IWC Technicians craft the Rotor of the Calibre 82

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