironically, because of the cheap Quartz mechanisms. Since the movement is battery-powered it has enough torque to push through the resistance of the oil. Traditional automatic and manual watches do not have enough torque to push through the oil.
Some high-end manufacturers have already begun utilizing this technique, most notably Ressence, Sinn and even U-boat.
A regular non-oil watch next to a Ressence Type 3
Render of possible Casio oil-filled watch
The Solution
Clearly, this is a quite advanced technology, and expensive too. However, I believe that if more manufacturers picked it up, they would only benefit from it! This probably applies to higher-tier watch houses as well, like Rolex, for instance. Perhaps they can finally create a superior dive watch with their Quartz movements?
The original watch I chose to re-design for this project was a very common Casio Dive watch. This watch cost me around $25. I took elements of this design language and infused it with somewhat expensive technology. I estimate that the watch that I’ve created will cost around 250- 350$. This little number will allow Casio to sell watches that can compete with mid-tier brands, like Seiko, Timex, Orient, and even Citizen and Tissot.
