There has been some free time with the job search. I've been utilizing that time to better my CAD skills. Some time ago, I sketched a Cartier watch for Sketchwars. I've been practicing Solidworks by modeling this design. I would say that its progressing pretty well. The watch face and movement should be an interesting challenge!
My Cartier watch design in Solidworks
Lately I've been interviewing for a new position and have been learning a lot about where I stand as a designer and where I want to go. One area where I would like to improve is with my CAD skills. CAD is a very powerful tool for designers, especially when you are trying to make an idea work for manufacturing. Seeing an idea go into production is an area where I would like to have more involvement.
With this exercise, I chose to model a Cartier sketch from a prior Sketchwars entry. At Dell, I was using Creo. Most companies use Solidworks, so I thought this would be a good way to become more familiar with that program. A lot of techniques are applicable, but the interface is different from Creo.
Personally, I really love watches. I consider watches to be a form of jewelry, another way to express your style. I'm a big fan of Nixon, Bell and Ross, Cartier and other fine watches. This has been a really great exercise, and I'm looking forward to honing down the details.