My watch workshop

ProfessorGuy said:
I must disagree here. I think what you are saying is to make a watch to modern standards requires elaborate machinery.

Back in the 1700's, farmers would hole up in the workshop for the winter and crank out watches with only the crudest of tools--and certainly no mill. Of course, their watches were simple (usually verges) and had such poor timekeeping you were lucky to stay within 30 minutes per day. The materials used were not always ideal or long-lasting. And because of manufacturing irregularities, the watches were finicky and would stop at any provocation. All this would be completely unacceptable in a modern watch.

But it's fine with me!
Click to expand...
The farmers back then when in the winter and could not grow food outside did indeed construct time pieces. But were clocks like Wags and was from a kit of parts made elsewhere. Even the Watchmakers back then did not make every part. The art of making watches back then was divided up into trades of experience. Each had a mastered talent/art. There were a few true Watchmakers back then that made the whole watch but not many. The horological time pieces made by our ancestors are truly works of art. I will never get tired of looking at the craftsmanship that was done back then. Sadly, it’s a lost art.


And I do have a few pocket watches from the 1700’s. It blows my mind that this kind of craftsmanship came from that period of time. All they had was candle light and a rock axe (kinda kidding)…True Masters!
 
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A beautiful space you have there. Makes me realize I could make do with a lot less space and equipment if I had just chose hobbies that involved smaller objects as the point of focus. Of course you understand you will have to add on considerable square footage when you start working on the clock tower pieces. :) Mike
 
You have done a great job. Having built it all yourself I'm sure makes it all the more comfortable. Blue paint where the sun shines. Clever!

--Chip


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
ProfessorGuy said:
I must disagree here. I think what you are saying is to make a watch to modern standards requires elaborate machinery.

Back in the 1700's, farmers would hole up in the workshop for the winter and crank out watches with only the crudest of tools--and certainly no mill. Of course, their watches were simple (usually verges) and had such poor timekeeping you were lucky to stay within 30 minutes per day. The materials used were not always ideal or long-lasting. And because of manufacturing irregularities, the watches were finicky and would stop at any provocation. All this would be completely unacceptable in a modern watch.

But it's fine with me!
Click to expand...

Very very very very intriguing Professor Guy! Hmmmmm

Bernie
 
chips&more said:
Even the Watchmakers back then did not make every part. The art of making watches back then was divided up into trades of experience. Each had a mastered talent/art.
Click to expand...
Yes. I recognize that there were a series of traditional watchmaking trades which provided the specialty parts:

Hairspring
Jewels
Mainspring
Dial
Hands
Watchglass
and Case

Yes, you got me. I'll admit I did not really intend to build the parts on this list for a host of technical and practical reasons. The parts of a watch missing on the list above, what is traditionally called an "ebauche," that is what I am interested in.

But now that you've lauded the old masters, maybe I should reconsider. Perhaps I can grind my own jewels after all. And I thought a store-bought flat hairspring, but maybe a homemade blued-steel helix is called for. Hmmmm....
 
Looks like a very nice well thought out space. I would love to see some photos of your work. I love older watches, something about the mechanical aspects to keep time and the skill to build and repair them.
 
ProfessorGuy said:
Yes. I recognize that there were a series of traditional watchmaking trades which provided the specialty parts:

Hairspring
Jewels
Mainspring
Dial
Hands
Watchglass
and Case

Yes, you got me. I'll admit I did not really intend to build the parts on this list for a host of technical and practical reasons. The parts of a watch missing on the list above, what is traditionally called an "ebauche," that is what I am interested in.

But now that you've lauded the old masters, maybe I should reconsider. Perhaps I can grind my own jewels after all. And I thought a store-bought flat hairspring, but maybe a homemade blued-steel helix is called for. Hmmmm....
Click to expand...

I used to call them "make or buy decisions"....gets the job finished in the best possible way (for me).
 
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