IWC Technicians Manufacture the Rotor of the Calibre 82

Video Description

Step inside the world of fine watchmaking at IWC Schaffhausen and discover how the rotor of the Calibre 82 comes to life. The journey begins with CNC Technician Markus Blanco, who prepares the brass raw material and mills the first side of the rotor with precision. His colleague, CNC Technician Edgar Heller, then continues the process by milling the second side, ensuring accuracy at every stage. CNC Technician Ronnik Rehm takes over, programming the robotic arm to mill out the rotor completely, combining cutting-edge automation with human expertise. Once shaped, the rotors move to Surface Finisher Lorena Schudel, who carefully smooths them through vibratory grinding, removing milling marks and preparing the surface for the next refinements. Surface Treatment Specialist Cristian Hablützel then sandblasts each piece, giving the rotors a uniform matte finish, before cleaning them in an ultrasonic bath. The process continues with CNC Technician David Parravicini, who securely rivets the rotor and its segment together, creating a strong and lasting connection. From here, Surface Finisher Laura Muharemi applies the decorative radial pattern that gives each rotor its distinctive appearance. In the following stages, Surface Treatment Specialist Cristian Hablützel oversees the galvanic process, electroplating the rotors with layers of nickel, rhodium, and gold. He then applies protective lacquer to safeguard the Probus Medallion, inspects the finish, and bakes the rotors to harden the coating. Once this is complete, the temporary gold layers and varnish are carefully removed, revealing the final brilliance of the rotor. In the last steps, IWC watchmaker Stephan Kulbe, assembles the ceramic bearing, secures the mechanism, and applies the final touches of oil. Finally, he mounts the completed rotor into the movement of the watch. With this, the heart of the automatic winding system is brought to life. A perfect balance of technology, craftsmanship, and tradition. Chapters 00:00 Preparing the raw material 00:21 Milling the first side 01:10 Milling the second side 02:01 Cleaning 02:27 Milling out the rotor 03:41 Vibratory Grinding 05:17 Sandblasting 06:32 Ultrasonic cleaning 07:00 Riveting 07:46 Decorative pattern application 08:35 Rhodium and gold electroplating 09:20 Lacquering 10:27 Baking 11:00 De-golding 11:12 De-lacquering 11:28 Final assembly 13:31 Rotor installation