![]() If genuine watchmakers are employed in such environments, they are usually employed to service the watch movement.ĭue to factory/genuine spare parts restrictions, an increasing minority of watchmakers in the US are 'independent,' meaning that they choose not to work directly for industry or at a factory service center. ![]() These highly skilled workers do not have a watchmaking degree or certificate, but are specifically trained 'in-house' as technicians to service a small number of components of the watch in a true 'assembly-line' fashion, (e.g., one type of worker will dismantle the watch movement from the case, another will polish the case and bracelet, another will install the dial and hands, etc.). However, some factory service centers have an approach that allows them to use 'non-watchmakers' (called "opérateurs") who perform only one aspect of the repair process. ![]() They also receive in-house "brand" training at the factory or service center where they are employed. The majority of modern watchmakers, particularly in Switzerland and other countries in Europe, work directly for the watchmaking industry and may have completed a formal watchmaking degree at a technical school. Instead they obtain and fit factory spare parts applicable to the watch brand being serviced. Most practising professional watchmakers service current or recent production watches. The term clockmaker refers to an equivalent occupation specializing in clocks. Modern watchmakers, when required to repair older watches, for which replacement parts may not be available, must have fabrication skills, and can typically manufacture replacements for many of the parts found in a watch. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. For example, you can purchase very inexpensive jeweler's screwdrivers and tweezers, but these almost always are not only cheap to buy but poorly made and will not allow you to do a good job, even if you understand watch repair.A watchmaker's lathe in use to prepare a decorative watch component cut from copper.Ī watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. The key is to start right of getting high quality tools and learning to properly use and maintain them. There are many other things you will eventually "need" to work on watches, like a supply of oils and oilers, hand removers, balance calipers, etc, depending on how far you progress in your watch repair work. ![]() The internet is also a great resource, including many fine videos posted on You-Tube.īut to answer your question regarding essential and specialized watch tools to begin working on watches, I think I can say that you can get started with a basic tool kit that includes: 1) a good quality set of watchmaker/jeweler screwdrivers 2) a set (of 2 or 3) high quality jeweler's tweezers 3) some sort of optical magnifier (3X to 5X), such as the Optivisor for general use and a 10X handheld loupe for close part inspection and, 4) a movement holder that allows you to hold the watch movement securely while you work on it. Click to expand.I agree with the other posts that recommend getting and reading good basic watch repair books (my favorites are those by Fried, DeCarle, and Gazely). ![]()
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