Manufacturer of stamped and finished watch hands made of brass, steel, titanium and other materials
Estima AG
Grenchen (CH) · Allerheiligenstrasse 30, CH-2540New on Amplifa
About Estima
Estima AG was founded in 1924 to supply watch hands to the booming Swiss watch industry. Since 1956, the company's headquarters have been located in a purpose-built factory in Grenchen. Estima manufactures stamped watch hands in various styles, including flat, with two or three facets, curved or rounded, and offers surface finishes such as polishing, diamond cutting, lacquering, bluing, electroplating (nickel, black nickel, 1N to 5N), black oxide and PVD/CVD coating. Production is carried out in brass, copper beryllium, iron, steel, titanium, aluminium and polycarbonate. The company specialises in short lead times and handles small and large orders alike. Under new ownership and management, Estima has invested in modernising its manufacturing technology to meet the requirements of the "Swiss made" standards and the global market.
- Site
- Grenchen
- Processes
- Stamping of watch hands, Polished watch hands, Diamond cutting of watch hands (flat, 2 facets, 3 facets, curved, rounded), Lacquering of watch hands, Bluing of watch hands, Electroplating (nickel, black nickel, 1N to 5N), Black oxide coating, PVD / CVD coating
- Materials
- Brass, Copper beryllium, Iron, Steel, Titanium, Aluminium, Polycarbonate, Electroplating
- Certificates
- Fischerscope, Climate chamber, Sulphur/UV/torque tests, Pantone colour and dimensional inspection
- Founded
- 1924
- Industries
- Watch industry
- 01
Stamping of watch hands
- 02
Surface machining (polishing, diamond cutting)
- 03
Finishing (lacquering, bluing, electroplating, PVD/CVD)
- 04
Quality inspection
- 05
Delivery
Materials & Processes
Brass
Standard material for stamped watch hands with good finishing potential.
Copper beryllium
For watch hands with special mechanical requirements.
Iron
Material for watch hands, among other things suitable for bluing.
Steel
For robust watch hands with high-quality surface finishing.
Titanium
Light, low-corrosion material for watch hands.
Aluminium
Lightweight material for special hand designs.
Polycarbonate
Plastic for watch hands with special design requirements.
Electroplating
Nickel and black nickel plating in layer thicknesses 1N to 5N.
PVD/CVD coating
Hard-material coating for wear-resistant and decorative surfaces.
Bluing
Thermal process for creating the characteristic blue hand colour.
Diamond cutting
Flat, 2 facets, 3 facets, curved or rounded for brilliant hand edges.
Lacquering
Lacquer coating of hands including Pantone colour verification.
Locations
Grenchen
CHFactory and administration
- Materials
- Brass, copper beryllium, iron, steel, titanium, aluminium, polycarbonate
- Fischerscope
- Climate chamber
- Test equipment for sulphur, UV and torque tests
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stamping of watch handsForming | – | – | – | – | Brass, Copper beryllium, Iron, Steel, Titanium, Aluminium, Polycarbonate |
| Polished watch handsSurface | – | – | – | – | Brass, Copper beryllium, Iron, Steel, Titanium, Aluminium, Polycarbonate |
| Diamond cutting of watch hands (flat, 2 facets, 3 facets, curved, rounded)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Lacquering of watch handsSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Bluing of watch handsHeat treatment | – | – | – | – | – |
| Electroplating (nickel, black nickel, 1N to 5N)Surface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Black oxide coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| PVD / CVD coatingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Quality inspection (Fischerscope, climate chamber, sulphur, UV, torque, Pantone colours,Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Quality
In its own quality laboratory, product and process are monitored at every stage, in accordance with NIHS, ISO and other standards. Testing methods include Fischerscope, climate chamber, sulphur, UV and torque tests as well as Pantone colour and dimensional inspection.
| Evidence | Grenchen |
|---|---|
| Fischerscope | |
| Climate chamber | |
| Sulphur/UV/torque tests | |
| Pantone colour and dimensional inspection |
History
- 1924
Founded to supply watch hands for the booming Swiss watch industry
- 1956
New factory built in Grenchen, still the company's location today
New ownership and management; investments in modernising manufacturing technology in accordance with the "Swiss made" standards