Is there a shortage of watchmakers in the U.S.? - Page 5. Horological Meandering - An Industry in Danger. First a quick update.
For those who don't know, I left MB&F in December to pursue opportunities outside of the watch industry. As such, I am just a regular Purist once again. My opinion clearly is not representative of any brand, and in fact I can definitely say that those I worked closest with are undoubtedly the best in the industry. Anyway, now that I'm out I feel more comfortable talking candidly about the industry as a whole. The following was posted on my blog this morning. American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute.
Instruments for Professionals. A Basic Homemade Watchmakers Bench Photo layout. Hello WUS Member's,This is my first contributory post and I hope some will find it useful.
Yes I know all of you look forward to my comical and wise-cracking posts but after more than a hundred or so, it's about time I post something serious. Let's get Started...After looking over the web for plans for a watchmakers bench and finding very little in terms of dimensions I sat down an did some tinkering with the bench on my own.
I came up with a bench 40 inches long by 40 inches tall and 18 inches deep.I picked out Birch ply panels 2' x 4' x 1/4" for the front and sides, this took four sheets of material, then the top I used another 2' x 4' Birch panel by 3/4 inch. 1 sheet of that material. Then for the framing I used Douglas Fir in 2" x 4" in 10' length. 3 boards used. (try to find the dry ones if you can, sure helps too keep it square.) HODINKEE - Wristwatch News, Reviews, & Original Stories. Watch Nerdist Interview: KM Independent Watchmaking. By A Real Person on October 5, 2010 In my last post I talked about a couple of items that could be the future of the wristwatch.
One not (necessarily) designed as a watch (the iPad Nano) and the other taking new technology into the wristwatch arena (Seiko E-Ink watches). While both of these designs could be the start of the next area of watches, the immediate future, in my eyes, belongs to guys like Keaton Myrick. As a young guy in his early twenties, Keaton decided that his future lay in watches.
Not in retail sales at a jewelry store but in restoration and repair and, taking it one step further, making watches of his own. JE: So, what kicked off your interest in watches? KM: My interest in watches goes back to my childhood. A mechanical watchmaker in a digital world. Watchmaker Career Guide - Random Jobs. A watchmaker is somebody who makes or repairs watches.
A person skilled in horology is responsible for the concept, design, build and after-sales care of wristwatches for men and women. The manufacturing aspect of watch production can range from small cottage-industry, self-employed watchmakers (the traditional one-man band), through to the big-name established timekeeping brands with hundreds of employees, all covering different elements of watch construction. Examples include the famous design houses of Patek Philippe and Breguet. The term `horology' is a reference to the science of designing implements to measure time. The modern-day cliché, “built like a Swiss watch”, refers to the dedication and long history of watchmakers in that country, and nowadays, much of the traditional manufacture still takes place in Switzerland. Salary The salaries within the industry can vary somewhat, and depend on the individual skills of a person and their reputation as a skilled horologist. Skills. The 15 Greatest Watchmakers.
The Emperors New Watch. Www.watchmaking.net. North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking – Watchmaking schools and courses in USA. Institute of Swiss Watchmaking. If you are thinking about Watchmaking School ... Korpela & Hofs Watchmaking Competence Centre. Swatch Group - General Information. Mission Statement: The Nicolas G.
Hayek Watchmaking School is dedicated to developing professional watchmakers and future after sales service leaders for the Swiss watch industry by providing a WOSTEP education that will lead to a rewarding career. Our staff and faculty are committed to instilling the time honored spirit of watch making, where tradition is balanced in harmony with cutting edge technology, truly preparing graduates for the demands of modern After Sales Services. The School WOSTEP was founded in 1966 by Ebauches SA and the Federation of Swiss Watch Manufacturers (FH) and is an institute for further education in watch making. The Swiss watch industry set up this school under the name of Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program (WOSTEP) in order to train foreign watchmakers in after-sales service methods for Swiss watches.
WOSTEP launched an ambitious program to foster and encourage the training of watch repairers and retailers worldwide. Tick Talk » A mechanical watchmaker in a digital world. American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute. Tick Talk » The Lititz Watch Technicum. I attended the Lititz Watch Technicum from Sep 2004 to Aug 2006.
It was a wonderful experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants a career in watchmaking. The facility is truly amazing and the instruction is the best available. The program is constantly changing so I can’t tell you exactly what it is like today, but they follow the WOSTEP program which involves 3000+ hours of horological training. I attended classes Mon-Fri from 7:30 to 4:30. We spent 6 months working on micromechanical tasks (manufacturing parts) culminating in the completion of our “school watch” project. The next 18 months are spent disassembling, assembling, oiling, cleaning, and repairing mechanical timepieces. In addition to the schools supplied training movements each student brought in 30 outside timepieces for repair.
While at school I had to support a wife and son, which was pretty difficult. And there are not tons of jobs available. Watchmaking is an exciting profession. How Should I Begin Watchmaking? American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute.