Tea Party

Watch Building & Brand

Making watches is not trivial, and I am only an amateur. At some point I may do a more detailed post on the challenges I have encountered while watch-building, though I will summarize some aspects in this post. Still, I rely on movement specifications, blogs, and videos in my self-learning. One of the purposes of this blog and some of my posts is to pass more information along to those interested.

I have always had an interest in all things Alice in Wonderland. So, most of my custom watch work is derived conceptually from things having to do with the story. My brand name is “Ten Six” or “Ten Six Watches” represented as 10/6 and I have a top hat logo, derived from The Mad Hatter.

My first series of watch builds I dubbed as the Glass series, which is just completely open and unrestricted views of the movement, front and back. The approach and name make me think of Through the Looking Glass.

The Watch

This watch is the start of a new series I am calling “Wonderland.” The name of each watch in the series will be derived from events or characters that the design evokes. The first being “Tea Party.” To me, a classical design reminiscent of pocket watches with the numeral font and hand style. I think of a formal tea party with the guests decked out in dark tones in an under-lit room. Perhaps it is a style of watch The Mad Hatter would wear?

Now the details and such. Keep in mind that costs are based on one-off purchases, which is higher than if I were purchasing in bulk from a regular supplier.

Component	Specification	Source	Location	Cost
Movement	Chinese ST3621	eBay	China	$46 + $2 shipping
Case	316L Stainless Steel, Black PVD, Sapphire Crystal	eBay	Germany	$129 + $15 shipping
Dial	Guilloche design, black and silver, 38mm diameter, 0.4mm height	eBay	Switzerland	$38 + $18 shipping
Hands	Silver “fancy” shape hands (16mm hour, 18mm minute); Black small seconds (4.25mm)	Otto Frei	California	$6.25 + shipping
Strap	Pilot style strap w/ white stitching, though it looks more grey with the watch, 22mm	Otto Frei	California	$7.95 + shipping

The Seagull ST3621 provides a visually appealing look for the reverse. In some ways, more appealing than the higher-end ETA movements. The metal has a darker tone and engraving which suits the black case. I particularly like the arc pattern machined into the bridge along with the star at center and the wave toward the edge.

The long regulator hand compliments the hour and minute hands nicely. Plus it is about $200 cheaper and keeps fairly good time! Mine is keeping to around +10 seconds a day, quite good for a $40 hand-wound movement.

The case is the splurge of this build. This is the only case I could find that was stainless steel, black PVD, designed for a ST3621/ETA6498, and that could accommodate a 38mm dial. The sapphire crystal also contributes to the price.

Finding a dial that is the right size, a design I like, and without a logo is a difficult task. I have started creating my own dials using a combination of 3d-printing and a process similar to this, but if I can find something I like, I give it a try.

The hands, along with the hour wheel, dial washer, and case screws (which I did not use in this build).The hour and minute hands match the numerals in a classic sense (think pocket watch) and provide silver on black contrast. The second hand provides the black on silver contrast for the sub-dial.

The strap matches the style better that I thought it would. I tried other dress-style straps, but this looked best. It is extremely comfortable for a low-cost strap.

Other considerations

The case shipped with a movement holder, which was a tight fit (a tenth or two of a millimeter too small) and did not particularly accommodate the dial screw locations of the ST3621 as it was probably meant for an ETA 6498. The pressure from the stem and case keep it in place though. Sometimes, I design and 3d-print my own movement holders, but did not need to in this case.

The stem that shipped with the movement was a lot longer than what was necessary for this particular case, so I had to trim it to length. I just measure with digital calipers, mark with a sharpie, and use a pair of pliers with a wire cutter. Doing so is required of almost every build I have done.

Just for reference, here are a couple pictures of my work space.

The next step is adding my logo, which I have designed and ordered to be manufactured. Once the logo order arrives, I will work on applying a logo on the dial at 12. I have both a top hat logo and a 10/6 logo, each of which will probably find uses in different ways on the dial, crown, etc. I am still completely unsure if what I am planning will work, but such is the process of building a watch.

If you are interested in purchasing an Earl Grey model (with the ST3621 or ETA 6498), I will be listing it on my Etsy store eventually. You can also contact me directly if you really want one sooner rather than later. The dial does say “Swiss Made,” which has certain legal implications. The version pictured here is a prototype for myself and does not qualify for such a stamp on the dial (though the dial is Swiss made). Other versions are coming/possible depending on what movement you want. In other words, if you want one, email me.