Miniswys was born from an idea of watch revolutionary Elmar Mock: reusing the ultrasonic welding know-how – developed for the Swatch watch – to make an actuator. Watches are therefore in our DNA, and our environment is steeped in timekeeping precision.
Indeed, Miniswys is based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. Biel is not only the largest bilingual city in Switzerland but, more importantly, is known as the capital of Swiss watchmaking. While some may argue about this title (La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle definitely come to mind), nobody denies the contribution of this city to the industry. Here you can find the headquarters of Omega and Swatch and key movement production sites of the highly sought-after brand Rolex as well as their suppliers: machining, polishing, components, tool and measuring device manufacturers, and metal foundries. These often-unsung heroes are expert companies that have specialized for years in catering to the highest standards of precision.
Miniswys technology requires a level of quality similar to what is needed to keep mechanical watches beating as precisely as possible. Here are some examples.
First: we need precision machining to produce our intricate motor geometries. These motors are carefully crafted, either by the experience of our engineers or through sophisticated software and optimizations. Each feature and dimension are defined by precise criteria. We want the manufactured motor to be as close as possible to the original design; a deviation of just a few tens of microns in the wrong place has to be avoided.
Secondly: surface finish. To achieve the great durability and accuracy of our technology, we must have full control over surface roughness. We’ve pushed the boundaries of what is possible, and our suppliers consistently meet our demands with a “can-do” attitude. This is thanks to the high standards they are accustomed to every day.
Finally: fast (and accurate!) prototyping. 3D printing has become the go-to manufacturing process for first proof-of-concepts and validations. Going from an idea to a tangible prototype, with the tolerances required for our integrations, could be prohibitively expensive. However, thanks to extremely accurate new 3D printing techniques and materials available to our partners, we can obtain new parts in just a few days.
Stay tuned for more information about our technology!
