Brief explanation of the differences between "Diamond Heart" and "DiamonSil"
By: Marcus Hanke (registered) Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007I am speaking of the Freak 28,800 "Diamond Heart" on one side, and the Freak "DiamonSil" on the other.
How are the "Diamond Heart's" diamond wheels produced?
Interestingly, this was a mere byproduct of the research done for the first silicium wheels for the original "Freak", and then for the silicium hairspring: It is possible to artifically "grow" diamond, layer by layer. However, you need a base material, and silicium is perfect. So for each "diamond waver", you have a silicium plate and let the diamond grow on it, until the desired thickness is reached. After that, the silicium base can be etched away by acid, it is no longer needed.
So far, so easy. But: you now have a waver, and need a highly complex shaped part cut out from it. Since diamond is the hardest material in the world, it is very, very difficult, time consuming and expensive to cut out the shapes of the Freak's escapement wheels from the pure diamond. Of course this even works for a hairspring, and, as the experiments have shown, the diamond hairspring is even able to oscillate without breaking, but cutting a hairspring from diamond costs more than a complete "Freak".
This is the reason why the "Diamond Heart" is so special: It has escapement wheels made from pure diamond, and to produce even these few escapements, was very time-consuming and expensive.
And DiamonSil?
DiamonSil is the result of the material research of the last few years, including the LIGA technology used for the nickle-phosphor parts. It is now possible to perfectly control the growing of artificial diamond around a silicium core, down to the mju-meter. Nanotechnology. As a result, you do not need cutting complex shapes from diamond wafers any more, but you can cut the wheel shape from the softer silicium immediately, and then you let the diamond grow around the silicium, until the desired dimensions are reached.
The technical effect is the same, you have wheels with the same relevant specifications as those of the "Diamond Heart", and - most important - with all contact areas being diamond, no need of lubrication and practically no wear. But it is not pure diamond, since the wheels have a silicium core (therefore "DiamonSil"), and are easier und less expensive to produce.
As I had written a few years ago, the Freak's "simple" movement makes it a perfect testbed for modern material technologies, and I am sure we will continue to see the most recent state-of-the-art material technology implemented into this watch. However, this does not reduce the merits and exclusivity of the various emanations before, such as the first and original "Freak" with the silicium wheels, and of course the "Diamond Heart", still the only watch with escapements wheels made from pure diamond.
Regards,
Marcus
