Free-D, a Dynamic 3D Printed Watch Combining Traditional and Innovative Technologies
SevenFriday, a company based in Zurich, offers lifestyle accessories such as watches and eyewear. From its beginnings, the company’s main objective has been to offer unique designs inspired by the industrial world. For 10th anniversary, SevenFriday certainly did not to disappoint on this. The brand recently unveiled a new watch called Free-D with an impressive and unique design. The accessory integrates many 3D printed elements and wants to give a futuristic impression by its design and its “architecture”.
This is not the first time that additive manufacturing has been used to design watches. Several companies have already adapted the technology to manufacture unconventional timepieces. One example is the French startup Kairod. The young company has developed a watch uses laser powder bed fusion processes, enabling them to combine tradition and innovation. Similarly, Zigante, another startup, uses FDM technology to design custom-made and ecological watches. As you can imagine, 3D technologies allow watch manufacturers to use less materials as well as minimize waste, allowing for more sustainable production.
Photo Credits: SevenFriday
A Closer Look at the FREE-D
The watch, which is extra large, mixes both conventional manufacturing methods and innovations. While the inner titanium case is machined using traditional manufacturing, the outer lining is 3D printed from PA11. Thanks to this material, the company is able to design organic, lightweight and durable parts. And the company certainly seems pleased with the results, “The latest version challenges everything you’d expect from an ordinary watch. Reminiscent of space travel, both in shape and feel, the FREE-D is the fantasy of every back-to-the-future fanatic.”
For those who would like to purchase the Free-D, the watch will be available for €3420, which places it among the most expensive products marketed by SevenFriday. In addition, the Free-D comes with a digital image of itself and a certificate in the form of a NFT, accessible through a NFC chip that’s embedded in the back of the case. Currently, the watch is not actually available for sale on SevenFriday’s website, but the company has officially announced the launch of the product, as you can see in the video below.
What do you think of the Free-D, the watch developed by Seven Friday to celebrate its 10th anniversary? Let us know in a comment below or on our Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.
*Cover photo credits: SevenFriday
