Image: A. Lange & Söhne
A watch is often seen as a mark of elegance, power, and taste. Take Daniel Craig for example, the actor is the staple definition of suave and sleek, sporting thousands of dollars worth of Omega watches throughout the 007 franchise. But, how well do they hold up to an electrochemically built watch?
According to In Compliance Magazine, Empa scientists have created the next generation of watch springs, built to be scientifically powerful, tiny, and extremely durable.
These little powerhouses are deposited electrochemically into the required form thanks to the use of an aqueous saline solution, all made possible with the help a silicon wafer, light-sensitive paint, metallic alloy, and a scientist or two. The entire process is quiet a complicated one; just one error in temperature can completely ruin the sensitive springs.
Ok, admittingly, whether it’s better than Cartier is up for debate, you have to admit this new technology is pretty cool. It’s expected that these springs could soon be used in commercial timepieces. Although, that’s not what Empa scientists are focused on, instead, working out the details of the miniaturization process. By studying the ways the parts interact and respond to different materials, researchers can more easily adjust and modify springs to suit specific needs.
As for now, scientists are working to streamline, improve, and speed up the spring making process to create the most viable process for commercial production.
Electrochemistry has also led to a number of other technological advances in daily life, one of the most recent targeting the farming industry. A special glove, known as ‘lab-on-a-glove,’ was developed to inform farmers of harmful pesticide levels in real-time, as they worked on the field.
The electrochemical analysis is determined when the wearer swipes their thumb on a surface for testing and then proceeds to touch their thumb and index fingers together. The results are then displayed on the user’s mobile device.
The glove-based electrochemical biosensor opens up the possibilities to the future of on-the-hand chemical detection in diverse fields.
