It's a simple question, but pretty difficult to answer in a definitive way. Depends on what you're looking for. A job? A hobby? Something else?

To become competent watchmaker, there are basically two routes. Either you get an apprenticeship, which is probably quite difficult these days, or you go to school full time. Either way you will probably have to take some brand courses to gain access to official parts accounts. Or if you prefer to try taking the more traditional approach and service and repair just whatever is brought to you, you will face the situation where you just simply do not have access to parts and there will be some hunting involved. Or you can be a nutjob like myself and just do everything yourself. Not recommended.

I think it's safe to say you won't become a competent watchmaker by doing short courses and reading books. I have no clue what type of schools you have available in Canada, but if at all possible it is definitely worth the effort to relocate near a reputable school. Unless you're living in western Switzerland, this is what a lot of watchmakers do.

 

Thanks Aku, we don't have anymore watchmaking schools in Canada. I am not able to leave my city to study. So the options are limited.

Can you tell me generally what the situation for brand courses is ( I assume it varies by brand)?
But generally what are the skills required before they let you in? Cost? length of course?

Generally what privileges do a brand course and parts account give a person?

 

Thanks Aku, we don't have anymore watchmaking schools in Canada. I am not able to leave my city to study. So the options are limited.

Can you tell me generally what the situation for brand courses is ( I assume it varies by brand)?
But generally what are the skills required before they let you in? Cost? length of course?

Generally what privileges do a brand course and parts account give a person?

Others here are more competent to answer that. I've only done a few unofficial Rolex courses in watchmaking school so I wouldn't really know for sure. All I have is second hand information which is always a bit dubious. I've never been interested in brands, so I never even bothered finding out.

A lot of brands these days won't sell you parts unless you're certified. To my knowledge Rolex has been the strictest of them all but many if not all Swatch group brands have followed suit. Not sure about LVMH but I assume it's the same with them. There are still some unofficial sources for generic parts but the loop is closing in. If I was in the position of starting a repair shop today, I most definitely would not rely on generic supply houses.

We could get into talking about the politics of this less than ideal situation in the industry but let's just not.

 

I think you'll find these aren't simple questions and everything is in flux right now with most brands restricting parts access making it harder for independents to operate so they can channel watches to their own service centers and capture the $$$ from the service market.

Check out CW21 certification and that will give you an idea of the minimum that most brands require. Also look at WOSTEP and SAWTA certification, which are not available apart from full time studies on location at a school.

Good luck!

 

...Check out CW21 certification ....... Also look at WOSTEP and SAWTA certification..

These were good, I'll have to stay close to home though, hence asking about online stuff
There is a good suggestion about approaching a local watchmaker for instruction.

 

There's a watchmaking school in Trois Rivières, Quebec.

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http://www.ecolehorlogerie.com/ecole_nationale_de_l__horlogerie.ws

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For some reason I thought they closed, worth looking into. 2 hour commute each way, or 18 months away from home.

I want to get further into this, see where my interests lie, before I commit to that.

 

I'd say start by doing some stuff yourself. Get some cheap 7S26 and Chinese knock-off 6498 movements on eBay that you can take apart and put back together again. Learn what the tools are and how to use them. Most importantly, find out if you have the eyes and hands needed for the job. You should probably know this before you make a career decision.

 

I started doing this ( chinese and cheapo old stuff) and will probably continue this approach.
I think I will start off by seeing if the field interests me, see what I can learn on my own. If I go further, I may approach local watchmakers.
The hand/eye part...I already have a good start.

At this point in time it is hairspring manipulation that I haven't wrapped my head around.

 

I disagree.

Your aptitude will be tested if you choose on enroll at any decent watchmaking school. You don't just walk in. Shaking off (and you will be required to do that) previously learned bad habits is far more difficult than starting with a clean slate.

 

I don't think seriously bad habits would be formed in a few months of self teaching. It's almost certainly a good thing to try it out and see if one even likes watch work before jumping through all the hoops to get in school or find someone to apprentice under.

I did it and I turned out alright! Anyways schools usually start with manual work, sawing, filing, lathe. Then watch work comes and watchmaking teachers tend to be a bit sadistic. Get your movement dropped in sawdust or dirty benzine a few times for sloppy work and you learn to follow instructions fast.

 

Find a certified local watchmaker who is willing to take on a student. Expect to pay for classes.
Good luck,
BG

 

Try this aptitude test. Take a block of steel cut it oversize to a 25mm cube. Hand file it to a cube within 0.05mm of 25mm in all directions and locations. It also must be square to 0.05mm in 100mm on all sides. You are allowed, layout tools, a band saw, various files and a machine vise, as well as a 25mm micrometer, a square and a set of feeler blades.

That's a standard skill taught in Machinist Apprentice schools. I was reading one person's journey through a watchmakers school (I believe it was the British School of Watchmaking) and it was one of the first tasks. Hand filing is an invaluable skill when fashioning replacement parts. de Carle has many pages on how to fashion a balance staff or cock by hand or on a Jacot lathe.

 

Try this aptitude test. Take a block of steel cut it oversize to a 25mm cube. Hand file it to a cube with 0.05mm of 25mm in all directions and locations. It also must be square to 0.05mm in 100mm on all sides. You are allowed, layout tools, a band saw, various files and a machine vise, as well as a 25mm micrometer, a square and a set of feeler blades.

Interesting....dad did a similar test for the Canadian military in the 30's but it was a male and female hex. ( He did the test so fast they didn't believe it, they made him re-do it, with a dedicated observer to make sure he didn't cheat)
I've been comfortable with files and machine tools, as a scratch gunsmith , for the last 15 years. Watches seem to be more involved by a factor of 20 or so.

 

Watches are just smaller, but the same principles apply. I never did the test, but some of the young guys doing apprenticeships did. I was working my way through college so the foreman didn't see the point in having me go through an apprenticeship program. I hardly had the time as well.

 

So I decided to give is a try.
I started on two paths. I did some of Mark lovick's courses, which were informative but the first two levels and offered a some more than I got doing some internet searching and forum reading. I will do the third level which has some fault finding, which I am looking forward to.

I also decided to see if I can "fix" a broken watch I have. It was represented to me as a trench watch. The watch was missing the hairspring and collar. I knew I didn't have the knowledge to source the correct spring and wanted to jump right in, at the bench, instead of spending time researching the technical details. The next spring will be more appropriate.

I bought a cheap hairspring assembly and made the collar and pin. First though I had to make a spade drill of .3mm for the collar. I managed to get it all together but the spring has the wrong shape. No surprise that the first time I worked on a spring I bent it out of shape. ( I am happy though that I did manage to manipulate it for a good few hours during fitting without mangling it, it bodes well I think). By eye I think the collar is too big but the diameter of the cylinder escapement (.75mm) obliges me to make a big collar, I think?

In the end the balance does oscillate, but I suspect too quickly, I have to make some hands and do a rough timing trial to see. Eventually I'll need a timing machine.

If anyone has advice on estimating what an appropriate hair spring is, I would appreciate the help.

This is the @.3mm spade drill

This is the collar, MY FIRST WATCH PART!

This spring, collar and balance.

The watch seems fairly cheap, so a good exercise.

 

Bob Duckworth : Thanks, I've taken the first two and will take the third Lovick course.