Watchmaking School: Visiting the Ecole Technique at the Vallée de Joux

[@halnwheels]

Wow! This exceeds the 1-1/2 years at the Bulova School of Watchmaking, We made stems and staffs, but not wheels and escapements. We did learn how to make overcoil hairsprings from a flat spiral blank. But the focus of the school was more towards working as a watchmaker at a jeweler or watch repair shop. But with the high-end types of watches being made today, this school is more in line with that.

[@clockguy2]

In the old days, students would be making their own tools such as the lathes. My customer's grandfather, was an old school German clockmaker, and he made all his own tools before touching a clock. One book I have, suggested the student practice turning on the lathe for around four hours daily.

[@rock_ok]

i want to see that. the tools lathes.

[@DIEmicrosoft]

@@rock_ok Do a search here for gingery lathes. They're hand built but on a bigger scale.

[@indijanac4062]

Can you remmember name of the book?

[@ruadhagainagaidheal9398]

I had the opportunity ,when I was a young man, to undertake a watchmaking apprenticeship. I completed and passed a number of practical tests to see if I had the aptitude. I chose not to continue , fearful that the then just beginning quartz crisis would cause all my efforts to be wasted. If only an older , wiser head could be put on young shoulders !

[@nomadben]

I don't think anyone could blame you for making that decision at the time. I might've done the same thing if I were in your shoes. It's hard to see the future!

[@Carlos-nq7up]

I wish, I would've known about this trade when I was young!

[@RollaArtis]

Presumably the highly elaborate machine at 5.40 enables one to adjust and fix the isochronal length of the balance spring. Necessary for a flat spring without overcoil.

[@polloloci21]

So cool to see these future craftspeople

[@jandoerlidoe3412]

What a wonderful project: building your own marine chronometer from scratch in watchmaking school... The piece very much looks like a Ulysse Nardin deckwatch ( minus the power reserve indicator ) Is that the basis for this chronometer ? And those gorgeous Schaublin lathes... the workshop & tools... mouthwatering....

[@BltchErica]

That looks so awesome and fun. It would be cool one day to go there just so I can make my own grand complications.

[@PedroSilva-yc4bu]

righttt. yor crazy, t this ios not so eas as it looks... but you can start...now-go to a school

[@hathaway.1166]

Rei Ayanami being a watchmaker? Oh my god.

[@ActiveAtom]

Nice to be here what a great school 3 years w know the two (no breaks) years here in the USA.Thank you for your share, Lance & Patrick.

[@docfoot316]

Enjoyed ,and such fine craftsmanship .

[@tapemaster8252]

what are the requirements to become a student and how much does it cost?

[@SnowmansApartment]

Tape Master82 from what i‘ve read so far, it costs nothing. And you can apply right after school.

[@zugly1999]

Tape Master82 It costs kind of a lot, since its a school and you have to basically buy almost all the tools you use and books and what not to be there. Then the technical skills required for attending there are also very high and the educational skill are basically the same All in all, its high demanding, very high, i am attending to a different Watchmakerschool, the one in Grenchen, Solothurn and they have ridiculously high standards

[@beautgrainger147]

If it's like the UK equivalent then you need to be one of the best applicants to the course too.. It's possible to get a position at a Swiss school by successfully getting a trainee job for a prestigious watch company. It can involve relocating for the study, then the job, and may include learning the native classroom language too, possibly French.

[@spazz99ful]

What it takes: patience, persistence, logik and analytical thinking, math skills, atleast average intelligence, somewhat higer is better, calmness, ability to work alone in silence, and about 5% autism.

[@Blazerelf]

do they show how to do tourbillion, minute repeater and perpetual calender?

[@frankieboyo1969]

Probably. Why do you ask?

[@markomaric3737]

Becuase those three are most difficult complications to make.

[@joeesparza6108]

You forgotten the Rattrapante ( split second chronograph ) which most master watchmakers would say is the most difficult to build. In fact many watch servicing centers won't touch them or ordinary chronograph movements.

[@guillocheenamel]

Nice video and school. Can we learn the Grand Feu enameling at any watch making school? Anyone knows about it?

[@absolutemonarchy8657]

3:40 I love that Horia lathes I wish I had one even though I am not watchmaker but even very modest configuration adds up to over 5000eur sadly

[@rushthezeppelin]

That has to be the cutest lathe on the planet lol.

[@tornosaponte7576]

Excelente excelente me gusta mucho soy venezolano migrante en barranquilla colombia yo fabrique un tornito casero de joyería y me gustaría aprender algo de relojería

[@minicar47]

wat een prachtig vak is dat . ben nu met pensioen helaas maar het is nu mijn hobby geworden antieke klokken .

[@trpackz2848]

Mooi om te horen. Ik ben student en dit lijkt mij erg interessant. Probeer op het moment mijn eerste Zak horloges te bemachtigen om Mee te oefenen, en kijken of dit werk wat voor mij is (hou in iedergeval van priegelwerk).

[@minicar47]

dit soort werk deed ik ook bij het GEB klokken afdeling in de jaren 90 tandraderen maken op de freesmachine

[@trpackz2848]

@Raymond Stemmer Not everyone speaks English. Also this person is not a boy. He said he was retired in his other post. He was also posting really positive comments. You could maybe learn something from him.

[@allanmunken]

How much does a studie cost pr year to go on the school 😊

[@brandysigmon9066]

that would be great!

[@edgeyt1]

I'd love to do that course, alas age and costs prevent it being a viable option for me.

[@smithoxford3332]

I’m interested

[@shuxratshuxrat1169]

What is the apparatus watchmakers are wearing on their one eye called? Could anyone tell me

[@theodoreiaccino7762]

loupe

[@charlesfield9286]

love it! thanks

[@miguelangeldelafuent]

El reloj marino, que aparece al principio,¿Fue hecho por un alumno de esta escuela?.

[@TheOfficialCzex]

¡Sí! Es un arte increíble para aprender.

[@miguelangeldelafuent]

TheOfficialCzex gracias

[@usayacolt]

Very nice

[@syedwaleedshah2830]

can a person learn from the internet...asking for myself... am a mechanical engineer but lives far away form these schools

[@PedroSilva-yc4bu]

no after the course you have to practise for 5 years - then your an watchmaker Ima a turner and i try to teach enginners, usually they dont accep to leanr from me. they are dumbs.

[@judeskye7124]

yes you can ignore pedro he is a idiot the British horological institute offers a long distance course where you can get fully qualified its not expensive and alows you to grow to be independent rather than relying on brand new schaublin 70s with all the attachments where they literally just teach you to turn a dial

[@everythingviral972]

Don't project your own shortcomings onto others. Some people are more capable than others. Masahiro Kikuno is mainly self-taught. He attended a school, but it was more for maintenance, and so he taught himself from a book.Another Japanese watchmaker did the same. Kikuno is world renowned.

[@jeffbecker8716]

18,000 bph is 5 beats per second. I had thought the standard was 6 per second (21,600 bph). Yes? No? Depends?

[@muffemod]

The faster the beat the higher the precision but at the cost of wear and tear, resulting more frequent interval between servicing.

[@juandedioscepaconforme4926]

IBG WORLDWUIDE SALUDOS CORDIALES DESDE GUAYAQUIL ECUADOR MUY IMPORTANTE TRABAJO DE RELOJERIA MUY BIEN ORGANIZADO EL PERSONAL DE TRABAJO CADA UNO EN SU AREA 🇪🇨🙋‍♂️⏱⏲🕛😀👍

[@OffGridInvestor]

"Drilling machines".... he actually meant milling equipment. But English is likely his 3rd language.

[@minicar47]

Dit zijn grote kunstenaars met een Grote K 👌

[@duc696monster6]

Any chance for an old man to do this, and what does it cost? Any chance to make some money during those 3 years since i have bills to pay?...

[@watchesarts.5599]

انا اجيد صيانة الساعات فهل هناك فرصة ❤

[@SnowmansApartment]

honestly, this is fucking easy. If i‘d known that, i would have done that instead of studying math at uni.. now i‘ll just teach watchmaking to myself xD..

[@clockguy2]

Why would they put a movement with a club foot escapement in Gimbals? That's like putting a screen door on a submarine. Saunier and Breguet must be rolling in their graves. I guess it's more the process than the actual product.

[@johnholtz1205]

Amazon video

[@bigbattenberg]

from 2:34 - the guy chewing gum... yucks. This they should forbid in watchmaking school.

[@Light-vu6ws]

?

[@BltchErica]

What's the problem?

[@namedyukinne4398]

I see no problem with that

[@rogerbelamy2328]

en francais ce serai mieux

[@RestorationWatch]

The lathe I saw was a low tech vintage design. What a backward education. Chinese watchmaking schools are using 21st century equipment with microscopes and high tech measuring equipment. I now see why Swiss watches are not as accurate as early to mid century American watches, and why Grand Seiko do make the ultimate movements that have been streets ahead of Swiss movements since the late 1960s. I witnessed the epitome of pomposity on display in this archaic teaching establishment. Making a movement and designing a movement are two entirely different disciplines. A Chinese watchmaker learns CAD, CNC machining, and a myriad of manufacturing skills. Here they learn to make a completely out of date, yet beautiful trinket where art and innovation are nowhere to be seen.

[@speenlmar9575]

And I thought medicine was hard.

[@Mbase-apollo]

boring !!!!

[@ratitabaco]

Ah ok

[@user-ks5ff]

Should get rid of the 2 Arabs in there, I'd only pay £10 for a watch made by an Arab.

[@greraz]

Poor racist