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Introduction:

Welcome to London Watchmaking School, where we offer comprehensive horological courses designed for individuals ranging from complete beginners to the more seasoned horologists and professional watchmakers. Our comprehensive 40-week program (120 hours) aims to provide both practical and theoretical understanding in watch servicing and repair catering to various skill levels.

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Background:

Jon the Watch wrote and created a course for complete beginners to watchmaking, delivering 120 hours of training over 40 weeks. Following the success of that course, Jon expanded his offerings to create a comprehensive second-year program focusing on advanced watchmaking techniques with more complicated watch movements.

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London Watchmaking School - Course Overview

Here at London Watchmaking School, we teach Year One and Year Two watchmaking courses.

Bespoke and one-to-one  tuition is also provided.

 

Year One Course Structure

• Entry Level: Assuming no prior knowledge of watch mechanics.

• Duration: 40 weeks (120 hours).

• Lesson Format: Three-hour sessions each week, including 30 – 45 minutes of theory followed by a practical watchmaking session.

• Materials: Lessons in PowerPoint format will be provided weekly via cloud-based storage.

• PowerPoint: 40 PowerPoint presentations with over 2500 pages of videos and detailed pictorial content.

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Course Content

Participants will gain expertise in a wide range of watchmaking skills, including but not limited to:

• Servicing hand-wound mechanical movements.

• Servicing jewelled quartz watch movements.

• History and development of watchmaking.

• Tools, techniques, and workshop practices.

• Opening watch cases.

• Disassembly, reassembly, and fault checking of movements.

• Lever escapements: Action, checking, adjusting, and regulation.

• Keyless-work variations and understanding functions of parts.

• Fault finding: Understanding how a watch works and why it doesn’t.

• Using a watchmaker’s staking tool.

• Bench metalwork skills: Cut, file, shape, and polish.

• Acrylic, mineral & sapphire crystal removal and replacement.

• Theoretical and practical aspects of watchmaking.

• Using a watch cleaning machine.

• Oiling of jewels.

• Polishing pivots & pinions using a jacot tool.

• Making hand levers – Annealing, hardening & tempering skills.

• Adjusting and regulating working serviced movements.

• Using a timegrapher – Fault finding & timing.

• Detailed understanding of how the Swiss lever escapement works.

• Detailed understanding how a quartz watch movement works.

• Experience simple complications in a movement such as a date calendar with a quickset function.

• Calculation of mainspring sizes and types of bridle.

• Full strip-down, fault finding, cleaning, assembly, and lubrication of every movement in each module.

• Ability to oil both shockproof and non-shock-proofed cap jewels in vintage and modern watches.

        (See the lesson info download at the top of this page)

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Course Outcome

By the completion of the 120-hour course, students will:

• Gain an intimate understanding of how a watch works and become adept at processes covered in the course content.

• Fully understand how different hand-wound mechanical watch movement work, including quartz watches.

• Understand different configurations of wheel train layouts and power transfer though an array of movements.

• Gain the patience, confidence and proficiency to service most modern and vintage mechanical hand-wound and quartz watches.

• Become skilled and competent at diagnosing and correcting most faults encountered.

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Certification

The course does not provide a qualification of its own but aims to equip students with practical and a theoretical knowledge in watch servicing and repair, along with useful techniques and tips.

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Professional Development

For those considering a professional qualification in the future:

• Bring a camera and notebook to document your progress.

• Make your own notes to build a portfolio.

• Course options and professional advice are available.

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Success stories

Several past students have gone on to become full-time watchmakers.

One past student has gone on to further their training with Patek Phillipe for two years in Switzerland and will coming back to teach with us in October 2025.

Another student, Robert Talbot FBHI who completed two years of evening courses has recently been awarded the prestigious bronze medal award from the British Horological Institute and is working at Watchfinder & Co. Robert is also teaching here.

Three past students have set-up their own independent watchmaking businesses.

Another student is currently studying at Birmingham City University for his BA (Hons) in horology.

A past student who attended the first year evening course has his own watch business called Apiar Watches.

There are many ways to become a watchmaker, which doesn't necessarily involve an 1800 or 3000 hours course with WOSTEP (Watches Of Switzerland Training and Educational Programme).

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Tools and Equipment

• Each height adjustable workbench is equipped with simul-focal stereo microscopes.

• All equipment is provided to use in the workshop, such as staking tools, jewelling tools, timegraphers, cleaning machines, tweezers, screwdrivers and loupes (eye-glass), etc.

• All necessary tools for the course are available to use during the lessons in our 'starter' tool boxes for the first six weeks.

• Students are encouraged to build their own collection of tools by week 5 or 6.

• The approximate cost for a basic tool kit is £150 (excluding the price of a toolbox).

• Guidance on what tools and sourcing them is given in the first and second week of the course.

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Books and Learning Materials

• Recommended books to supplement learning.

• Guidance on tools, prices, and where to acquire them.

• The first watch is an ST36, provided at an additional cost of £80.

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Further Learning

• Suggestions for additional tools and equipment for home practice.

• Advice on expanding tool collection based on individual progress.

• Ways of maximising eBay buying - tricks and tips with watches and tools.

• Watch forums, websites and other sources of information are explored.

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2024 First Year Course Term Dates Tuesday evenings - FULLY BOOKED​

• Term one begins on Tuesday 10th September until Tuesday 17th December 2024.

• Term two - Tuesday 14th January until Tuesday 25th March 2025.

• Term three - Tuesday 8th April until Tuesday 8th July 2025.

• Lessons are held between 6.30pm until 9.30pm once a week.

• Three terms over the academic year; between 11 to 15 weeks in each term.

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2025 First Year Course Term Dates Wednesday evenings - FULLY BOOKED​

• Term one begins on Wednesday 15th January until Wednesday 26th March 2025

• Term two - Wednesday 9th April until Wednesday 9th July 2025.

• Term three - Wednesday 10th September until 17th December 2025.

• Lessons are held between 6.30pm until 9.30pm once a week.

• Three terms over the academic year; between 11 to 15 weeks in each term.​

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2025 - 2026 First Year Course Cost and Schedule Monday evenings - AVAILABILITY 

• £1320 for the 40-week course.

• Additional £80 covers the cost of the first watch and spare parts.

• Term one begins on Monday 8th September until Monday 15th December 2025

• Term two - Monday 12th January until Monday 23rd March 2026.

• Term three - Monday 6th April until Monday 6th July 2026.

• Lessons are held between 6.30pm until 9.30pm once a week.

• Three terms over the academic year; between 11 to 15 weeks in each term.​​

         (See the lesson info download at the top of this page)

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2025 - 2026 First Year Course Cost and Schedule Tuesday evenings - AVAILABILITY 

• £1320 for the 40-week course.

• Additional £80 covers the cost of the first watch and spare parts.

• Term one begins on Tuesday 9th September until Tuesday 16th December 2025

• Term two - Tuesday 13th January until Tuesday 24th March 2026.

• Term three - Tuesday 7th April until Tuesday 7th July 2026.

• Lessons are held between 6.30pm until 9.30pm once a week.

• Three terms over the academic year; between 11 to 15 weeks in each term.

         (See the lesson info download at the top of this page)

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Location

Wimbledon Art Studios, near Tooting, South London, SW17 0BB.

• 10 minutes from Tooting Broadway Tube Station.

• Nearest mainline station: Earlsfield.

 

At London Watchmaking School, our goal is to empower students with the skills, knowledge, understanding and patience needed to be able to service and repair most hand-wound mechanical and quartz watches.

Our course offers a unique and enriching learning experience.​​​​​

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Year Two Prerequisites and Course Structure

The Year Two Course at London Watchmaking School is designed for individuals with a strong practical and theoretical understanding of hand-wound mechanical watches. It covers more advanced topics, including automatic and chronograph movements. If you haven't attended the Year One Course, a bench test will be required to assess your skills. ​

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The first-year watchmaking course focusses on the basics of hand wound mechanical watch movements with various gear train layouts, and the different processes of adjustments and regulation.

Once the theoretical and practical principles of the Swiss lever escapement and a quartz movement are understood and put into practice, then more complicated watches with more complications are worked on to further your skills, knowledge and understanding, as well as becoming adept with advanced repairs and servicing.

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Because the watches in the second year are more complicated, the prices will reflect that. We will work on two automatic watches and three chronographs which students will purchase for the course content.

(See the lesson info download at the top of this page)

 

Second Year Content and Skills Covered

The Year Two Course includes:

• Advanced Level: Must have a good practical and theoretical knowledge of hand-wound watch movements.

• Duration: 40 weeks (120 hours).

• Lesson Format: Three-hour sessions each week, including 30 – 45 minutes of theory followed by a practical watchmaking session.

• Materials: Lessons in PowerPoint format will be provided weekly via cloud-based storage.

• PowerPoint: 40 PowerPoint presentations with over 2500 pages of videos and detailed pictorial content.

• Advanced servicing and repair of automatic and chronograph movements.

• Use of jeweling tools, adjustment of end-shake, bushing main-plates and bridges.

• Use of an 8 mm watchmaker’s lathe.

• Tool making

• Pallet stone setting.

• Jacot tool pivot polishing

• Dynamic and static poising of balances.

• Hairspring manipulation.

• Ultimately gain an intimate understanding how automatic and chronograph watch movements work.

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Course Features

• The course does not provide a qualification but focuses on practical and theoretical understanding in servicing complicated watch movements.

• Recommendations for professional qualifications and career guidance.

• Success stories of students gaining employment with established watch companies.

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Course Cost and Additional Expenses

• £1560 for the 40-week course.

• £35 for an ETA 6497 clone movement (ST36) to perform various tasks, such as jewelling, pallet stone setting, bushing and keyless work fabrication.

• Two automatic watches and three chronograph watches will need to be purchased by students..

• Three terms over the academic year; between 11 to 15 weeks in each term.

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Tools and Equipment

• Simul focal stereo microscopes available for intricate tasks, such as escapement work.

• Guidance on the purchase of movements for personal use and course content.

• Additional tools and equipment discussed for at-home practice.

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Learning Materials

• Over 2500 PowerPoint pages of video and pictorial content.

• Detailed instructions and guidance for advanced skills and techniques.

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Course Schedule and Location

• Term begins in January 2026.

• Lessons held from 6.30pm until 9.30pm once a week.

• Location: Wimbledon Art Studios, near Tooting, South London, SW17 0BB.

• Nearest tube: Tooting Broadway.

• Nearest mainline station: Earlsfield.

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At the London Watchmaking School, our goal is to empower students with the advanced skills and knowledge needed to understand, service and repair complicated watch movements. Our courses offer a unique and enriching learning experience.

For further inquiries or enrolment information, please contact us at jon@jonthewatch.co.uk

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'Watchmaking is love made visible'

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