How to Become a Watchmaker (in my situation)

[mediaokra]

There's always Paris (Texas): Paris Junior College | Affordable Excellence

[HopsAndClocks]

Maybe I am too cautious... Your thoughts about changing career, given your circumstances come over as a little too whimsical to me. You have responsibilities, and you have a job, and are completing a course of training to enhance your qualifications in your previously chosen line of work. At twenty-eight and married, you may soon have additional responsibilities on the way. Watchmaking is not an easy gig to get into as a man approaching thirty, and it may not pay you well for a good while.

My most honest advice as a non-watchmaker would be to go the way suggested by Robb Ludwig, James and vbomega and develop your skills as a hobby watch maker. You have a living to earn and throwing over a steady job in pursuit of some 'grail' existence would seem reckless to me, to put it mildly. This is my honest advice as a man with sons about your age. I apologise if it sounds patronising or harsh. Your first need is a decent job that pays. Don't put that at risk. If I had a daughter your wife's age, I would be even more concerned.

Thanks for the advice Tony, I think you have a very strong point. Do I want to gamble with my future or not? The age of 28 I feel is not young, but it's not old either. And though I regret not finding this passion when I was a younger man, I am thinking I have a better chance of doing this now than if I would wait another 10 years when I'm going on 40. But what you've said has really sunk in and will make me consider this even more carefully. I don't find your words harsh or patronizing, it's something I need as I must admit I'm more than a bit blinded by my dreams at the moment.

[HopsAndClocks]

I have two ideas for you. One would be to find a copy of the Chicago School of Watchmaking course which can be had on ebay for about $25 in its entirety. The downside of that is that it's a bit dated, and you'd be learning on your own.

The other option would be the Gem City Clock and Watch Repairing home study course. I'm doing it myself, having just started earlier this year. The only issue to work out would be that they would require an American mailing address for you. So if you could arrange that, you'd be good to go. Watch Repair School, Clock Repair School, Watch Repair Training, Clock Repair Training, Hand Engraving Training, Watch repair training

And after thinking about it a while, I can't believe I forgot the third alternative. TimeZone Watch School Home It's a great way to dive right into servicing a movement. It's not real expensive, very well documented, and gives a great first time experience in taking a movement apart, cleaning, oiling, and reassembling it.

I'm going to look into this stuff directly, it sounds very exciting! Thanks a lot

[HopsAndClocks]

well mate here is what i think you should do.

as i was in the same situation as you are now with no watchmaking school in country.
first you will find a good watchmaker and try to get in his office as aprentice, you will just change straps, batteries crystals etc etc, after they see if you're capable of doing it they will start giving you some other jobs (you will ask for it surely), dismantling assembling of movements and after some time whole overhaul of movements.
also as Archer said you could enroll in some importer house for watches, if they hire you and they see that you're good worker and you have "the thing"you could get a reward and they might send you on some education for the brands they import
after 3 years of being aprentice you can sign in on wostep courses in switzerland(best one is 6 months one refresher course).

wostep is recognizedby the swiss watch producers and if you buy the necesary equipment you should not have any problems with account for spare parts of the brands with the wostep certificate.

Finding a watchmaker to do an apprenticeship is what I'm looking into now. Based on what everyone's said, I think I'm figuring out what I should do.

I think now what I will do is to study watchmaking on my own by ordering books, courses and tools and practice at my home as a hobby. Aside from this, I will keep looking for a watchmaker to take me on as an apprentice. If I find this, I'll be ecstatic. If not, I think I'll still be overjoyed with just being able to delve into this by myself (as a hobby.) I'll stick with my teaching career here in Korea, and then later on in a few years after learning and practicing watchmaking myself (and maybe getting experience as an apprentice) I could try getting more serious about it, by applying to schools or perhaps just happening upon a career in it some other way.

Thanks everyone for the fantastic advice... you've been really helpful!

[emso]

i started working as watchmaker at age 29 if that satisfies you mate

if you like it go for it, you dont want to spend rest of your life asking how it would be if i tried.
besides you can always find a job as english teacher in korea
at least i think

[HopsAndClocks]

i started working as watchmaker at age 29 if that satisfies you mate

if you like it go for it, you dont want to spend rest of your life asking how it would be if i tried.
besides you can always find a job as english teacher in korea
at least i think

I know what you mean. Well, right now I'm downloading the "Chicago School of Watchmaking Full Course", over 700 pages (according to the description). And this weekend will study watchmaking kits and tools and how to get spare parts. I'll probably search this forum to learn as much as I can about where to order these, hopefully not too big of an investment. Then will look into getting my hands on some vintage mechanical pieces, have to figure out a place to do that too.

I've come across some websites selling vintage mechanical watches in the $100-200 range (not sure of their credibility though) but I'd like to get practice restoring and servicing these watches, disassembling and reassembling (I'm really excited about doing this, lol, must seem so strange to most people.) Still looking for an apprenticeship here, and then I'll just see what happens with this. In either case I'm psyched about dipping my feet into this :^) I'll post some pics later on once I get something going

[Robb Ludwig]

A quick couple of things.

About the cost of things--nothing in watchmaking is cheap. And you really do get what you pay for. From my own experience, I know that the cheap sets of watchmakers tools on ebay are just that: really crummy. I have heard someone here say the Indian screwdrivers are ok, so there are some exceptions. But don't go cheap on the tools because you'll hate them as soon as you open the box. Tweezers, too--get good ones. There's a thread here on starter tools: Getting Started: Guide to Watchmaking Tools in case you haven't found that yet. I started with the toolkits from Time Zone Watch School and haven't regretted them.

About watches to start learning with, this is where to go cheap. Really cheap. You're going to break things. You're going to lose things. It happens. Beginner's mistakes - what did you break? This is where I'd recommend going on ebay and buying the really inexpensive Chinese stuff. I've bought one or two for like $25 delivered. Start on a couple of those. Even though a watch is old, doesn't mean it's junk, so save the better watches for when you've gained some skills.

[vbomega]

I would go with vintage Swiss watches, but I am biased. You can find sub-$10 old Swiss watches on eBay.

[RustyMainspring]

Actually on age the average(mean) in my class for WOSTEP was 32. The class ahead of me was 37, so age means nothing as long as you got the money. There are a lot of watchmaker jobs but you need the ability to move for them. Working for Vacheron is going to require the best training. They won't take a self taught, you must have gone to school.

[rbishopp]

Hopsandclocks thanks for starting this thread. I've had this in my head for many years as well. Thanks to everyone for their input.
I have a few watch mechanisms on the way. Bought cheap as they don't work or only work for a short period then stop. I will need to get tools and I'm looking into that now. I agree with whoever wrote about the cheap tools. I've purchased cheap tools in the past for other tasks, bike repairs mostly, clearly you get what you pay for.
I don't plan to go into business just make it a hobby for myself. I had a local shop destroy a clock on me and figure I could ruin a hundred year clock as well as anyone, watches too, so why not.
I am a firefighter as a profession and at 46 years old I'm really looking forward to a gig after retirement that gets me up in the morning.

So how's that for a first post. I go back to lurking for a while.

Thanks.