Have you taken the BHI Technician DLC? Tell me your experience!

[TimeWerks]

Hi John, I am late to this topic but hope your journey is going well. I have the same 8mm Boley lathe as you and refurbished it. 

In 2021 I took Marks courses and found them very worthwhile and perfect for my learning plan.  I had read Henry Fried's book, and seeing Mark demonstrate the proper steps with clearly articulated instructions gave me a better understanding.

In 2022 I enrolled in the BHI Distance Learning Course (DLC). About a year later I added the tutor option which motivated me to complete the work faster, and finished the level 3 material.  It was worthwhile in the feedback received on both the theory and practical pieces I submitted for evaluation to help find where I was weak on knowledge or technique and need to circle back. 

Previously posts mentioned concerns about a lack of information about mechanical watches in the DLC, but that was not my experience (perhaps I recieved a newer course format).  Sections 11 and 12 were very focused on the details of servicing mechanical watches. The clock and quartz material was extensive and very useful even though I too was more interested in mechanical watch movements. The intermediate BHI Level 4 DLC material covers topics like Calendar complications along with Automatic and Chronograph watch movements.

I don't have a local  mentor and can't take time to attend a two year full-time watchmaking course, which is why the BHI DLC appealed to me. I am also taking classes at AWCI a few weeks each year.  The combination of information from BHI, AWCI, Books, help from people on forums like this, and online videos have shown me a variety of things to consider and approaches for repairs.  BHI may present information on a particular topic  differently from AWCI which helps, since one format or the other makes more sense to me at different times.

Having the accreditation from BHI and AWCI may or may not open doors for me professionally, but I feel I am working with a broader perspective and striving for higher standards than I may have otherwise.  And I totally agree with others that spending bench time learning to be a practitioner by turning knowledge into wisdom is the path we must all go if we want to improve.  Good luck with your training.         Terry

[Waggy]

Apologies if this has already been covered, but I couldn't spot it. The BHI offers 2 DL courses

• Technician Grade
• Combined Intermediate and Final Grade

Do you have to do them in sequence i.e. you can't start Combined Intermediate and Final Grade until you have first completed Technician Grade? If you can do them separately, what is the main difference, why would you choose one and not the other?

As a little background, I have completed Marks courses, and I want to have the option (although I may not exercise it) to start watchmaking as a career in the future and a certificate will add credibility, additionally the course will provide a structured foundation of learning and knowledge rather than the organic knowledge I have accrued at my current level of experience and will hopefully identify and fill any gaps in my knowledge and skill set.

PS

As many of the others in this thread have stated the distance learning aspect of this course is attractive as I am not in a position to take a career break and go back to school. I am quite comfortable doing DL as I recently completed my Masters degree and Doctorate all (apart from the odd week here or there) distance learning.

[Waggy]

2 hours ago, Waggy said:

Do you have to do them in sequence

It's OK I figured it out

[rossjackson01]

17 hours ago, Waggy said:

Apologies if this has already been covered, but I couldn't spot it. The BHI offers 2 DL courses

• Technician Grade
• Combined Intermediate and Final Grade

Do you have to do them in sequence i.e. you can't start Combined Intermediate and Final Grade until you have first completed Technician Grade? If you can do them separately, what is the main difference, why would you choose one and not the other?

As a little background, I have completed Marks courses, and I want to have the option (although I may not exercise it) to start watchmaking as a career in the future and a certificate will add credibility, additionally the course will provide a structured foundation of learning and knowledge rather than the organic knowledge I have accrued at my current level of experience and will hopefully identify and fill any gaps in my knowledge and skill set.

PS

As many of the others in this thread have stated the distance learning aspect of this course is attractive as I am not in a position to take a career break and go back to school. I am quite comfortable doing DL as I recently completed my Masters degree and Doctorate all (apart from the odd week here or there) distance learning.

I took on Marks course and applied level 1 and 2 to my early learning. Level 3 seemed a bit to far ahead for me when I looked. Needed more practice. Even though I practiced, Still I needed more depth of knowledge. This has come form a YouTube weekly programme. Chronoglide. I'm sure you have heard of it . But in case you haven't. Chronoglide is like the breakdown of why Mark's course is needed? I began to watch about 12 month ago. As result of what they do, dealing mostly with disassembly and looking at problems that have arisen with use, and the reason why such has occurred, together with verbal and visual observations. 

I am now spending more time on Mark's level 3 as I understand what needs to be applied by his methods.

[TimeWerks]

Hi Waggy, I am sorry I did not see your question until now.  You mentioned you had figured it out, but here is the info for anyone else with the question.  

You do them in sequence, but don't have to complete level 3 DLC before starting on the level 4 learning.  I have already received the Combined Intermediate and Final Grade course material and am still working on the prepping for my exams this May.  The combined courses go into calendars, automatic and chrongraph movements, and technical drawings along with more information on the different types of escapments.  You need to pick the direction you are planning whether it is the watch or clock path so they send you material more pertinent to that path.

[JackH]

58 minutes ago, TimeWerks said:

Hi Waggy, I am sorry I did not see your question until now.  You mentioned you had figured it out, but here is the info for anyone else with the question.  

You do them in sequence, but don't have to complete level 3 DLC before starting on the level 4 learning.  I have already received the Combined Intermediate and Final Grade course material and am still working on the prepping for my exams this May.  The combined courses go into calendars, automatic and chrongraph movements, and technical drawings along with more information on the different types of escapments.  You need to pick the direction you are planning whether it is the watch or clock path so they send you material more pertinent to that path.

It sounds like a good course. Where are the exams held?

[TimeWerks]

If you live in the UK then you can take the exams at Upton Hall at BHI head quarters in Nottinghamshire UK.  Since I live in the US, I found an invigilator in my town, approved by the BHI exams supervisor, to manage my exams here locally.  My invigilator will receive the exam material and provide it to me at the appropriate day for the designated amount of time I have to perform the test.  

In the higher level courses there are some that you must take at Upton Hall in person (D9, D11, D16, D18 and D20). You can find more information here   https://bhi.co.uk/training-education/examinations/   

I still have to decide what level I want to achieve, but know my understanding of horology has greatly improved by the material I have covered thus far in this course.  

[JackH]

39 minutes ago, TimeWerks said:

If you live in the UK then you can take the exams at Upton Hall at BHI head quarters in Nottinghamshire UK.  Since I live in the US, I found an invigilator in my town, approved by the BHI exams supervisor, to manage my exams here locally.  My invigilator will receive the exam material and provide it to me at the appropriate day for the designated amount of time I have to perform the test.  

In the higher level courses there are some that you must take at Upton Hall in person (D9, D11, D16, D18 and D20). You can find more information here   https://bhi.co.uk/training-education/examinations/   

I still have to decide what level I want to achieve, but know my understanding of horology has greatly improved by the material I have covered thus far in this course.  

Thanks for the information!