WATCHMAKING MEMORIES

Memoirs of a Watchmaker.

I have just replaced my wife’s watch battery using purpose-made instruments from my old watchmaker tool set. As I lovingly stroked the rough surface of the priceless tiny Swiss made screwdriver. I remember just like it was yesterday, when I was given this particular tool, these words:

”Never sell this little screwdriver, because, as you look at it, it is just a jeweler's screwdriver, but look closer and you will see the letters Switzerland stamped on it, made long before they replaced it with, Swiss made stamped on their precision tools. This little driver has made me $1000’s of dollars in my years as custodian of it. Before me, another watchmaker, long gone, had given me stewardship of it because with it came the training and knowledge of a watchmaker.”

Thrust upon me at a time in my life when the skill was more of a means to an end than a rare opportunity to becoming privy to a lost art taught to me by a dubious master. This mentor, a scallywag, if ever I saw one, Ernest du Prey, double dealer and scamp extraordinaire, would more than adequately describe him.

It was not until later on in my life, I was to discover the true value of his cost saving, watch-making hints and tips of how to keep precious timepieces running, for long after their tiny springs, levers and gears had lost their remarkable resilience and functionality through fair ware and tear.

Those little modifications and ideas of what we can do when parts cannot be bought or salvaged from other models. This is where the real magic happens, when for the sake of nurturing sentimental memories of perhaps a departed loved one, you have to delve deeply into the wellspring of your imagination to once more produce the unmistakable chime of a coach clock.

For anyone interested in this noble trade, I have come across this remarkable free full course Hi guys, I have come across a wonderful find while searching for some cool watchmaking tutorials.

It is a series of old school (50's-70's)watchmaking tutorials converted into Pdf. and covers most of the issues you will really need to know as a base to a watchmaking hobby. This is a collection of 35 original, scanned tutorials from the "Chicago School of Watchmaking". This school has been closed for many years and you can no longer obtain the hard-copies.