Hello one and all.

[BigSteveUK]

I recently retired and decided to re-start the watchmaking hobby I gave up 40 years ago.

Having blown the dust off my old lathe and tools, pulled out my large box of movements, parts etc including a box of a dozen or so watches I kept seperate because they triggered my radiation detector, Radium yuck, I decided to look at some forums.

There are many but not all are friendly to all, in particular there is a lot of snobbery towards youngster newbie's, yet they are the very people the industry needs as experience watchmakers are retiring or visiting the big cannon pinion in the sky and not being replaced in sufficient numbers. This forum stood out as being friendly to all, in particular the younger newbies that are desperately needed to keep the profession ticking. So how could I not join I have 40 years of dust to blow away.

[watchweasol]

Hello and welcome Steve, not too much dust I hope. You are right in what you say regarding the snobbery issue. Here the interest in horological and things accordingly, occasionally a subject raises a hackle or two but on the whole the members are all like minded and interested whether you are a newbie or veteran in what you have to say. Long may it continue.  Welcome.

TZIllustratedGlossary.pdf

[JohnR725]

2 hours ago, BigSteveUK said:

snobbery towards youngster newbie's,

Life can be a two-way street personally I find there's a lot of snobbery of newbies towards not newbies that would be basically the rest of us.

Oh and then you have to be careful with jumping to conclusions? Is there snobbery or is it something else? Could it be that a lot of watchmakers are just screwed up individuals who are basically antisocial people and it wouldn't matter whether you're a Newbie or experienced they just have crappy personalities.

Oh what about if watchmakers work together is the situation better? I know someone who used to work in a big service agents he was in a room with a lot of watchmakers. So in a big room with lots of people at talk to and coming and going to work they would change in the work close in the locker room so lots of people exposure. But he knew basically nothing about his coworkers because they never talked to each other at all. Peer that it has came and they change their clothes for work they sat down at the bench they plugged into the matrix and worked on the watches the same watches over and over and over again. Nobody was talking in the room I'm not sure of your head was cut off a few talked but nobody talked everyone just plugs in and they work on their watches all by themselves.

Because watch repair isn't really a group activity except on the discussion group like this that maybe one of the reasons you keep bumping into antisocial people because are just antisocial people.

 

 

[oldhippy]

Thank you for your introduction and welcome to this friendly forum.

We all look forward to your contributions and continued involvement. 

 

The big cannon pinion in the sky

[Nucejoe]

Hello Steve,  welcome to the WRT forum.

 

[mikepilk]

Hi Steve, welcome to the forum.

[BigSteveUK]

15 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

Life can be a two-way street personally I find there's a lot of snobbery of newbies towards not newbies that would be basically the rest of us.

Oh and then you have to be careful with jumping to conclusions? Is there snobbery or is it something else? Could it be that a lot of watchmakers are just screwed up individuals who are basically antisocial people and it wouldn't matter whether you're a Newbie or experienced they just have crappy personalities.

Oh what about if watchmakers work together is the situation better? I know someone who used to work in a big service agents he was in a room with a lot of watchmakers. So in a big room with lots of people at talk to and coming and going to work they would change in the work close in the locker room so lots of people exposure. But he knew basically nothing about his coworkers because they never talked to each other at all. Peer that it has came and they change their clothes for work they sat down at the bench they plugged into the matrix and worked on the watches the same watches over and over and over again. Nobody was talking in the room I'm not sure of your head was cut off a few talked but nobody talked everyone just plugs in and they work on their watches all by themselves.

Because watch repair isn't really a group activity except on the discussion group like this that maybe one of the reasons you keep bumping into antisocial people because are just antisocial people.

 

 

Interesting idea that like attracts like. Personally when I'm not at my workbench, I'm supporting and working with people who have suffered ABI's. Purley on a voluntary basis as I enjoyed helping people in the community who need support. So I guess I must be the exception to the rule you proposed.

[JohnR725]

7 hours ago, BigSteveUK said:

I enjoyed helping people in the community who need support. So I guess I must be the exception to the rule you proposed.

Interesting thoughts except I'm a professional watchmaker and what exactly am I doing on this group?

 

[watchweasol]

Hi John you are here dispensing words of wisdom and experience you have gained over a lifetime and sharing that experience to which we are all grateful. People on the forum don’t always see eye to eye. And that’s good as we are all different and from different countries. On the whole all the members get along . Occasionally a feather or two gets ruffled but Mark soon pus a stop to it before it blows up and rightly so.    I and many others enjoy the input from the professional members, they do it for a living so by that factor are good at it and well worth listening to.   This is a good forum for all to learn and enjoy . Long may it continue.

 

[AndyHull]

On 1/26/2023 at 5:55 PM, BigSteveUK said:

I recently retired and decided to re-start the watchmaking hobby I gave up 40 years ago.

Welcome @BigSteveUK Your remark sounds somewhat familiar.
I'm not quite there as far as retirement goes, but I picked this hobby back up after a very long time.
There is a long and somewhat rambling (and occasionally informative) thread about my antics here. 

Strangely the thumbnail picture for the thread is someone else's watch desk, not mine. @JerseyMo I suspect its yours, since there is quite a lot of Timex stuff evident.

Watch snobbery isn't my strong suit. I'm more a "that's an interesting mechanism/style/quirk/whatever" kind of person, and as a result I have some very strange and quirky stuff in the collection. I suspect very little of it would interest a real "Watch Snob", since none of it would command a particularly high price.

[Klassiker]

Welcome Steve, and thanks for the background. Your impressions of this and the many other forums available on the internet matches mine. We pride ourselves on being more civil here, and Mark's rules are clear and tightly enforced. In addition, the regular contributors without exception come here because the want to help, not to show off or put down the less experienced. I hope you feel at home and soon rid yourself of the dust.

You nust have been a young man when you were first into watchmaking. Did you ever consider taking it up professionally?

[JohnR725]

19 hours ago, watchweasol said:

you are here dispensing words of wisdom and experience you have gained over a lifetime and sharing that experience to which we are all grateful.

Actually I'm here to have fun the same as you. I just do it by sharing the knowledge I've learned over time.

 

[watchweasol]

Good for you John. Same with me. Enjoy I enjoy the chat and give help where I can.  All the very best.

[JerseyMo]

On 1/27/2023 at 5:54 PM, AndyHull said:

 

Strangely the thumbnail picture for the thread is someone else's watch desk, not mine. @JerseyMo I suspect its yours, since there is quite a lot of Timex stuff evident.

 

yes that is just some of the stockpile!  

[BigSteveUK]

On 1/28/2023 at 1:37 PM, Klassiker said:

Welcome Steve, and thanks for the background. Your impressions of this and the many other forums available on the internet matches mine. We pride ourselves on being more civil here, and Mark's rules are clear and tightly enforced. In addition, the regular contributors without exception come here because the want to help, not to show off or put down the less experienced. I hope you feel at home and soon rid yourself of the dust.

You nust have been a young man when you were first into watchmaking. Did you ever consider taking it up professionally?

I was an apprentice to a watchmaker for a couple of years, but I was young and wanted more excitement. So I signed up and joined the Army, my pathway through life took a different direction.

On 1/27/2023 at 8:19 PM, JohnR725 said:

Interesting thoughts except I'm a professional watchmaker and what exactly am I doing on this group?

 

Your doing the ultimate thing I believe a decent human can do and that's helping others in a way that you choose to do. And I'm looking forward to you continuing to do so and I certain I would win the bet if I said others on this forum think the same.