Young Talent Competition Winner - Maciej Miśnik
- Nuno Margalha
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Since 2015, the Young Talent Competition has helped discover the next generation of the world's most talented young watchmaking apprentices, supporting them on their path to independence by recognizing their achievements and putting them in the spotlight. FPJourne organizes the Young Talent Competition with the support of The Hour Glass, a luxury watch retailer in the Asia-Pacific region. Both entities aim to perpetuate and support the art of fine watchmaking and cultivate an appreciation for the vast virtuosity of watchmaking.
The selection criteria are based on technical achievement, the pursuit of complexity in its execution, the quality of the handwork, as well as its sense of design and aesthetics. Candidates must have independently conceived and created a watch or watchmaking construction. The winner of the 2022 Young Talent Competition receives a diploma and a grant of CHF 20,000 from The Hour Glass and FP Journe, which will allow them to purchase watchmaking tools or fund a watchmaking project.
The jury for the Young Talent Competition 2022 is composed of prominent figures in the international watchmaking scene: Philippe Dufour, Andreas Strehler, Giulio Papi, Marc Jenni, Michael Tay, Elizabeth Doerr, and François-Paul Journe .
Winner: Maciej Miśnik
Pocket watch inspired by marine chronometers, with tourbillon and detent escapement.
30 years old | Warsaw, Poland | Self-taught
Journeyman Certificate (level between apprentice and master) in watchmaking
PhD in Physics - Gdańsk University of Technology in the area of
Mass Spectrometry
The pocket watch shown is inspired by marine chronometers. The case is made of brass, however, for contrast, the ring where the chain is attached and its support are made of silver.
Most of the parts were made in my own workshop without the use of CNC machines.
Only basic machines such as lathes, milling machines, and hand tools were used. To make the time easier to read, the steel hands were blued. Maciej Miśnik adds that "in my opinion, the blued hands look very good in contrast with the black markers on the silver dial." For added complexity, the hour hand jumps once per hour instead of sliding, as is the case with most watches.
Technical characteristics of the movement
Like marine chronometers, a detent escapement was used. The oscillation frequency of the balance wheel is 2 Hz. It is well known that the detent escapement has good resistance to friction, but not to shocks. "Due to this aspect, I decided to make a pocket watch instead of a wristwatch." Furthermore, the watch was equipped with a tourbillon, thus reducing the balance problem. Two barrels were placed to ensure sufficient torque. A major problem with watches using a tourbillon is the inertia of the cage; for this reason, the components of the tourbillon cage are usually very thin and delicate. Although the cage is quite heavy, 2 grams, the inertia problem was reduced. In the escapement, the pivot, and the wheel are connected by means of a bronze spiral. There is a capsule with two rubies on the wheel, which runs on the steel axis of the pivot. The spiral is arranged in such a way that it holds the wheel in the pivot (the wheel does not fall). As soon as the cage stops, the escape wheel is released and the cage begins to rotate. When the escape wheel stops in contact with the ruby reed, the cage continues to move and contracts the spiral, losing its kinetic energy; at that moment, it begins a slight recoil. The cage's support results from its high inertia and the force of the spiral.
In most tourbillon watches, the cage stops with the escape wheel, causing a high temporary force on the escapement elements and undesirable vibrations. In the case of the solution presented, a spiral absorbs these vibrations, similar to solutions proposed, for example, by Derek Pratt, Karol Roman, etc.
The example of watchmaker Derek Pratt can be seen in detail in the following 1991 article from the Horological Journal:
A Tourbillon indicating full seconds with carriage-mounted remontoire, twin barrels and up & down indicator.
Made for Urban Jürgensen & Søner, Copenhagen.
By : Derek Pratt.
The balance wheel is fitted with a Breguet overcoil spring. There is no need for registration in the spiral due to its chronometric properties. Two screws on the balance wheel maintain the regulation of the oscillation period. Other screws are used to balance the balance wheel. The tourbillon cage is also positioned by a silver counterweight. Silver was used due to its high density.
Manufacturing of components
The watch shown is made of raw metal. No element has been electroplated or finished. Only the hands and three screws have been thermally oxidized to blue. The dark effect of the dial and the small signature plate acquired their hue due to a sulfide.
As I mentioned, I made most of the parts myself. Each piece was finished by hand. The following were not made in my workshop: the watch chain, crystal, 18 ruby bearings, balance spring, 2 mainsprings, and 28 of the 40 screws. I did not engrave the signature; that was done by a professional engraver.
Measurement
Diameter : without hinge and lock, 4.9cm / with hinge and lock, 5.2cm
Height : 7.1cm - Depth: without screws, 1.55cm / with screws, 1.67cm
Weight : with key and chain, 112.2g / without key and chain, 100.2g
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