Askja — a sculpted bronze digital watch

01 / The whole watch

Bronze, silver and leather.

A Casio digital module tells the time inside the case. The current prototype shows the bronze bare, with a dark red leather strap.

29.9 mmCase width

16 mmLeather strap

The complete Askja prototype with its bronze buckle and dark red leather strap — The whole watch

Front and back / turned by hand

On the wrist

The form

Askja from a low side angle, showing the depth of the bronze case, its layered edge and where the leather strap meets the case — From the side / the depth of the case

The bronze front / turning

The material

Bronze changes with wear

The raised parts wear first and come back to bare metal — bright where the mark is fresh, darkening again after that. The pattern that develops follows how the watch has been worn.

Close view of the bare bronze Askja case and its sculpted waves — The undulating case / bare bronze prototype

The patinated finish · in preparation

NH₄Cl

Ammonium chloride. For the patinated models the case is coated in the salt, then sealed into a chamber and left to react. A crust of copper chloride minerals grows out of the bronze. How long it stays in decides the colour: the same salt gives green or blue.

The name

Salmiac takes its name from this salt. It is also what gives salty liquorice its distinctive taste.

It occurs naturally at volcanic fumaroles, crystallising out of the gas as it meets the air. The patinated models are named after volcanoes.

In 1866, the same salt was used as the electrolyte in the Leclanché cell, an ancestor of the modern dry battery.

The construction

Four screws and a gasket

The case is closed on every side but the crystal. The back comes off with four screws. The module sits in a pocket in the bronze, enclosed by a rubber gasket where the back meets the case. The wave runs across the back as well, and the mark stands in a raised circle. The assay marks are struck on the inside.

Askja's polished sterling silver caseback with four screws and the Salmiac mark: a raised S within a diamond outline, set in a circular recess — Sterling silver caseback / four screws

The silver back / turning

The inside of the caseback, with the 925 sterling silver stamp — Inside the caseback / 925 stamp

Taken apart

Eight parts, drawn in the order they stack: crystal at the top, screws and the buckle at the bottom.

Exploded drawing of Askja: crystal, case with two spring bars, Casio module, gasket, caseback, four screws and the buckle, stacked in the order they come apart — Drawn from the CAD model. The top of the case in contour lines, 0.25 mm apart.

The parts, and what each one measures.

CrystalMineral glassØ18 × 1.0 mm
CaseCast bronze29.9 × 29.9 × 10.6 mm
Spring barsTwoØ1.5 × 21.8 mm
ModuleCasio 328422.1 × 21.1 × 5.9 mm
GasketRubber24.2 × 23.0 × 1.0 mm
CasebackSterling silver 92529.4 × 29.4 × 2.3 mm
ScrewsFourØ2.4 × 5.4 mm
BuckleCast bronze, with tongue and pin22.4 × 17.5 × 4.4 mm

The making

From a cast blank to a case

The bronze comes out of the mould with the sprue still on it. What follows is hand work: the sprue is sawn off, the face is filed flat, and the holes are tapped for the caseback screws.

A cast bronze case with the sprue still attached

The caseback plate, cast and blasted, the mark raised at the centre

01 · Sawing the sprue

02 · Filing

03 · Tapping the threads

Askja / current prototype

The buckle

The buckle is cast as well. Its frame is sawn from the sprue, the tongue is bent from wire and cut to length, and the finished buckle is fitted to the strap.

The cast bronze buckle frame with the sprue still attached and SALMIAC on the bar

The finished bronze buckle with its tongue, fitted to the dark red leather strap

01 · Sawing the frame free

02 · Bending the tongue

03 · Cutting the tongue

04 · Fitting to the strap

About Salmiac

Anton Leivo

Salmiac is designed by Anton Leivo in Finland. His background is in product and jewellery design, with a degree from the Lahti Institute of Design and further studies in micromechanics.

For Askja, his work centres on the case: developing the form in 3D, taking it through physical prototypes and refining how its parts fit together.

Specifications

Manufacture: Modelled in CAD, printed as a master, cast in bronze
Movement: Casio 3284 digital module
Battery: Replaceable — CR1616
Caseback: Screwed and serviceable — sterling silver 925 against the wrist
Crystal: Mineral glass
Water resistance: None
Strap and buckle: Dark red smooth leather, 16 mm — buckle in cast bronze, left bare
In the box: Watch, strap

Living with Askja

Care and service

Keep it dry

The current prototype is not water resistant. Keep it out of the shower and swimming pool, and wipe off splashes promptly.

Changing metal

Bare bronze darkens with use. A soft, dry cloth is the starting point for care; the prototype guide explains the bronze and silver surfaces.

Battery and access

The CR1616 battery is replaceable through the screwed caseback. The guide describes time setting and battery replacement for the current prototype.

A direct contact

For questions about use, care or servicing, write to Anton Leivo at anton@salmiac.fi.

Askja prototype guide

Coming

In development

Titanium

Three cases · in development

Case: 3D printed titanium
Movement: Casio 3284 digital module
Strap: 20 mm