Major Breakthrough

Stollenwurm and AbConcept Announce a Major Breakthrough in the Production of Tantalum for the Watch Industry

LE LOCLE, Switzerland, and LA CHAUX-DE-FONDS, Switzerland.

Stollenwurm and AbConcept announce a major breakthrough in the production of tantalum for the watchmaking industry. The two companies are focused on improving metalworking methods and applying advanced manufacturing techniques to watchmaking. The partners have jointly explored several approaches to working with tantalum and have now reached a significant milestone in this area, while continuing their development efforts.

First Additive Manufacturing of Tantalum Components in the Industry

Stollenwurm and AbConcept are pleased to confirm the first (documented) use of additive manufacturing to produce and finish tantalum components for the watchmaking industry. This represents a major breakthrough in the ability to shape and harden tantalum for functional and aesthetic watch components.

Initial hardness tests conducted on an additive-manufactured tantalum loop yielded values of approximately 180 ± 20 HV1, compared to approximately 140 HV1 for conventionally processed tantalum. Porosity continues to improve; current surface results are already optimal with a satin or microbead finish, and polishing parameters continue to be refined.

Tantalum is known to be difficult to manufacture due to its unusual combination of material properties. This metal takes its name from Tantalus, a figure condemned to eternal frustration—an apt metaphor for anyone attempting to work with it. Its high ductility causes burrs and chip adhesion rather than a clean cut, while its tendency toward work hardening requires precise and consistent cutting parameters. The metal retains heat at the cutting interface, which accelerates tool wear, and its elastic recovery (or “springback”) makes dimensional control difficult. Combined with high density and demanding surface finish requirements, tantalum is widely considered one of the most difficult metals to machine for precision components.

Development is continuing in parallel in the areas of CNC machining, hybrid processes, and additional metallurgical workflows, with significant progress in surface finishing, burr removal, micromachining, and tool wear. These advances represent a practical breakthrough in a field that many considered unfeasible on a production scale.

Background of the Partnership and Process

AbConcept began working in the field of additive manufacturing technologies in 2003, initially producing wax models for high-end jewelry. Over the past two decades, the company has turned additive manufacturing into a viable industrial practice by integrating it alongside CNC machining and other traditional processes.

Founders Aurélien Bouchet and Maxime Oudot first trained in traditional machining before moving into advanced digital manufacturing (CNC). Their experience in the rail industry, followed by their specialization in watchmaking, has enabled AbConcept to combine additive manufacturing, machining, and finishing technologies to create precision functional components.

As a side note, during their training, machinists were jokingly instructed to go get a “file” whenever they needed to add material. Additive manufacturing now offers exactly that capability, which is particularly useful when working with a metal as complex as tantalum.

Aurélien’s grandfather, the brother of a major industrial player in the metal-cutting sector in Besançon, often asked a humorous question: “How do you think the Italians make macaroni?” The answer: “It’s very simple—they take a hole and put dough around it!” This reflects the reality that it’s better to add material than to remove it, especially with a metal as complex as tantalum. It’s also much more environmentally friendly and produces significantly fewer carbon emissions.

Stollenwurm SA is a new independent Swiss watchmaking company, founded in 2024 by Edward Tourtellotte in the canton of Neuchâtel. Its headquarters are located in Le Locle, and all key activities related to the design, development, assembly, and testing of watches are based in Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds.

The company takes its name from a legendary creature of the Swiss Alps: a fire-breathing serpent with a cat’s head, considered the guardian of priceless treasures and ancient knowledge. Stollenwurm creates unique watches in very limited editions, combining platinum and tantalum, with a maximum of 12 pieces per model. Both the creature and the watches are rarely seen.

Edward acts as a catalyst for innovation, bridging the gap between the universe’s boundless conceptual ideas and the focused execution of development teams, thereby offering rare and unique timepieces to the community of fine watch collectors. His core expertise lies in product design and delivery: identifying, assembling, and motivating the world’s most skilled teams to achieve technical feats that push the boundaries of what is possible in watchmaking. Future watch models will feature multiple innovative complications, including a new type of minute repeater, a simplified world timer compatible with daylight saving time, and an all-new mechanical movement without a balance wheel.

Ethical Sourcing and Traceability

All of the tantalum used in this program comes from ethical sources through Canadian supply chains and is sourced from Germany, Japan, and Thailand.

Future Projects

The partnership continues to refine porosity, polishing behavior, and hybrid post-processing methods, and is also engaged in the preliminary development of a new alloy system for future applications.

Additional technical information will be disclosed as key development milestones are reached.