Comments for Tick Talk

Comment on Tick Talk by Hans-W. Balster

Hans-W. Balster — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 06:22:39 +0000

Hello I,am a master-watchmaker from Germany. I had found your watchmakerblog today. I mostly repair mechanical vintage watches an historical clocks. Your Tuesday Tool section is is a nice idea - I will make a german version with my tools (in german) on my website and i will link to you for the good idea

Comment on ETA 6497 / 6498 by J.Peter

J.Peter — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 01:19:54 +0000

ETA only supplies movements in large quantities. A good place to get a base movement for a project is from http://www.ofrei.com. They even have kits with dials and cases. The technical drawings for case and dial requirements are available in the technical guides available from ETA o their web page or from Otto Frei as well. In fact for information on the different grades they would be a good source as well.

As for add-ons, there isn’t much available for the 6497, you’ll have to make any complications yourself. There was a version of this watch with a date many, many years ago, but I have yet to find any parts for it.

Case design is generally jewelry work and I have no experience in it at all, nor can I recommend a good book, but if you know how to work metals it would be pretty straight forward.

Best of luck!

Comment on ETA 6497 / 6498 by ben shaw

ben shaw — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:52:34 +0000

Hi Peter,

I am looking to design and make my own case and dial for a ETA 6498 movement. Can you advise where i can learn about the different grades of movement offered and what the benefits are of each ‘upgrade’. Can you also purchase different parts that bolt onto the basic movement but add to its functionality (ie date, power reserve that kind of thing?).

Also where is the best place to get these movements from, do ETA supply them direct? can you recommend a text book that details case design? Thanks for your help.

Ben

Comment on The Lititz Watch Technicum by J.Peter

J.Peter — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:00:14 +0000

When I was at school there were informal class rankings, but there is a scoring system so you can rank yourselves if you wish. The school had a list of over 100 employers seeking full time watchmakers, it was the students responsibility to contact these employers and arrange interviews.

Continuing education depends on your place of employment. The most common form of continuing education is brand training. The more brands a store carries the more likely you are to get in for training. Rolex tends to bring in watchmakers from Rolex Jewelers about every 2 years for a week of training. The annual AWCI convention and their continuing education courses are always available as well. WOSTEP’s swiss campus also offers an advanced course.

As for starting your own watch line, that is ambitious. This is probably work for someone with background in design, and marketing, and business, or perhaps a team. There are a very few who have been succesful in such an endeavor and the WOSTEP training isn’t a bad starting ground for the technical knowledge needed. If you want a large brand you should probably pursue watchmaking and microtechnical degrees from Swiss Universities, not a two year program in the U.S.

Comment on Suggestions Post by J.Peter

J.Peter — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:54:31 +0000

No, you are not too old, but most of the Rolex sponsored schools are looking someone who has a full career ahead of them.

Comment on So you want to be a watchmaker? by J.Peter

J.Peter — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:53:42 +0000

The best way is to go to a full time school. Second best, an apprenticeship. I don’t know of any on-line ways to learn the tasks to become a professional watchmaker. For the hobbyist, there is timezone.com

Comment on So you want to be a watchmaker? by J.Peter

J.Peter — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:52:25 +0000

I am in no way affiliated with any watchmaking schools. If you read the post you will find contact information for each of he schools.

Comment on The Lititz Watch Technicum by chris

chris — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:51:18 +0000

I want to thank you for your blog. This has been very inspirational. I am curious about the number of job offers that your graduating class received? Also, is each person ranked in the class and are they recruited by different employers or do the employers contact the school and just post a position?

How often are people given chances to continue their education, either here or in europe/switzerland? I absolutely love the complicated watches that I have seen while searching the internet and I would love to one day design something like these. Which leads me to my next question: How hard would it be to eventually go out on your own and build your own watch line?

I know all of this sounds very ambitious, but we must start somewhere when we dream. I hope that I haven’t come across in the wrong way. Thank you for your time

Comment on Suggestions Post by Ron Gubbins

Ron Gubbins — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:30:52 +0000

Hi I really like your site. I have a quick question. You say 47 is the average of Watchmakers. I’m 48 and looking for a career change. Is it too late for me? I’ve done some precision mechanical repair, but nowhere near as small as watches.

Thank you,

Ron

Comment on So you want to be a watchmaker? by Mitch Richardson

Mitch Richardson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:04:03 +0000

I am interested in becoming a watch maker , Is thee any way to do this online ??? I am a General manager at a watch repair company . We do monor repairs instore , But send some out . Currently I an do Batteries , crystal replacements , hand alignments , replace hands on most watches . sizings and band repair .Change gaskets H2O testing . .etc .. A lot of it i send to our watch center .

I would not have time to go away for school . I live in the Boston area ..