Since my last posting, I’ve taken my SAWTA 2, re-taken part of my SAWTA 2 (along with half the class… and we ALL passed!), finished my school watch project, helped with and sat through graduation for the 2nd year and dual students, and have officially become a 2nd year student myself!

It has been a very busy and trying time these last few months. The support I’ve been getting from friends and family both near and far has been extremely helpful. Having the school watch behind me is a huge weight off my shoulders, but the next project is even more complicated. It’s called an Escapement Meter (link provided). It is a tool to measure and adjust the depth of specific stones that are set in a mechanical watch’s pallet (so called, pallet stones). If you wanted to purchase one of these tools you would be looking at spending around $1000 or more. We will be making ours by hand, from scratch, and submitting it for a grade in order to graduate.

Outside of micromechanics, we are getting back into servicing and mastering the ETA 7750 chronograph movement (link provided) and hopefully starting on real life repairs soon–where we will be repairing watching that friends, family, and even potential employers will be sending to us.

Personally, life continues as it has. We have 11 new 1st year students to get to know over the course of our final year at the Technicum. My living situation is the exact same so far as it has been last year. It won’t be long before snow and ice replaces the warmth and thunderstorms but I feel we’re all better prepared for it now (especially myself and the other southern people).

As always, thanks for reading. More info to come as the program continues to develop,

Matt

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Enough text. Time for some photos:

Somewhat blurry, very rough beginning stages of two of the three bridges I made on my school watch project. I should point out I didn’t make the WATCH, just the bridges. Although I did modify many components and features to the movement. Details in the FAQ.

 

The longer bridge in the first photo ended up having to be remade so I thought to take a picture of boring out the wheel recess. This is the underside of the long bridge.

 

Several friction fits, polished steady pins, refinished screws, shortened regulator arms, and properly faced off surfaces later: my school watch project… completed! It was a hell of a challenge and thankfully something I can wear and keep with me my whole life.

 

I had to find and buy my own case, dial, hands, and strap, but I can say I have and wear a watch that I not only serviced but I actually made parts for.

 

The current state of my escapement meter: working on parts production. All of the parts are important as they all serve the purpose of making the meter functional, but the real interesting/difficult to make parts were just introduced to us…

(for reference, this is what it looks like when all those parts are put together)

 

Gear cutting and pinion production. This is what the old watchmakers in the 1700’s did when they made your great-grandad’s old pocket watch. We have to know how they did it and be able to do it as well. Because you might need a replacement part for that old pocket watch. Who else can make it?
We start with raw stock. The piece on the right will be cut into multiple brass disks to be used as gears, the piece in the middle is halfway complete to be used as a pinion for one of those gears, and the piece on the left is an old micromechanics test that turned out to be the bridges for our escapement meter gear train! Good thing we did such a good job on making them.

 

It’s difficult to see, but I scored lines at exactly 1.50mm increments on this piece to mark where I will be cutting the wheel blanks. Two sizes for two different wheels.

 

And they ended up like this. Some of these will eventually be turned into perfectly functioning gears. Will continue to update as we all progress with this project.

 

So much has changed and progressed since my last update it is somewhat daunting to even begin writing it out.

Here is a list of the things that have happened since February:

• I passed both the written and practical portions of my SAWTA 1 test
• I made a fairly decent amount of progress on my Escape Meter project (pictures below)
• I started making the bridges for my student-made watch (based on the first watch we all worked on here: the 6497)
• I messed up on every project I have worked on in some way, and learned from each mistake
  • One of those mistakes ended in me having to make a reamer that can ream out 1.89mm exactly–there are none like that at the school to my knowledge, so I had to make it
  • Another mistake led me to make my first bushing (a plug of sorts to both fill in a hole that is to big and replace it with a smaller diameter hole–very useful knowledge for vintage repairs)
• We were introduced to quartz theory (for battery powered watches) and have begun servicing medium grade quartz movements
• I have made a seemingly unending supply of hairsprings in preparation for the SAWTA 2 test, which will test us on servicing a 6497 as well as adjusting the pallet stones and (obviously) making a hairspring from scratch
  • I cannot accurately express how tedious and frustrating creating hairsprings is. It’s like open heart surgery but the only life on the line is the life of my career. It’s especially frustrating to see some of my peers fly through it so effortlessly, but we all struggle with different things
• I have sat through potential new students interviewing at the school just like I did a little over a year ago, and even got to talk and have lunch with a few of them

And on the personal side of things:

• I got a visit from my dear parents who drove all the way up here from Tennessee just to hang out with me for a weekend
  • We had a great time touring around, eating everywhere, and that’s it because the area really doesn’t have a lot to offer
  • I was lucky enough to even get them in the school for the last half hour of the day, so they’re some of the few people who don’t work in the building to have seen the inside of it
• I also got a brief but wonderful visit from Chris and Becca (my best friend and his wife) who were touring the Northeast and made a specific stop in Lititz just to see me

 

Everything is fine, or so I tell myself every day. Sometimes I feel like I’m working nonstop and other times I feel like I got through a day barely doing anything at all. Our SAWTA 2 test this Monday will be a large milestone, and the last major thing we do before the second years and dual students graduate in July.

I will try to remember to take pictures of more of my projects in action as I continue school. Just have to get through this test first.

Thanks as always for reading,

Matt

Now for pictures:

The Escape Meter. Or what will eventually become the Escape Meter. This is an incredibly dense project that tests everything we know about micromechanics and even more that we don’t know. The pins (small, silver color pegs) align the plates to each other–four in total at two pins a piece except the top plate. It was not easy but it was surprisingly fun, and incredibly satisfying to do correctly.

 

From my instagram, my hand pusher set. The block was one of the first projects we were assigned so having it complete and ready to use is extremely satisfying. The tips are made of acrylic and were tricky at first, but it quickly became one of my favorite mediums to work with because of the lack of wear on cutters and small tolerance for getting a perfectly clear surface finish. The handle was a lesson in practicing slot cutting for working on winding stems eventually.

 

Which brings us to the winding stem. While it wasn’t perfect, it is functional. This will be the stem I use to set the time and wind up my school watch once it is complete. This project was as difficult or more difficult than you can imagine. Every part built off the previous section and adhering to tight tolerances while keeping the surface finish as perfect as possible was an exercise in frustration. Not to mention making perfect pieces only to have them warp (and be rendered irreversibly useless) due to imperfections in my technique at heat treating/tempering. This one was the ninth stem of its kind I made, and the first and thankfully only one I had to submit.

 

While I don’t have any pictures of hairspring being made, I took these a few days ago to show the tools involved with assembling a balance wheel. It involves friction fitting, shaping of metal, and of course constant checking to make sure the parts are lining up correctly.

 

After assembly, the wheel has to be trued on truing calipers like this one. If the wheel spins unevenly (how close is it coming to the bar coming out of the center?) at any point it could seriously affect the timekeeping of the watch it will eventually be in. This level of detail is pretty tame compared to the some of the stuff we do.

I knew eventually I’d get behind in updating friends/family. Sorry.

In a nutshell, I’ve been working extremely hard at school to keep my head above water. Currently (Feb. 19th) I’m in week two of all micromechanics, all the time. I haven’t worked on a watch since one Saturday (we had two weeks of the dual system students come in and we are allowed to work through the weekends when they’re here) and because of that I feel a little rusty with my 6497/7750 knowledge. That said, micromechanics have never been stronger, and despite being fairly mediocre with my project feedback I’ve learned many many things from the areas I have struggled in.

Our first really big, career defining test is coming in early March. It is the first in a set of four tests that are required to get a certificate which basically says I’m qualified to do difficult work on high end watches. It is called SAWTA and we seem to be well prepared for it. More on that later.

The projects I’ve turned in and the tools and pieces I’ve made have been, in a word: extraordinary.

Since starting in September I have made at least seven tools and started work on two more, as well as a few modifications to tools already in my kit. Explaining what they are and what they do would be an exercise in frustration so I’ll provide a few pictures to help. All of these tools will be used for the rest of my time at LWT. Some of them I will use for the rest of my time in the profession, which is an extreme point of pride.

An anvil I turned for my jeweling tool.

Two screws (with specific ends for specific purposes) I turned, pre-threading.

Those same screws threaded and in a parallel vise. We all squared both the heads to make them easy to turn with just fingertips (and practice filing squares at the lathe).

Personally, life in PA has been very nice. I hang out with my friends from class and my landlady/her family quite often. The weather is usually pretty awful, especially this time of year. The snowfall is very pretty but somewhat dangerous–mostly due to other people on the roads but also the ice patches. I ask the facility staff every day why they couldn’t have put the school/service center in Hawaii. They have yet to give me an answer. I believe they too have that thought.

As a bonus, the Pennsylvanians apparently have their own version of chicken and waffles that uses shredded chicken instead of crispy fried, and covers the whole thing in gravy instead of syrup. Two different Pennsylvanians have told me that this dish is normal, many more have told me it sounds made up. I have had it and it is not as bad as it may sound.

Looks gross as hell though.

Thanks as always for reading, I will post more when I can.

Matt

Part of the collection of my pieces. I cannot help but be proud of them all.

A typical day:

4:00-5:30am – wake up
5:45am – alarm goes off if I haven’t woken up
6:30am – if lunch isn’t pre-made, I need to be getting it together by now
6:55am – depart with roommate for school
7:07am – arrive at school, hang out in cafeteria and get coffee/finish work
7:30am – Class Begins
10:00am – break for 15 minutes, more coffee and/or snacks if desired
10:15am – resume work/lecture
12:00pm – break for lunch
12:30pm – resume work/lecture
4:00pm – End of Day*
4:30pm – arrive home
4:31-8:00pm – free time, usually devoted to cooking, cleaning, eating, socializing, or work
8:30-10:00pm – go to bed

* Technically, we are free to stay until 4:30, but the teachers have lives too so we try not to unless we really must. Sometimes we are given leave to pack up/clean up early and we are able to leave right at 4.

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Monday and Tuesday are spent working on micromechanics–that is sawing, filing, drilling, and all the other stuff that creates something. Blue lab coat days.

Wednesday and Thursday are devoted to more modern watchmaking, such as playing with movements, learning maintenance, and practicing all things related to watchmaking. White lab coat days.

Friday is a return to micromechanics with the addition of buffing/polishing practice at the end of the day.

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Very difficult week last weak but all is still going well. They’re starting to grade us and the feedback is enlightening. A couple more grades will be given this week. I have a blueprint to draft and continued theoretical studying, as always.

I’ve been in contact with the watchmaker back home and he’s been giving me advice and little trade tips as I’m starting to work on the more intricate aspects of a watch–such as methods of applying oil.

Will be using the rest of this three day weekend to work and spend time with the classmates as I can. More info on school projects as they become more interesting/photogenic (in the following weeks). Right now they’re mostly just chunks of brass.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Today is the beginning of my class’s fourth week of education at LWT. I’m sorry for not keeping to a regular schedule but if you were able to be in class, you wouldn’t blame me.

In four weeks time we’ve gone from not knowing what any of the tools on our benches were to actually making tools that we’ll use later in our careers. Our first project was a saw table–which we will use for the next two years (and beyond) for all our metal sawing needs. We’ve begun work on the escape meter project which we will work on until the end of our second year and also the base for another tool that will hold the balance of a mechanical watch. Outside of the micromechanics, we’ve been taking apart and putting together two fairly basic movements (6497 and 7750, stripped of chronograph, day/date, automatic works, etc) and having actual watch work in our first year has been a welcome treat. It’s all somewhat fast paced but the teachers are as helpful as they are demanding.

On that note, the teachers and support staff have been really nice to be around. It’s an extremely professional environment and they take the work we’re doing seriously–even if it’s something as simple as the dimensions of the base of a tool.

The real joy so far has been the other students. There are twelve of us in the class. All of us come from different backgrounds and different states (two from Pennsylvania, fairly local and another two are from Ohio). Ages range between 18 and (I’m guessing) early 40’s. Some have little experience working on watches, some have been working on them their whole lives. Every one of them is a character, and we’ve had a couple of out-of-class meet ups just to hang out.

I think it’s safe to say everyone is struggling with something… some more than others. But I’m optimistic that we’ll all end up doing just fine. As we’ve had repeated to us ad nauseam by our first year teacher: “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

As far as the home situation, my landlady has been very welcoming and pleasant, and my roommate is currently in the running for “roommate of the year award.” We all interact quite often and share meals and stories together. The roommate and I carpool every morning. It makes being away from all my friends and family much more tolerable.

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I did promise the details of the interview process. I’m choosing to recycle an email I sent to one of my previous music professors who was interested in the program:

I “interviewed” with two other guys who were trying to go to school there. They split us up for the first half of the day and we each had hour long blocks at interview stations that tested out manual dexterity, spacial cognition, observation/reasoning, mechanical know-how, logic, and of course our ability to take and follow instruction. I was told during/after each test that the completion of the test wasn’t necessarily what they were looking for and to not worry if I didn’t finish–implying they were looking at the process more than anything.

After the first half, we had a group lunch that included a Year 1 and Year 2 student as well as every teacher from the school. We were able to ask questions and the administrator made it very clear that the students were asked to answer the questions we asked honestly, even if it wasn’t something nice about the school. She, as well as the rest of the staff wanted to know it would be a good fit for us just as much as them.

After the lunch, we had a couple more hours of testing and then our meeting with the principal and former principal. They grilled us about why we wanted to come here and both of them were especially hard on us. They picked apart statements and tried to put doubt in our minds, or at least make us consider that we might not fully have our hearts in watch repair. That said, they did not find anything wrong with my statements and seemed mildly intrigued I worked with a watchmaker who had actually been here. The former principal (German man, very intense) said “I have no further questions for you. You’ve answered everything well enough.” It was the biggest compliment I’d had in a very long time. All said, it was an extremely humbling experience and one of the most draining days of my life. Second only to putting on a recital.

Nothing else to really report. That was how the day was. It truly was one of the most difficult interviews I ever attempted, but I couldn’t have done any better than I did. Of the three of us who interviewed, one other guy in addition to myself made it into this year’s program and sits adjacent to me. There were two other sets of interview partners who made it into class together as well.

If you have any questions feel free to message me on one of my social platforms or an old fashioned text message. I’m keeping up with people from home well enough, but I’m usually happy to chat (as long as it isn’t between 7:30am-4:00pm EST Monday-Friday).

Will update next time with other projects, what the week of class/life is like, and any other interesting things I can think of.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

Fully disassembled 6497 movement. I put it back together and it works just fine.

I live in Pennsylvania now.

With one week before class starting I’m using my time to settle in and learn the area, and which farms to get butter/eggs from. I’m in a pretty vast countryside of growing corn (with some tobacco, soybeans, and hemp as well). There are several farms that raise cattle and buffalo around the area and horses are common, especially among the Amish. The entire township constantly seems to smell like manure and most of the more city-like amenities are miles away, but I’m comfortable in my new home (renting a room) and the isolation is a nice change of pace.

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For those wondering how I came across this school, I have my (now, former) job to thank for that. After I got hired with Bell Jewelers in Murfreesboro one of the owners mentioned LWT as I had taken an interest in repair and watchmaking in particular. Research confirmed it was considered the best watchmaking school in the country and the watchmaker at Bell spoke very highly of it. I spent some more time learning about the program and decided to apply. After a little less than a year drafting my application + letter, I sent it in and started the interview process–which I will detail in another post.

To keep things brief, my main reasons for attending the school are as follow:

• I enjoy the work, as well as mechanical watches in general
• I have a lot of respect for the company Rolex, who funds the school directly
• It is an in demand career, as most older watchmakers are retiring and leaving retail stores without anyone to take their position
• It is a lucrative career
• The working environment is extremely clean and organized (by necessity)

Of course there are others, but ultimately this is why I’m typing from Pennsylvania instead of Tennessee. Next post will detail the interview process. I will continue to update how I’m doing personally as necessary but so far so good. I’m just looking forward to class starting so I can get to work.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

The view from the front yard.

This site is mainly going to be used as a public diary of sorts to detail my personal life spending time away from the only home I’ve ever known as well as provide an inside look at my studies in watchmaking school.

For those unaware, I was selected as a student for the Lititz Watch Technicum in Lititz, PA for the 2018-2020 school years. It is an extreme honor and privilege to be selected as a student there. I’m greatly looking forward to attending and starting what I hope will be a long and fruitful career, however it is going to be a difficult adjustment as this step in my life is accompanied by several somewhat jarring “firsts.”

This will be the first time I have lived on my own, away from my parents.
This will be the first time I have moved outside of my hometown–as well as my home state.
This will be the first time I have given up a good job to return to school and pay my own way using what I have saved up (hopefully the last time, too).
This will be the first time I will not have any friends for hundreds of miles around.
This will be the first time I publicly document my experience through a blog.

All that said, I am still looking forward to the move, which will be on August 25th. Class will start on September 4th.

Over the course of the next few weeks I will detail my experience with discovering the school, the interview process, and my preparations before leaving. Updates will come as I have time to type them out, as I want to communicate everything clearly for anyone who has questions about what it is I’m actually doing and I might go a few days without anything interesting happening.

Next post I will explain how I found this place and why I decided to go there.

Thanks for reading,
Matt