Video - The Human Side Of Watchmaking

[64americandeluxe]

I have always deeply admired the patience, hand skill and cognitive ability required to create a watch.  Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&v=OEOCIxFYUSI&x-yt-ts=1421914688#t=177

Roger

[bobm12]

Thank you Roger, very nice video and I can "copy" some of the manual techniques!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[WillFly]

I liked the guy who talks to his parts.

 

I've done that several times - particularly when I've dropped something.

 

"B@st@rd!" :D

Edited January 25, 2015 by WillFly

[64americandeluxe]

I don't talk to the parts WillFly, but I do talk to myself while knee-deep in horological work and often respond as well!

[tpt]

What a superb film. Thanks for sharing the link. 

[bobm12]

I tried that but carrying a conversation with myself always ends in a fight! :)

 

Seriously now, the use of the tweezers and the proper way to turn them while holding the parts...that's what really got me. One way NOT to drop any more bits!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

[DrRock]

Thanks for the link - what a great documentary.

 

It really shows that the "jobs" are really labours of love, and that a prerequisite is more than a touch of OCD (or, as a friend says, CDO: that is OCD but in alphabetical order AS IT SHOULD BE...!)

 

The whole mindset of being EXACT is not dissimilar to the mindset we need in my line of work. I'm a Thoracic and Vascular surgeon, and operating on the arteries supplying somebody's brain, under a microscope at 45x, can be frustrating to someone who is not of the calm, relaxed, and precise mindset. We weed out those trainees who don't quite have "it" - they often go on to become orthopaedic surgeons! ;)

 

I'm just starting out messing about with watches, and although I find it engrossing to watch, for example, one of Mark's videos showing how to strip down, clean, then rebuild a movement, the thing that keeps coming to mind is that all those components that he is so lovingly putting together so precisely all have to be made. Somebody, somewhere, has actually created the tiny pieces, balanced the balance wheels, made the hairsprings, engineered the gears and cogs, the palet "teeth" and shaped all the jewels. All before Mark can assemble them. They all have to be created to within a micron or two, as pointed out in the film. And THAT is even more amazing than being able to take a movement apart and put it together again, to me. 

 

My only other comment is that people who are SO precise in everything they do, and who nudge a picture that is half a degree out of square on the wall, can be very difficult to live with. So I'm forever grateful to my lovely wife (a nurse who is at least as OCD as I am) for putting up with me. And I suspect that most of the characters in that doco would have a delicate balancing act to do in order to keep harmony at home, while being so precise at work.

 

Thanks again for the link - excellent stuff :)

[64americandeluxe]

Definietly some excellent tips to pick up from watching these pros in action. Now I'll have to convince my wife I "need" a microscope so I can change pallet stones like the experts! I'm amazed at the precision AND speed with which they work. Slow and steady is my personal motto!

[Don]

Thanks for the link. I'll have to re-watch it, as there is a ton of stuff to learn from it. What I took most from the first watching was, "Often...you're too hasty or too irritated, you do stupid things." I've been learning that through direct experience of late. I really have to make myself take a break or even stop for the day when things aren't going well. Watch movements aren't something you can just power through.

[64americandeluxe]

Amen to that Don!  I just walked away from my bench as I was getting way too excited about dismantling the hairspring from the balance assembly for the first time.  I decided instead, to finish taking photos and leaving it at that for the night.  I also realized my smallest screwdriver (0.60mm) may not be small enough for the hairspring stud retaining screw :unsure: .

Roger

[Geo]

I've just watches the video and knowing what I know now, that is the sort of work I would have revelled in. :). Unfortunately the only clock you can't turn back is the clock of life. :(

[64americandeluxe]

Geo: I can only suggest, "it's never too late".  

[Geo]

Geo: I can only suggest, "it's never too late".

It is at my age Roger, who want's a sixty four year old apprentice! :(

[64americandeluxe]

That only means you would bring more life experience to the table  ;) . 

Roger

[bobm12]

I believe Geo that you being an apprentice would also enrich the teacher knowledge...it would be a collaboration mostly!

[DrRock]

I certainly is never too late. We have a medical student at the moment, just completed his second year, who is 64 currently. His life's ambition was to become a doctor, and he intends to do that. He thinks that he will have an actualy working life of 3-5 years after he graduates, but I suspect he may go longer than that. He won't be doing any post-graduate specialty training (surgery, etc) but will probably make a very good General Practitioner for several years. And most of all, he is doing it because HE wants to do it. He is coping with the course itself very well, even though his colleagues are all in their early 20s. Many of them struggle with the amount of work, but he is sailing through.

 

I can sum it up, George: GO FOR IT...!

[Geo]

I can sum it up, George: GO FOR IT...!

Hi Pete, thanks for the enthusiastic suggestion, but I'll stick horological dabbling and helping folk where I can along the road where I can. :)