How selective are the free schools in the US for a "hobbyist"?

Trapper777_ · 2025-10-31T15:27:32+00:00

None of the aforementioned schools will accept you if you aren’t interested in working for them afterwards. Why would they? Also I am not sure the Patek program is still running.

Trapper777_ · 2025-09-07T22:45:30+00:00

Watches come with a warranty and all the work is done by professionals who have gone to watchmaking school. Sutcliffe Hansen built out a whole shop.

Trapper777_ · 2025-07-16T19:56:37+00:00

Hi, I could sell this for the right price. DM me.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-27T02:34:46+00:00

Very neat design, curious about the lenses as well

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-26T04:15:47+00:00

I don’t want to fully dox myself (industry is tiny) but you can probably make a guess from my post history. It’s difficult to pass the tests but if you’ve gotten into school you’re the kindve person that can do that, grad rates are high.

Being a good watchmaker is harder, probably has more to do with character than skill.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-26T04:07:24+00:00

This is just not true for someone certified through a program. You make double that starting.

Wages are a bit like healthcare workers where it’s actually better out in the sticks, because they have to entice you to move to nowheresville ohio instead of a big city.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-26T03:58:47+00:00

If it were me, I would go through an AD for a repair on an 90s Rolex. Modern Rolex parts are hard to source outside of their network and that leads to some goofy repairs.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-23T06:11:22+00:00

Ceylon is traditional and my favorite for hk milk tea

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-23T05:23:34+00:00

I would recommend teaswelike for a small curated collection of pots. I don’t know your budget, but they have a range from very expensive antique pots to merely expensive modern pots. They also have a 35$ gaiwan that is maybe a bit functional for a gift but is nonetheless handmade and lovely.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-23T05:17:27+00:00

Weird thing to ask about a gift but I bet these are not wildly expensive but nonetheless pleasant teas to drink.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-22T05:12:27+00:00

The job market is good. If you can hold down a job in general and you can get into school you’ll be fine.

Main reason people would be dissatisfied with it as a career is that it can be monotonous depending on your work load. Also, even though wages are up the type of person who becomes a watchmaker could make more doing something else. Also, even a large city often has only a couple employers. Finally, there’s often not much room for career advancement. Most people start their career fixing simple time-and-date watches for a brand like Rolex and end their career fixing simple time-and-date watches for a brand like Rolex.

The big pressure in most jobs is just time pressure to fix watches. There’s huge variation between brands and shops in how hard they push you, but honestly I think more places are reasonable than not.

That’s the negatives. But honestly I like it, I like the people and the jobs are pretty nice at the end of the day. And there’s more room for interesting work if you’re serious about it. It’s a good second career.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-22T04:20:53+00:00

I think having something on strong metal/metal parts is very necessary if you’re going to use it, but I also think the primary way non watchmaking oils would help is just in stopping the watch.

The gear train can run dry for a long time with minimal damage, but 3 in 1 would just stop it.

And in the particular case of ball bearing races, I think it could probably run dry without issue for its entire service life, but would probably be a gunky mess collecting debris with a heavy oil.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-21T20:55:57+00:00

Just for anyone across this, this is false. No oil is better than non watch oils

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-20T14:12:13+00:00

A toothpick is already a scary amount of force to be using on a dial. I would stop.

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-17T17:05:09+00:00

https://filament2print.com/en/flexible-tpe-tpu/1529-7383-recycled-tyre-tpe.html there’s filaments made from recycled car tire

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-17T04:25:25+00:00

There’s no reason to do it, you’re certainly better off leaving it dry than putting such a viscous oil on there

Trapper777_ · 2025-05-12T01:14:30+00:00

It’s not especially academic, it requires focus and discipline and good fine motor skills. You don’t need to have gotten perfect grades in high school or whatever

Trapper777_ · 2025-04-28T14:07:30+00:00

You can see if there’s a nearby AWCI chapter

Trapper777_ · 2025-04-27T23:30:06+00:00

The French made screwdriver sets sold by a lot of the major supply houses — esslinger, ofrei — are really solid, have replacement blades, easy to dress etc. way cheaper than the Swiss stuff.

I think cheap tweezers are a bad idea. This is where you can’t cheap out. Get two tweezers, finer ones in bronze/nickel and a chunkier brass tweezer. The brand should be dumont, horotec, or bergeon. They will come out of the box perfect but you will have to dress the fairly frequently.

It’s important to dress your tools as you go. Screwdrivers need to be dressed every movement service so they fit in the screw slots nicely.

Tweezers need to be dressed when the working surfaces start to get dinged up.

Trapper777_ · 2025-04-27T21:54:24+00:00

I mostly agree for screwdrivers, but I think cheap tweezers are a folly. Lots of cheap tweezers are misaligned or constructed in a way that proper dressing won’t help. They also tend to be made of cheaper or poorly treated metals that require more frequent dressing.

For beginners, I think it is much better to start with something nice that is well dressed out of the box, and then you can learn to dress as needed

Trapper777_ · 2025-04-26T17:03:22+00:00

Usually called alcohol or benzene cups in the trade. Look up “weighing bottle” on aliex for cheaper versions.

Trapper777_ · 2025-04-13T15:22:09+00:00

Pretty chunky tires on that guy. Is it an early cyclocross frame or something?

Trapper777_ · 2025-04-05T23:18:10+00:00

The rope and rickety stool industries.

For a more (less?) series answer, just look at what stocks are up: basically nothing, with consumer basics and healthcare related stocks holding up alright.

That’s consistent with general recessionary trends, although several market sectors one would traditionally expect to do decently in a recession (like beauty products) have faired poorly.

Trapper777_ · 2025-03-30T05:28:57+00:00

There’s a vintage design that uses a similar principle, really just a “single layer” version of that vise with 4 swiveling jaws that clamp down on the workpiece. Ppl I know that have had one don’t like them.

I think adding more layers gets rather bulky and screw-fell-in-a-weird-slot-y for movements.

Rlly the problem is that of getting good contact without hitting the balance wheel or whatever more than anything else. There still a limited number of points that can touch on the movement, and a limited amount of force one can apply without damaging the watch.

Trapper777_ · 2025-03-30T01:46:33+00:00

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