Stunning Concepts
Watches have existed for decades, while watch-making has been passed down from generation to generation. However, in the past decades, few people have shown interest in the field due to the drastic technological growth. Though not all is lost, a pack of people still appreciate the watches and the luxurious looks it gives.
With that in mind, they will require watchmakers to keep them in their best look and their watches in mint condition. And here is where you come in. Do you have an interest in watches? Do you want to be a watchmaker and improve some of the best watches ever? Then this is a place for you. In this article, I will cover all you need to know to be a successful watchmaker. Read on!
Who is a Watchmaker?
Machines in the factory do modern-day watch-making and minimize human operations in manufacturing. However, your average watchmaker is a mechanic who repairs, replaces parts, and conducts routine maintenance of your watch to ensure that it fits and works perfectly.
Watchmaker Training
There are two main ways you can become a watchmaker, and that is either by apprenticeship or by joining the watch-making school. You can choose what will best work for you by using the simple guidelines on how they work and by giving you the pros and cons of each category.
Apprenticeship
For apprenticeship, you will need to find an experienced watchmaker and start learning from them as they repair watches. This method is the most efficient since you get a one-on-one learning experience and understand how thing work as it happens.
Merits
- An apprenticeship will take you a few days to learn something, while on the other hand, someone who has enrolled in a watch-making school will take months. This is important since you cover the most critical issues and do away with the fluff being studied in schools.
- Apprenticeship brings out the difference between being book smart vs. street smart. This is because apprenticeship will teach how to do the job while watch-making school thoroughly uses theoretical and philosophical information.
- Centuries ago, watch-making was taught through apprenticeship, where the watchmaker could pass his skills to his children, family members, and friends. There weren’t any watch-making schools. The results could speak for themselves. More demand for watchmakers led to certifying bodies teaching the skills to more interested parties and having qualified watchmakers.
- You will get a quick Return on Investment since you can quickly turn your teacher into an employer and start your watch-making career there. You may also bring clients and learn how things work firsthand, and you will find it easy to gain employment.
Demerits
- You will frequently be handling the repair works rather than tackle some essential skills such as micromechanics, which is needed for one to study some lathe works. You will often be doing an overhaul, changing straps, and battery replacement and not handling a standard lathe operation of making parts needed to repair watches such as barrel bush.
- It is hard to find an apprenticeship to get started with the apprenticeship program.
- As you go through the apprenticeship program, you will need to find another source of employment to make a living and pay bills since you will not get paid.
- Some skills you learn may not be as per the industry standards. You may lack the skills to repair the latest versions of watches or work with specific tools. Many of the apprentices are old folx and have refused to study to update to the current standards.
Joining a Watch-Making School
Joining a watch-making school is excellent since you get to socialize with people with similar interests and have to follow the same process together while socializing.
Merits
- You get to understand the dipper part of watches. The schools will give you a complete experience of how certain things work the way they do and some of the problems you may encounter, though rare.
- Watch-making schools teach their students the latest industry standards, so you should worry less about meeting the industry and market standards.
- You are taught in a controlled and well-illustrated program and place. You know when and where, and what to do without confusion.
- You can quickly get a job when you graduate from a watch-making school since the professionals there are usually in contact with industry professionals.
Demerits
- There is no personalization of classes, so you may not understand what the lecturer taught, which will be the end of it.
- The scarcity of watch-making schools makes it hard to get into one.
- You will be in constant movement depending on how far you are from the watch-making school.
- Watch-making schools are costly.
- You may take many years to complete the entire course, with an average of 2-4 years.
Conclusion
Whether you choose an apprenticeship or join a watch-making school, there are essential skills that a watchmaker should possess. Some of the most critical skills are being passionate about watches, being patient, paying attention to details, being adaptable, and having good communication skills. This will be important since the watch industry require them to go hand in hand to guarantee your success.