Comments on: Essential Tools for a Watchmaker

By: J.Peter

J.Peter — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:24:38 +0000

Dear Interested, I’m afraid I don’t know anything about the program at BHI.

By: Interested

Interested — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 05:45:16 +0000

What tools would I need to complete the 3 year program at BHI? Is there a package I could get to make buying easier until I’m well read in the tools of the trade? Must one travel yearly to take exams? I apologize if these questions have been answered elsewhere on your excellent site. This is one of the few outlets I’ve seen for such discussion. Any information or aid would be quite helpful. Thanks for your time.

By: B.KIM

B.KIM — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:38:00 +0000

Very nice tool list.

I’m interested in learning watchmaking.
I’m thinking of taking time zone school.
I want to shop for required watchmaking tools and movment before I enroll.

Can somebody tell me a good watch tool & watch part supplier in Canada? I live in Montreal.

So far only place I found was http://www.ofrei.com/ which is in US and I don’t know how much custom will charge on purchase from them.

Thank ou.

By: J.Edwards

J.Edwards — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:50:15 +0000

I have seen a Horia tool that accepts all of the Seitz stumps and pushers, but I haven’t seen a Horia tool that can accept the Seitz reamers. If anyone does happen to know of an attachment/variation that achieves this, I would love to know more.

I do know of accessories for your typical staking set that will accept the reamers, however, Scott. That may be something you would want to look into. There is always the option of crafting your own accessory using an old stake, too.

Wackyvorlon, you can always either add or remove weight when poising. The choice is yours. Here are some deciding factors to keep in mind though:

- Weight gets added to the highest point of the balance when it comes to rest o the poising tool
- Weight gets removed from the lowest point of the balance when it comes to rest on the poising tool
- Never attempt to add weight to a balance that does not have screws on which to add timing washers
- Never add timing washers to mean time screws, microstella screws, gyromax nuts, etc.
- When adjusting mean-time screws for dynamic poising, I add some weight if the mean time screws are more than half of their length beyond the outer rim of the balance. I do so by adding timing washers to two opposing balance screws.

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:24:18 +0000

Don’t forget the ETAChron tools.

By: wackyvorlon

wackyvorlon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:50:24 +0000

Thanks! I’ve got a poising tool, with agate jaws. Though it’s one without the built in level, so I’ll have to practice leveling it. How do you decide wether to add washers or undercut the screws?

By: J.Peter

J.Peter — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:11:14 +0000

Wackyvorlon, Correct. The balance should be poised with the roller installed but with the hairspring removed.

By: wackyvorlon

wackyvorlon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 19:57:09 +0000

One final question, I take it you poise the balance wheel with the hairspring off?

By: Prem C.

Prem C. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:16:31 +0000

Jp, very nice post, quite a lot of ‘wisdom’ tools in there. I think that I would add Tweezers no. ‘D’- for this is one tweezer that you cannot do without. I searched for mine online, and found a supplier on e-Bay from South Africa.
Scott agree with you, and with Jp, that the Horia tool is a pre-requisite to quality watchmaking, it makes adjusting those vital 0,01 mm adjustments look so easy!
I found not two, but a whole lot of Horia tool versions from HBJO. These are the guys that have the brand name Horotec. You can access their website by google search, for HBJO watch tools.
In essence, yet another quality post from watchmakingblog, kudos!
Prem C.

By: Scott Cerullo

Scott Cerullo — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 03:53:56 +0000

Thanks,
I’ll have to call my suppliers. The beauty of watchmaking, is that you can always buy yourself a new tool.