# Pictures of my visit to Damasko



## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

On our way back from Salzburg/Austria we stopped by at Damasko in Barbing. The company was closed because of the Christmas holidays but Petra and Konrad had to catch up on work as well as one of their watchmakers who is exclusively working on the DC80 and (coming later this year) DC 86 movements.









Since there has been an issue with the DS30 hardened submarine steel cases the delivery of the DS30 watches got delayed. The cases came in just a couple of days before Christmas. The team managed to assemble all DS30 watches before Christmas. When visiting Damasko on THU, Dec. 27, all the DS 30 were on the movers for accuracy check.









Bezels for DC 80 and DC66 chronographs were waiting for the ice-hardening process.....









...as well as the bezel inserts were waiting to be finished

















DS30 Ocean Blue dials waiting to be mounted.....

















...bracelet parts to be assembled (clasp) and hardened....

















The machines were standing still....

























































...including the vintage (1970s) Boley lathe machine...

















Submarine steel rods


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## MKN (Mar 27, 2012)

Very very cool. Thanks for the pictures 


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## panzerr (Aug 15, 2018)

Thanks for sharing. Vintage machinery is great.


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## demof1 (Apr 3, 2018)

wow, these watches are hand wrought!


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## tsteph12 (Jun 11, 2006)

Appreciate the post and unique photos. Are those bracelet bits noted to be used for DS30? Thank you.


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## Rice and Gravy (Feb 7, 2014)

Quite cool. Thanks for sharing.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

tsteph12 said:


> Are those bracelet bits noted to be used for DS30? Thank you.


No. The bracelet for the DS30 is in the works, it will consist of three links in a row as well but they will be smaller.


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## Tanjecterly (Mar 13, 2013)

These are very cool pictures. It's great to see the processes and machinery used to make watches. I'll also admit that the picture of the blue dial DS30 has me intrigued.


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## Ragl (Jun 22, 2016)

Terrific pictures inside "The Machine" of a watchmaker that I truly admire. Tidy and immaculate work desks, plus an excellent machine room; was intrigued by the "Brass" (CuZn) sign in the material store tho', of course, this metal is also a very important part of any watch.

Thanks for the photos Mike, they help in bringing us closer to the people who actually create and build the watches that we are so delighted to wear.

Cheers,

Alan


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## ldo123 (May 15, 2015)

Tanjecterly said:


> These are very cool pictures. It's great to see the processes and machinery used to make watches. I'll also admit that the picture of the blue dial DS30 has me intrigued.


The blue dial is lovely, but the size of the DS30 is unfortunately just too small.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

ldo123 said:


> The blue dial is lovely, but the size of the DS30 is unfortunately just too small.


The DS30 was made for those who told Damasko the other watches are to large. Obviously you can't satisfy everybody.


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## tsteph12 (Jun 11, 2006)

To me, the DS30 size seems to be the sweet spot for the many. My wrist is a fairly flat 7.25” and can wear most divers up to 44mm without lugs overhanging. Watches without rotating bezels tend to wear larger in comparison and personally feel 39-41mm cases to be ideal. Only reason why I haven’t yet purchased the DS30 is because am holding out for bracelet, though the new Ocean blue has me second guessing this decision.


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## 1165dvd (Sep 9, 2010)

I always enjoy seeing pictures of the smaller watch manufacturer's facilities. Gives you a sense of what their process is. Mr. Stuffler, do you know how many people are employed by Damasko? I'm curious and I appreciate that a company like Damasko, who appear to be on the smaller side of things, can create such great watches.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

15 employees plus family members.


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## wis_dad (Jun 13, 2012)

This isn't helping. I'm currently trying to stop myself form buying a DS30 in the sales and this makes me want one more. Especially knowing there could be an option to buy a bracelet later.


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## Ard (Jul 21, 2014)

That was a good post! I have but one question, were the watch winders running?


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Ard said:


> That was a good post! I have but one question, were the watch winders running?


Imho you need to read more threads here on the Damasko Uhren forum ;-)

https://www.watchuseek.com/f810/ds30-availibilty-4844855-post47772073.html#post47772073


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## Ard (Jul 21, 2014)

Whatever, I thought it was a simple question. I can do without an answer or opinion.


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## nodnar (Oct 7, 2016)

stuffler said:


> and (coming later this year) DC86 movements


Really appreciate all the pictures and narrative, but this blurb was as cool as any.

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## 001 (Sep 10, 2016)

Beautiful pics.


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## quangphamvn (Dec 7, 2017)

It's great to know DS30 is coming soon


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

001 said:


> Beautiful pics.


Thank you.


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## NapoleonDynamite (Jul 30, 2016)

Wow! I've got my eye on a Damasko DA44 next year. 

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## kingblackbolt (Jan 4, 2008)

nodnar said:


> stuffler said:
> 
> 
> > and (coming later this year) DC86 movements
> ...


Now that I'm very much looking forward to in the new year!


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

kingblackbolt said:


> Now that I'm very much looking forward to in the new year!


Already saw the tri-compax movement. Stunning.


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## Doulos Christos (Dec 26, 2014)

Very, very cool Mike.
Thank you for sharing those with us!


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## kit7 (Mar 25, 2015)

Great photos Mike, thanks for sharing them. It's hard to believe those steel bars in the final photo will soon be watches. Happy and prosperous new year to all my fellow Damasko watch owners, from Ireland.


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## pherret (Sep 24, 2009)

Great pics Mike and happy new year. Was there any mention of a release date for the Dsub bracelet?

Thanks


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

pherret said:


> ...Was there any mention of a release date for the Dsub bracelet?


No. I did not ask. I will go with rubber anyway.


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## benny (May 24, 2008)

Good stuff, thanks for the inside viewpoint!


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## Chris Thorn (Dec 24, 2018)

Would be cool to take a tour of some of the factories one of these days. Thanks for sharing !


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## thewheel82 (Jul 6, 2011)

stuffler said:


> 15 employees plus family members.


I had no idea that Damasko was that small, pretty cool.


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## 5277 (Aug 8, 2018)

Thanks Mike for these inside pictures.


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## phorty (Feb 13, 2018)

I used to work at a commercial and aerospace gear manufacturer - Damasko's equipment more resembles that than what I would think of a watch manufacturing facility!


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## wkw (Feb 12, 2006)

Great pictures Mike. Thanks for taking us inside the HQ.

Just wondering if there is any update on the bracelet with damest coating.




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## riff raff (Dec 28, 2015)

phorty said:


> I used to work at a commercial and aerospace gear manufacturer - Damasko's equipment more resembles that than what I would think of a watch manufacturing facility!


That surprised me as well. Thanks for sharing a fascinating peek into a manufacturers site.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

wkw said:


> Great pictures Mike. Thanks for taking us inside the HQ.
> 
> Just wondering if there is any update on the bracelet with damest coating.


Sorry, no real update. Konrad and his son are still testing damest coated bracelets in daily wear with no issues. However, the price for the end-consumer would be too high. All those tiny parts would have to go through a third and fourth process of production which (*imho*) would result in a price >€1000/€1100. That's hardly feasible.


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## wkw (Feb 12, 2006)

Thank you for the update Mike. I agree the estimated price is out of reach.

Hope one day Damasko will find a solution to being down the production cost of damest bracelet.


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## kingblackbolt (Jan 4, 2008)

Pictures as soon as you're able to post them please Mr. Stuffler!



stuffler said:


> kingblackbolt said:
> 
> 
> > Now that I'm very much looking forward to in the new year!
> ...


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## MKN (Mar 27, 2012)

phorty said:


> I used to work at a commercial and aerospace gear manufacturer - Damasko's equipment more resembles that than what I would think of a watch manufacturing facility!


As far as I remember Konrad Damasko cut his teeth in a similar environment

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## Dennis K (Apr 24, 2018)

MadsNilsson said:


> As far as I remember Konrad Damasko cut his teeth in a similar environment


That's what I thought too. That Damasko were originally a subcontractor of aerospace and automotive components.


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## Dennis K (Apr 24, 2018)

On another note. It's great to see such a small manufacturer make so much in house, in the one facility and still sell them at a very reasonable price.


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## Spring-Diver (Jan 26, 2009)

Great thread Mike! It’s so cool to see the inner workings of a small operation creating magic

Cheers 
Shannon


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## MKN (Mar 27, 2012)

Dennis K said:


> That's what I thought too. That Damasko were originally a subcontractor of aerospace and automotive components.


I don't remember the full story but suspect that Mike would

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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

A quote from my report on my first Damasko visit in 2007

The “Damasko Metallbearbeitung” has an annual output of app. 5 million workpieces which are divided in app. 1200 subject categories such as ball bearings in all sizes, parts for dental and surgical instruments, parts for satellite technique, piston rods, and (if requested) inkstand caps. Indeed we produced 10.000 inkstand caps for a very well known brand in Hamburg (note: Can´t be any other brand than Montblanc).


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## MKN (Mar 27, 2012)

stuffler said:


> A quote from my report on my first Damasko visit in 2007
> 
> The "Damasko Metallbearbeitung" has an annual output of app. 5 million workpieces which are divided in app. 1200 subject categories such as ball bearings in all sizes, parts for dental and surgical instruments, parts for satellite technique, piston rods, and (if requested) inkstand caps. Indeed we produced 10.000 inkstand caps for a very well known brand in Hamburg (note: Can´t be any other brand than Montblanc).


Would that be the same 15 people? That's an impressive output in any case

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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

MadsNilsson said:


> Would that be the same 15 people?.....


Nope.


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## Dennis K (Apr 24, 2018)

I feel like I want to buy a Damasko conrod, just to put on my work desk as an ornament.


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## MKN (Mar 27, 2012)

stuffler said:


> Nope.


Thought as much. 
Thanks for the interesting info

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## autofiend (May 31, 2009)

Great post! Very cool to see the Damasko inner sanctum.


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## robertjsullivan (Jan 1, 2019)

Quite cool. Thanks for sharing this .


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## benny (May 24, 2008)

Thanks for the insight. Is Damasko open to brief tours during the week? I know this isn’t always possible, just wondering as I was thinking of catching a train to the mono store from Munich, but see that it is not open on Monday / Tuesday, when we will be in Munich his summer.


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## Chrono9 (Nov 20, 2018)

This is very cool, love the fact you can visit


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

benny said:


> Thanks for the insight. Is Damasko open to brief tours during the week?


No. That would consume too much time. But hey, dropping them an email and asking does not demand much of your time.


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## benny (May 24, 2008)

Thanks Mike, I'll drop them a note.


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## robmellor (Feb 16, 2006)

Love to see the old style lathe also very supris3 to see it in suck a modern operation.


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