Lititz Watch Technicum Information

[MattyG]

Iv been thinking about it for a while now and I'm starting to think that the Lititz Pennsylvania Watchmaking School would be a good decision for me. I'm simply curious if any graduates, or anyone at all really has any information on the classes, or any useful facts on the place. Thanks.

[jdm]

4 hours ago, MattyG said:

I'm starting to think that the Lititz Pennsylvania Watchmaking School would be a good decision for me.

You mean the decision to apply? Because from their web page it's clear to me that they are really selective, and even if no previous watchmaking experience mentioned, I have a feeling that in the end, it may not be so. The class schedule is also very demanding. So when approaching them I would suggest to have realistic expectations, and evaluate if there isn't another way to get to same "life objective" in another way.

https://lititzwatchtechnicum.org/admission/

After careful consideration of the applications and phone interviews, certain applicants will be invited to visit our school for a full day of interviews and hands-on tests.  The Admissions Committee will choose the applicants that we feel best meet our profile by the middle of June each year.

• New classes begin every September and end two years later in mid-August.

• Classes are held five days a week (Monday-Friday), from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, with a 30 minute break for lunch.

• Our holidays consist of approximately two weeks over the December holiday season and approximately two weeks mid to late August.  We also allow for a 4-day weekend for Easter and a 5-day weekend for Thanksgiving, along with several traditional Monday holidays.

Students are required to pay for their personal tool kits (currently approx. $7,000).

[MattyG]

Yes @jdm, I'm aware. I've read up on this. I've met a few people who have graduated from there. It doesn't seem absurdly difficult to get into. If I am determined to obtain a career in watchmaking, I have no Idea how to pursue without having a degree from a watchmakers school to back up my credibility. 

[nickelsilver]

If you want to be a watchmaker as a career it's pretty much a must to do a proper school. There are self taught watchmaker professionals who are every bit as good as school grads, but the ones I know have done countless short courses over the years in addition to usually being simply very naturally gifted and having at least one mentor. The schools are scarce, and only take a handful of new students per year as the instruction requires a really low student to teacher ratio. As a result they try to eliminate students who might not go the full course, as opposed to some other higher learning where the goal is butts in seats. I know WOSTEP here in Swityerland tends to have courses booked years in advance. What's funny is in the late 90s, when I went to school, the schools in the U.S. were having trouble getting enough students!

 

A number of U.S. schools have closed over the last couple of decades, but those that closed were not necessarily terribly good to be honest (an exception would be the full training course the AWCI used to have- I attended that, and it was fantastic). So the ones that are left are overall very good, but selective, with a limited number of slots. I know it's frustrating, but it is what it is. If you find that you are accepted but have to wait a year, definitely do some general courses in a local college, it's always a good thing. There are also short courses put on by the AWCI, one which may be of interest is an overview of watchmaking for those interested in pursuing it as a career, Watch 100. And if you find that you have to wait, it would probably be a good idea to work and save as much as you can prior to going to school, unless you come from a situation where money isn't too much of a worry. You will find that holding down a 20h/wk part time job is no easy task when doing 40 hours of intensive schooling (and it's not easy to live off a part time job anymore!).

[MattyG]

Ya, I see your point. It's unfortunate really. I really do appreciate your link to Watch100. I will give it a look. I really do want to pursue it as a career, I'd rather work for a passion that I have than anything else. I just don't know how to.

[JinTie]

While many American schools are closed, at least there are.  There are no formal schools in China.

[Michael1962]

Or Australia. I actually can't see any sort of course ever being offered in Australia ever again.

[JohnR725]

On 2/7/2022 at 9:48 AM, nickelsilver said:

it would probably be a good idea to work and save as much as you can prior to going to school, unless you come from a situation where money isn't too much of a worry. You will find that holding down a 20h/wk part time job is no easy task when doing 40 hours of intensive schooling (and it's not easy to live off a part time job anymore!).

 

On 2/7/2022 at 1:55 AM, jdm said:

The class schedule is also very demanding. So when approaching them I would suggest to have realistic expectations, and evaluate if there isn't another way to get to same "life objective" in another way.

It depends upon which school you go to? For instance North Seattle community college watch repair lets the students out early on Friday so that they can have some job experience. They also have the weekend free so they could get a couple of days in of work experience and a little spending money. But my understanding of the school that you're looking at unless you need zero hours of sleep there is going to be zero opportunity of outside employment so you better have enough money saved up for two years plus living expense.

 

[nickelsilver]

5 hours ago, JinTie said:

While many American schools are closed, at least there are.  There are no formal schools in China.

There appears to be at least two schools that are WOSTEP affiliated in China/ Hong Kong.

 

https://www.wostep.ch/en/ecoles-partenaires-map

[JinTie]

8 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

似乎至少有两所学校隶属于中国/香港。

 

https://www.wostep.ch/en/ecoles-partenaires-map

Yes, you are right. They recruit so few people that I don't think most people can get in.

[jdm]

5 hours ago, JinTie said:

There are no formal schools in China.

Maybe the method is the same as what it wasq in the USSR. Youngs first completes technical high school, then are selected and trained directly by the factories. Possibly the same for as mechanical engineering graduates. I suspect that Chinese people owning Swiss or Japanese watches have no issues in sending or bringing them to Hong Kong or where they please for service or repair. The others will probably have to buy a new watch. Not much different than the West really.

[JinTie]

7 minutes ago, jdm said:

也许这个方法和苏联的方法一样。杨斯先是完成了技术高中，然后直接被工厂选拔和培训。可能与机械工程专业的毕业生相同。我怀疑拥有瑞士或日本手表的中国人在将它们发送或带到香港或他们喜欢的地方进行服务或维修时没有问题。其他人可能不得不买一块新手表。真的和西方没太大区别。

Factories may prefer to train assembly line workers rather than watchmakers. I think they prefer to choose people who have graduated from Swiss watchmaking schools rather than train them themselves. There are also some large stores training trainees, but I think they are just training cleaning workers and store guards. Most people don't like to fix watches, just to make money.

[jdm]

 

7 hours ago, MattyG said:

I just don't know how to.

What about doing basic repairs at home and advertise online, at local business and jewelery. If a piece is too risky or costly honestly tell the owner and decline the work. Another thing that helps a lot is restoring cheap watches for resale, e.g. Seiko divers are great for that as they sell immediately when priced right.

After working the needed hours to pay for tools and some assortments the rest of the time is all yours to learn real watchmaking. Truth is, with the advent of high resolution video the visual part of learning is resolved that way. The long, reasoned explanations are in the books already. You only need to tell yourself what are you doing wrong. You are even saved the inconvenience, distraction and inefficiency of going to a group class.

[MattyG]

I will probably do that. I plan to continue freelance watchmaking. Maybe even produce my own company logo, start a watch company. I want to be in the industry somehow. I love it.

[JohnR725]

3 hours ago, MattyG said:

Maybe even produce my own company logo, start a watch company.

You're not the only person on the group with that idea I know of somebody else who's already done it or at least in the midst of doing it.

 

[MattyG]

15 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

You're not the only person on the group with that idea I know of somebody else who's already done it or at least in the midst of doing it.

 

Awesome. I'm gonna try and do it.

[JohnR725]

What would be interesting to try is asking a new question on the group how many people have started their own watch companie and see what kind a reply we get back?

[GotTheTime]

I found this forum after searching around online after contacting Lititz with your same intent, I received a reply back from them that they are closing after this current class graduates in 2025
 

independent it is. 

Edited February 2 by GotTheTime