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Jon the Watch at work

About Jon

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With over 35 years of diverse engineering experience, Jon enjoyed such roles as a blacksmith, tinsmith, welder, and fabricator. His projects have spanned from fabricating spiral staircases to constructing bomb-proof window frames in the House of Commons. Along this path, he found my home with watchmaking.

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He developed his skills in horology training at EFHC in Essex for several years, supplementing this education with countless hours in his home workshop, with more esoteric and complex watches.

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In a previous role, He facilitated groups and providing education in detox and rehab units across London. Over time, he evolved into a keyworker, focusing on supporting individuals whose lives had taken unexpected turns.​​

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With the skills he had acquired with engineering, watchmaking and keyworking, he now shares his knowledge and passion by teaching structured weekly evening classes, introducing complete beginners to the art of watchmaking, as well as more seasoned horologists.

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There is also a second-year course, a natural progression from the initial curriculum. This advanced course focussed on more complicated automatic and chronograph watches, as well as precision repairs.

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Recently, he founded the London Watchmaking School in South London, creating a space for individuals of all skill levels. From complete novices to seasoned professional watchmakers looking to enhance their technical and theoretical understanding, our courses cater to diverse interests. The classes, limited to seven students, take place in the evenings within a well-equipped watchmaking workshop.

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This school is not just about learning; it's a platform for individuals to discover the theoretical and practical aspects of watchmaking, empowering students to eventually service their own watches, through hands-on, in-person and online education in an environment tailored for optimal learning.

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Beyond his role as a watchmaking tutor, he enjoys the hands-on practice of servicing and repairing a wide array of watches, from modern to vintage timepieces.

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His specialisation lies in the restoration of vintage Rolex, Omega and Jaeger LeCoultre watches, a process that involves breathing life and love back into timepieces that hold both historical and sentimental value. This extends to watches that have endured significant water damage, requiring intricate attention to the movement, dial, and hands.

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For Jon, watchmaking is more than a job; it is love made visible. Each watch carries a unique story, rather than it being just a collection of cogs, wheels and springs.​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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About Rob

​Rob has recently joined the team here at London Watchmaking School teaching the regular weekend taster days, as well as servicing complex chronograph and automatic watches of all types in our workshop.

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Rob is originally from Australia and has been living in London for the last ten years.

He has had many roles such as being a farmer in Tasmania and also a full-time Dad to his two young children before falling down the rabbit hole of watchmaking.

He attended both the first and second year evening courses taught by Jon and furthered his education with the BHI, whilst working for a Russell Talerman in Mayfair, London.

He now works at Watchfinder & Co.

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Rob is also a bit of a watch case expert, although he is too humble to claim that prize.

He also shares a passion for watchmaking and showing students how a watch works in the process of disassembling and assembling a simple hand-wound mechanical watch during the watchmaking taster days.

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He has a very methodical, encouraging and relaxed way of teaching, which puts students at ease and fosters a belief in their own ability.

He has recently passed all relevant grades of exams at the BHI to qualify as Fellow of the British Horological Institute (FBHI) and was awarded the prestigious and coveted Bronze Medal.

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This award is presented to top performances in written and practical exams. This medal has been awarded since the late 1800s to the notionally ‘best student’. However, it is now an even more important award, granted only to the top achiever in the BHI Certificate in Repair, Restoration and Conservation of Clocks/Watches (the upper grade of the BHI training programme).

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Rob is truly a very talented watchmaker, who is top of his game and we are very pleased he has joined us to share his experience, knowledge and passion with students and to develop more lessons here in the future, such as using a watchmakers lathe and more complex repairs.

Click on this link to have a look at our page about the evening courses and weekend taster days:

JLC Memovox
Omega Constellation
Water damaged Omega Semaster
Water damaged Omega Seamaster
Rolex Oyster Perpetual
Ladies Omega watch
Omega 1120 movement
Repaired and serviced Omega Seamaster

This Omega Seamaster 503 from the late 1950's had taken on a lot of water and needed each part carefully disassembled without damaging anything further, then patiently all rust and tarnish was removed before assembling and breathing life back into her.

Fortunately, this watch needed very few parts to bring her back to life again and hopefully she'll keep going for another 70 years...

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Contact Me

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday

Saturday

Sunday 

10 am - 6 pm

10 am - 2 pm

Closed

Location

Wimbledon Art Studios

10 Riverside Yard, Riverside Road,

Wandsworth, London, SW17 0BB

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© 2025 by Jon the Watch. 

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