Art
2024
Crown Of Thorns
A watch you can't get comfortable with
Two thrifted watches, covered in spikes I built by hand from soft solder. The spikes say time moves fast and you shouldn't get comfortable with it. Both still keep time. The first took 48 hours, the second 30.
PROJECT INFO
The brief
Self-initiated, and my first work in metal. I wanted an everyday object to carry an idea about time.
What I found
A watch is made to be comfortable. It sits quietly on the wrist and gets forgotten, while the time it counts doesn't wait for anyone.
The idea
Make the watch impossible to get comfortable with. Spikes turn it into a crown of thorns for the wrist: time is running fast, and it won't wait.
How it came together
The watches. Two thrifted watches, both in working order.
The base. A watch case is smooth and curved, so I laid copper tape down first as a base for the solder.
The spikes. Built up by hand from tin-lead soft solder alone, one at a time. Flux helps the solder sit properly on the curved case.
Low heat. I kept the iron's temperature low. Any hotter and the solder runs instead of holding a point, and the low heat let both watches come through still working.
Placement. By eye, balancing the whole watch rather than following a pattern.
Time. The first watch took 48 hours. The second took 30.
What shipped
Two spiked watches, made in 2024. Both still keep time.
Outcome
Both watches still keep time after the metalwork.
48 hours down to 30 from the first watch to the second.
Gifted to friends. Almost everywhere I wear one, someone asks about it.
What I'd do differently
Make them easier to wear. They sit against skin, so the next ones will use lead-free solder, and I'll sand the edges of the spikes down a little.
Credits
Concept, metalwork, photography and video Shaurya Singh