Figure 2. This close-up of the camera shows the Nikon right angle viewer that attaches at the normal eyepiece location.

Lighting is the greatest challenge by far. Nothing works without good lighting. An ideal lighting arrangement is an externally illuminated white box with the watch placed inside. This can be made of a translucent plastic with several lights around the box. However, you must be able to get in the box to make adjustments to the watch position. My arrangement is more cumbersome, but gives acceptable lighting. I have two 500w quartz lights, each on a stand placed on either side of the watch. Between the lights and the watch is a diffuser. The translucent plastic could be similar to the plastic covering from a kitchen fluorescent light fixture. To approximate the white box, I use white poster paper to form the other two sides of the box. If the watch is not boxed in on all four sides, a reflection from a colored shirt may show up unexpectedly in your photos. Since I use quartz lighting and standard daylight color print film, I use an 80A filter on the lens. This compensates for the artificial lights when using daylight film. I normally use standard 200 speed print film.

The positioning of the watch with respect to the lighting and the camera is fundamental to getting the desired image of the movement. A slight tilt of the watch will make all the difference between a good shot and a great shot. With all of the different surfaces on a watch, and with the damascening and engraving on a movement, a few degrees of tilt will bring out the beautiful damascening or will accentuate the engraving. To accomplish this, I took a ball and socket head from a flash holder and mounted a small table made from the bottom of a watch parts holder that has a small lip around the edge (about 3" in diameter). See Figure 3. I drape a black cloth over this table and put the watch on it. I have found the black cloth gives the best contrast and emphasizes the watch dial or movement. While looking through the viewfinder, I adjust the tilt until I get just the right illumination for what I want to show on the watch. I have been able to highlight either the damascening or the watch engraving, and with care I can sometimes get both simultaneously.

Although exposure on print film can often be corrected in the printing process, you should look for consistency. To do this, I set up my lighting and set the camera for the proper film speed. I then place a standard Kodak gray card where the watch would go and use the camera light meter to set the aperture and shutter speed. The Kodak gray card has a specified reflectance that a light meter is calibrated for. Then, no matter whether I am shooting a porcelain white dial, the inside of a case, or a movement, I do not change the camera exposure settings. If the movement is at an angle with respect to the camera, then it is important that all parts of the movement be in focus. Maximum depth of field is obtained when the lens aperture is small or the f-stop reading is high. For most lenses this is optimized around f-11.

When using slide film, the exposure is much more critical as there is no correction process in the developing. Experience has shown that underexposure of 1/3 to 1/2 f-stop will give properly exposed slides, but there is no better answer than that which comes from your own trials and experimentation.

Polarizing filters can often be used to eliminate reflections from a surface; however, for my setup, I have not been successful in using them. It is possible to get polarizing filters to put on the lights and on the camera lens to eliminate reflections. However, because of the heat generated from the 500W quartz lights, it is not economically practical to apply them. A polarizing filter on the lens alone does not seem to be effective.

Obviously the technology is moving to the digital cameras, and all of the above concepts apply either manually or automatically. Although film has significantly higher resolution than the current consumer model digital cameras, new camera capabilities are increasing exponentially. Digital cameras that are equivalent to film cameras today cost in the tens of thousands of dollars range. However, there are cameras on the market today under $1000 that will give excellent quality images. In choosing a digital camera, there are a number of criteria to consider. Here are a few features to evaluate: 1.) What is the close focusing capability of the camera and the subsequent lens to subject distance? This is important in designing the lighting. 2.) How easy is it to see what exactly is in focus? How good is the LCD display for checking focus? Can you clearly see engraving or damascening? Some cameras have a video output that will let you see on a TV monitor what the image looks like before the picture is taken. 3.) What is the storage medium and capacity for multiple images? Floppy disks can be easily removed and downloaded in a computer. Memory cards can be removed and loaded into a laptop with a PCMCIA card. Is the speed of the serial link to upload images to a computer fast enough? Is a USB high speed port available? 4.) Does the camera allow aperture priority operation at close focus to ensure depth of field control? 5.) Is automatic color correction available for artificial lighting?

I have attempted to explain only one amateur’s method to photograph a watch. There are many methods that are used to obtain excellent photos that appear in the Bulletin. Perhaps some of the ideas mentioned will help you get one step closer to getting the desired image.

Jack Goldberg has been collecting and photographing watches for about nine years. He specializes in Gruen watches and memorabilia. He has photographed numerous watches for the Railroaders’ Corner and has contributed one previous article to the Bulletin. He published a CD including images of all of the watches from the 1999 National Convention display. Contact him for more information at: jrgoldberg@compuserve. com. He is now working on the image database for Pocket Horology Chapter 174. Jack is an electrical engineer with ExxonMobil and received an MSEE from Tulane University.

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