Aluminum Boats Alpine Horns Luxury Watches
The first aluminum boat was launched as a simple skiff in the middle of the last century. Fishermen loved the lightweight hull because it could be pulled in and out of the water more easily than the wooden boats of the day. Decades later, aluminum boats have gone high-end, but they still have that lightweight appeal. Since aluminum hulls aren't as heavy as other types, these boats will go farther on a tank of gas. They make them from high-grade aluminum that's corrosion-resistant. Rollers flatten the metal, and a blade called a slitter cuts it to length. A computer-guided router then makes precise cuts to produce parts that will fit together perfectly, like this bracket to reinforce the stern. They cut the boat's larger components with a computerized plasma torch. It can cut a wider path than the router. They transfer the cut parts to a pallet. This is the boat's bottom panel. A long piece of aluminum will be the gunnel, which is the upper edge of the hull. They bend it around a wooden template to give it the correct curvature. Next, they reinforce the bow with an extra plate of aluminum to withstand pounding waves. They brace the other end with numerous stiffeners and screw them into place. The screws act as a clamping system, until the parts of the boat can be permanently attached. A line of caulking helps waterproof the seam between the hull and the back of the boat, called the transom. Again, screws hold everything together, as the painstaking clamping continues. They join the two sides of the bow and hold the ends together with a vise grip. This strip of aluminum will act as the spine of the bow. It's called the brace plate. More screws tack it into position. They attach the sides to the rest of the hull. Now they drill hundreds of holes along the seams and plug them with rivets. They extract the clamping screws and fill their holes with more rivets. They install the gunnels on the rim of the hull. And now it's time for the tank test. They lower the boat into a tank to confirm that it's watertight. If they find any leaks in all those rivets, they'll make the necessary adjustments. They spray foam into the bottoms and sides to keep this boat afloat in the event that something punctures it. And then they rough up the surface to allow paint to better adhere. They move to the interior and install felt on the storage panels to give them a more finished look. Then they lay the carpeting port to starboard. Next comes the plastic fuel tank. All they have to do is connect the fuel-line hoses and secure them with a stainless steel collar. The dash panel fits onto the front. It's pre-wired, so they simply connect it to the boat's main wiring harness. Next, they apply lubricant to the motor's propeller shaft. This allows the propeller to slide on easily. They tighten it with a pneumatic ratchet. Then they hoist the motor onto the stern and bolt it into position. With the luxurious interior now complete, this metal boat bears very little resemblance to its utilitarian predecessors. This particular model doubles as a fishing boat and a pleasure craft. And it proves that aluminum boats are no longer just a basic form of transportation. The alpine horn dates back some 2,000 years to the celtic tribes that inhabited the northern slopes of the alps. Traditionally, mountain dwellers blew the horn to announced daily activities, such as round-up time for livestock. As modern communications reached those altitudes, the horn's role became strictly musical. an alpine horn's sound travels about 5 miles, thanks to the instrument's length and shape. Following a centuries-old tradition, the horn maker harvests spruce at a specific time in the lunar calendar, when tree wood is supposedly most resonant. Once the spruce logs dry out, which takes at least nine years, he saws them into planks. Then he traces and cuts out the shape of the horn's curved bell twice-- once for each half. He measures and marks how much wood he must hollow out with his drill press. It's tricky because from top to bottom, the bell's inside cavity progressively widens and deepens. Next, he runs glue along the perimeter of both bell halves, then joins them with a sheet of newspaper in between to prevent a permanent bond. He'll have to pry them apart later to finalize their shape. Once dry, he tears off excess newspaper, traces the circumference of the bell's top and bottom openings, then measures and draws the bell's shape between those two openings. Once again, following the lines he drew, he cuts out the shape. To check his work, he uses a series of sizing templates. He lines them with charcoal, then slips the first template onto its designated position at the top of the bell. The charcoal marks any wood that he still needs to shave off. He repeats this procedure with each template, working his way down until the bell is rounded to the proper external dimensions. Now for the bell's internal dimensions. The horn maker detaches the halves. He scores a line running the length of the bell half on each side. This marks the inner-wall thickness he's going to create. Using a grinder with a rough grit abrasive, he wears away the wood right up to the score lines. The holes he made earlier tell him how deep to grind. Then he switches to a finer grit abrasive to grind the walls down another millimeter. He checks his work with a measuring gauge, then glues the halves together again, this time permanently. The horn maker constructs the bell's other section in halves, as well, rounding them off on a lathe. He coats them in glue and wraps them in rattan. The rattan solidifies the structure somewhat but is primarily for decoration. Once the glue dries, he'll glue aluminum connecting dowels to each section. These will enable the musician to assemble and disassemble the horn parts. The bell is truly the alpine horn's showpiece. Horn makers typically embellish it with painted scenes or motifs. This horn will boast a colorful bouquet of traditional swiss flowers. Fully assembled, an alpine horn is between 10 and 13 feet long-- the length determining the pitch of the instrument. Musicians use lip movements to modulate the vibration of the air column inside. Different vibrations produce different notes. throughout most of the 19th century, the wristwatch was a piece of jewelry worn by women. Men carried pocket watches. It was during the boer war in 1899 that british soldiers decided fumbling around for a pocket watch during battle was a serious waste of time. The tools of the trade haven't changed much since pocket watches ruled the day. In this swiss workshop, the mechanisms are meticulously handcrafted, just like they were centuries ago. The watchmaker starts by polishing parts to a mirror finish. He mixes his lavender and almond oils with a diamond paste. He extracts a part called the cage from its storage solution, sets it in the paste, and polishes it against a zinc block. He brushes the dust off the cage with a soft piece of wood. Another watchmaker polishes its edges, removing tiny bits of material so other parts can fit to it. The technician attaches gears to the cage. These gears are the balance and escape wheels. He fixes the gears on tiny rubies because they don't wear down easily. The second half of the cage completes this mechanism, called the tourbillion. Invented in 1789, these rotating gears in a cage counteract the effect of gravity on timekeeping for more accurate results. The watchmaker now magnifies the assembly and projects the image onto a screen to confirm that the gears and levers are interacting correctly. Next, he secures a wound-up spring in a barrel. This is the main spring that powers the gears of the watch. He dips a pin in some grease and uses it to lubricate the spring. Then he caps the mainspring with a cover and tamps it down with a special tool. He carefully positions the barrel in its slot on the main plate. The watchmaker now installs another series of gears on the main plate. They'll transfer power from the spring to the tourbillion. He attaches the bridge to the gears to act as a pivot as they turn. Another spot of grease keeps these wheels turning efficiently. With the spring barrel and its transmission gears assembled, production now reaches a critical moment. He places the mechanism in a holder that makes it easier to install the tourbillion. It's a tricky job. The cage must be precisely positioned for its gears to receive power from the spring. He now transfers the mechanism to another holder to insert the winding stem. Next, he engraves the circular pattern onto a bridge plate. This high-end finish is called perlage. The technician attaches the textured bridge to the dial side of the watch. He assembles more gears and a numbered wheel to the bridge. These gears will provide the date information for this timepiece. Another bridge secures the gears that lead to the date wheel. He fastens it with tiny screws. He slides the second date wheel onto its axle and checks the setting mechanism. We'll have the up-to-the-minute details as this watch gets a beautiful face. Even in the age of digital and electronic wristwatches, the mechanical watch has an appeal that's timeless. Some are among the most complex in the world and can cost in the six-figure range. At that price, time is truly a luxury. In a factory nestled in the scenic swiss countryside, a highly-skilled team has assembled the inner workings of a luxurious tourbillion wristwatch. Now a watchmaker fits the handcrafted face onto the mechanisms. Using a special tool, he presses the hands onto an axle at the center of the watch. This enables him to set the time and date. The watch will be encased with 18-karat red-gold bezels sealed against the elements with rubber rings. He now fastens the middle casing to the mechanism, then completes the installation of the winding stem and crown. The watchmaker lubricates the bridge for the auto-winding system, then engraves a parallel-ribbed pattern onto it. This adds visual interest to the bridge, making this luxury watch look good inside and out. After the bridge has been set with jewels, it's ready to be installed at the center of the watch, where its jewels will keep parts from rubbing against each other, causing wear and tear. An artist now engraves the rotor that's to be attached to the bridge. It's this part that will automatically wind the watch. It's a signature piece that can reflect the customer's individual taste. This stylish-looking rotor is now ready to be secured to the bridge. Once installed, even the slightest movement will cause this rotor to oscillate, and that action winds up the mainspring of the watch. The watchmaker now shields this timepiece with a glass dome and then vacuums dust from the next gold bezel. He carefully cleans this clear sapphire window because even the tiniest speck of dirt could cause the watch to fail. He snaps the front bezel onto the watch, then, using a special device, he presses the bezel to secure it. This action also squeezes the rubber ring between the bezel and the watch to create waterproof seal. This watch will now be water-resistant to a depth of nearly 330 feet. The back casing screws into place so it can be removed for maintenance work during the life of the watch. Using a special tool, he tightens the casing to just the right tension. He then inspects the watch to confirm that the rotor moves freely within the case. Next up is a computer analysis of the mechanism. A device holds the watch and simulates wrist movements, while the computer evaluates its accuracy. that's the sound of a minute repeater, which is a feature on some models. When triggered, it chimes the time. And now this watch takes the plunge into a container of water. If bubbles appear, it would signify a leak. But there are none, so this watch is waterproof. This incredible watch will set you back $150,000. But it will be an heirloom piece that stands the test of time.