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Oris SA’s new limited edition carbon watch

9T Labs AG, experts in digital, automated and cost-competitive serial production of continuous fiber components, announced that its Additive Fusion Technology (AFT) was chosen to produce the carbon composite watch case for Oris SA’s new limited edition watch.

Oris SA’s new limited edition carbon watch
READING TIME

2 minutes, 10 secondes

This distinctive Swiss timepiece honors Coulson Aviation, a Canadian company that provides aerial forest fire suppression, for its work in protecting people and the environment. The relationship with Coulson is part of Oris’s “Change for the Better” initiative, a series of collaborations with pioneering conservation organizations.

“Our new watch pays tribute to the courage and dedication of Coulson Aviation’s aerial firefighters by featuring high-tech carbon composite materials used in aerospace, a patented 3D fabrication process never before used in watchmaking and a dramatic, fire-orange face,” said Ulrich W. Herzog, chairman, Oris SA. “The additively manufactured carbon composite watch case made with 9T Labs’ technology is strong, ultra-light and rigid for top performance in the field. This unique watch symbolizes the shared values of Oris and Coulson, including continuous innovation and early adoption of leading-edge technology.”

Surrounding it is a carbon fibre case produced using an innovative, patented 3D printing process never seen before in watchmaking. Devised by Switzerland’s prestigious ETH Zurich university (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), it prints carbon fibre and a highgrade polymer developed in aerospace called PEKK simultaneously, weaving them together to create an ultra-lightweight, extremely rigid material. The process is so precise that you can fix the material’s pattern, where typically carbon fibre watch cases are random. (Copyright: Oris SA)

Oris looked beyond traditional manufacturing and materials to achieve its goals for waste reduction, exceptional durability, and its increased reliance on Swiss excellence. The company chose 9T Labs whose unique AFT platform combines software, additive manufacturing and compression molding in matched metal dies. Using AFT, 9T Labs mass produced 1,000 units of the Coulson limited edition watch case from a thermoplastic composite based on PEKK engineering resin and reinforced with 60 percent continuous carbon fiber. The PEKK material, a high-density resin, provides a solid, substantial feel to the watch.

This 1,000-piece edition is made in partnership with the aerial firefighting organisation Coulson Aviation. Its carbon fibre case is 3D-printed using an innovative method new to watchmaking (Copyright: Oris SA)

The AFT process delivered significant advantages over the state-of-the-art method of cutting the watch case out of metal blocks. For example, the AFT technology achieves extreme lightweight at highest strength, low waste and unique aesthetics from the preservation of the continuous carbon fiber and consistently high quality across all 1,000 watch cases.

“We are thrilled and extremely grateful for our successful partnership with Oris” said Giovanni Cavolina, chief commercial officer and co-founder, 9T Labs. “The collaboration did not only help enhance the performance and aesthetics of the Coulson watch, it also demonstrated the potential of 9T Labs’ Additive Fusion Technology to become the new industry standard for mass producing composite products strong, lightweight and sustainably like never before”

More information www.9tlabs.com