Watchmaking 101?
March 10, 2010 2:58 AM Subscribe
I decided I'd like to try out watchmaking as a hobby, can anyone provide me with good starting places? Kits, books, or online resources?
Best answer: Obligatory awesomeness (enable JavaScript for full awesome).
Have you considered starting with clock making instead of specifically watch making? Google is throwing up way more hits for clocks as opposed to watches.
The other place I would advise starting is a junkyard or thrift sales, looking for old (cheap) mechanical clocks and watches.
posted by anaelith at 7:07 AM on March 10, 2010
Have you considered starting with clock making instead of specifically watch making? Google is throwing up way more hits for clocks as opposed to watches.
The other place I would advise starting is a junkyard or thrift sales, looking for old (cheap) mechanical clocks and watches.
posted by anaelith at 7:07 AM on March 10, 2010
Best answer: I'm a self-taught home machinist who learned with lots of online help. I don't make clocks or watches but I have talked with others that do, and I disagree with the person who says it will require a "large investment" of money to get involved in the hobby.
I don't think the equipment you'll need to get started is very expensive. I also don't think you'll have to spend money on training, because I'm almost sure you'll find a wonderfully online community that will help you learn to do it on your own.
Here's a good list of clockmaking links that you might find helpful. And here's a link to a site with a photo essay that shows a clock being made by a hobbyist.
Check out my personal web site if you're interested in learning about home machining in general. The two activities are very related.
posted by 14580 at 7:10 AM on March 10, 2010
I don't think the equipment you'll need to get started is very expensive. I also don't think you'll have to spend money on training, because I'm almost sure you'll find a wonderfully online community that will help you learn to do it on your own.
Here's a good list of clockmaking links that you might find helpful. And here's a link to a site with a photo essay that shows a clock being made by a hobbyist.
Check out my personal web site if you're interested in learning about home machining in general. The two activities are very related.
posted by 14580 at 7:10 AM on March 10, 2010
One thing I will say: you are unlikely to require an actual watchmaking lathe. Nothing against them generally, but holy crap they can be expensive and a suitably-motivated user can do truly amazing work with Sherline/Taig/etc equipment.
posted by aramaic at 7:22 AM on March 10, 2010
posted by aramaic at 7:22 AM on March 10, 2010
The other place I would advise starting is a junkyard or thrift sales, looking for old (cheap) mechanical clocks and watches.
I once got 15 old watches from a thrift store for ten bucks but most were digital.
From time to time, bundles of old mechanical watches show up on ebay. Frequently with busted stems, frequently non-functional. Take those suckers apart!
posted by codswallop at 11:47 AM on March 10, 2010
I once got 15 old watches from a thrift store for ten bucks but most were digital.
From time to time, bundles of old mechanical watches show up on ebay. Frequently with busted stems, frequently non-functional. Take those suckers apart!
posted by codswallop at 11:47 AM on March 10, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks to the whole lot of you!
I guess I'll try to keep it cheap with only thrift store or yard sales for dissection.
My biggest concern I guess would be finding a good first set of tools to be able to crack open the watches with and take apart piece by piece.
posted by gzimmer at 12:18 PM on March 10, 2010
I guess I'll try to keep it cheap with only thrift store or yard sales for dissection.
My biggest concern I guess would be finding a good first set of tools to be able to crack open the watches with and take apart piece by piece.
posted by gzimmer at 12:18 PM on March 10, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
But if you're interested, check out the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute. I'm sure they've got resources for this sort of thing.
posted by valkyryn at 6:07 AM on March 10, 2010