Watchmaker

As a watchmaker you work with watches down to the smallest wheels and springs. You repair clean and adjust everything from antique pocket watches to modern wristwatches and find the fault when a watch movement has stopped. When you are fully trained you are the professional with the finest hands — the one who gets time to pass again.

A typical day takes place at a workbench with magnifying glass tweezers and small special tools. You take apart clock movements clean the parts find errors replace worn parts and put it all back together so the clock keeps precise time. It requires patience calm and great precision because the parts are tiny and must sit exactly right.

• 01You learn to disassemble and reassemble watch movements.
• 02You learn to find faults and replace worn parts.
• 03You learn to clean, lubricate, and adjust a watch movement.
• 04You learn to regulate the watch so it keeps accurate time.
• 05You learn to work with both mechanical and electronic watches.
• 06You learn to use magnifying glass, tweezers, and watchmaker's specialized tools.

You start with a basic course at a vocational school and then find an apprenticeship with a watchmaker or a watch shop, where you get paid while learning the trade. The education alternates between school periods and practice so you build both the theory and the fine hand skills over time.

As fully trained you can work in watch shops at watchmaker workshops or start for yourself. With experience you can specialise in for example antique watches or exclusive brands work with restoration or build further with courses from the major watch brands.

“A watch is hundreds of small parts—and your job is to get them ticking again.”