DIE

In watchmaking, a die refers to the female tool of a stamping pair — the complementary male component being the punch — intended to shape, cut, or emboss a Metal by plastic deformation or shearing. Made of hardened steel or carbide, the die has a recess (a cutting window, drawing cavity, or hollow impression) whose profile corresponds exactly, in negative, to the desired final shape or the relief of the punch. Mounted and clamped onto the bed of a press (flywheel, toggle, or hydraulic), the die receives the material — blank, strip, or rough piece — onto which the punch strikes to cut, draw, or stamp. This stamping process allows the mass production of Movement components (wheel plates, springs, etc.), External parts (case, dial, hands) elements (sides of the Case middle, bracelet links) or embossed decorations (medallion of the Case back, pattern of the Dial). The precision of the die, today often achieved through wire electrical discharge machining (EDM), directly determines the sharpness of the cuts and the dimensional consistency of the parts produced, a major concern given the very tight tolerances specific to watchmaking.