Asset Overview
The animation shows the working principle of a mechanical watch. It consists of the following elements: _balance wheel_, _hairspring_, _pallet fork_ and _escape wheel_.
The tricky job is to integrate the deformation of the hairspring. I started from a 3D model of the mechanism and extracted each part in STL format.
As for the spring, I performed FEA simulations (1st eigenfrequency) and exported the results as VRML files (.wrl). Here, the challenge is to extract the meshes while keeping the same number of vertices on each deformed shape. In Blender, _shape keys_ were used to animate the spring.
* CAD (STEP file): Simplified model of watch movement [ETA 6497-1](https://grabcad.com/library/eta-6497-1-complete-watch-movement) by Steen Winther
* Softwares: **SolidWorks simulation**, **Blender**
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You may also enjoy the vintage movie ["How a watch works"](https://youtu.be/WYBvt9kA3bE) (Hamilton Watches Co., 1949) that explains the principle of mechanical watches with the help of a giant in line movement.