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Mechanical Watch

ciechanow.ski

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Bartosz Ciechanowski's interactive visual essay explaining how a mechanical watch works - from the mainspring to the escapement. One of the best pieces of technical communication ever made.

This is what the internet was made for. The interactive diagrams make something I never understood click instantly. Every technical writer should study how Bartosz structures explanation.

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kwameExpert·541 rep·3/19/2026

Bartosz's work is in a league of its own. The gear train visualization made me understand in 30 seconds what I couldn't grasp from 3 YouTube videos. This is what 'show don't tell' looks like for engineering.

heliaCurator·248 rep·3/19/2026

I showed this to a friend who designs watches and she said it explains the escapement better than her textbook did. The web needs more of this - genuine craft in explanation.