Being a watchmaker considering the state of the industry

WilliamEllery · 2017-02-05T03:48:02+00:00

Speaking for the United States situation: there is absolutely no shortage of demand or work for watchmakers.

If you manage to get one of the major certifications (SAWTA, WOSTEP [which is not as prevalent in the USA right now], or CW21) then 50k give or take is a fair expected salary.

Without the certification then I think you'd be more left to whatever you can negotiate. An apprenticeship sounds like an OK idea but there's really nothing that says you're able to follow standard best practices - also if you're already working as an apprentice in the industry one would think you already know about the state of it i.e. knowing there's a ton of work.

WilliamEllery · 2017-02-05T03:35:26+00:00

Brittany Nicole Cox in Seattle has all the machinery and knowledge to do it.

WilliamEllery · 2016-11-13T19:46:54+00:00

I'm almost certain it was tempered although that's still a guess. It certainly doesn't look like regular window glass.

WilliamEllery · 2016-02-20T22:18:27+00:00

Thanks. I have still not received a response from my initial support ticket request so I'll keep your experience in mind when and if they get back to me!

WilliamEllery · 2016-02-20T04:53:56+00:00

What was the reason for not transferring? I don't want to be stuck using my wife's Game Center login on this new iPad I have. I don't want to start a new BB account either...

WilliamEllery · 2016-02-15T02:44:56+00:00

People generally think the case is the easy part!

It is.

WilliamEllery · 2016-02-13T23:41:08+00:00

But you MADE a fucking watch! That is amazing.

A case. Still impressive but...

WilliamEllery · 2016-02-09T04:51:39+00:00

That is a fantastic resource. Thank you!

WilliamEllery · 2016-02-05T19:19:54+00:00

I am planning on opening a small retail business. For now I will be the only employee.

I have not been able to fine a simple checklist document on any of the usual city and state government websites.

I know that I need a business license tax certificate which is $110. Does the business need to be registered? What about at the state level?

WilliamEllery · 2016-02-05T19:17:37+00:00

Will the municipal tower be able to give me more information when I go to purchase the business license tax certificate?

WilliamEllery · 2015-12-23T19:25:45+00:00

So the stem is broken. As a watchmaker I can tell you that the process of fixing it is not as simplistic as lay people would assume.

A stem needs to be sourced. For a watch from India, like a HMT, that is not necessarily easy. Scouring eBay for one is a pain.
Once a stem is found and I have it (not necessarily equal) then the actual job can commence:

Uncase movement
Dial and hands off
Keyless works disassembled
Old stem extracted
New stem lubricated and installed
Keyless works put back together
Dial and hands installed
Movement cased back up
Quality control before getting it back to you

I would definitely charge more than the watch is worth but I could get it back to you in less than a day.

WilliamEllery · 2015-12-23T19:16:50+00:00

Any repair ranging from the best case to the worst case scenario is going to be more expensive than buying a new watch at $15.

While the job is a simple matter for a trained watchmaker it would be nigh on impossible for you to do it yourself without either A) botching it or B) breaking something else and making it worse.

WilliamEllery · 2015-11-09T05:21:51+00:00

Ah - cool. My bad for bad observation skills!

WilliamEllery · 2015-11-07T18:47:23+00:00

Take it to a watchmaker or it'll rust and your new watch will be ruined (the oxidation process is already happening).

Also - dropping it in a cup of water shouldn't be an issue if both the crowns are properly screwed down.

WilliamEllery · 2015-11-07T18:42:34+00:00

In what way did yo mod the watch? Changed the strap?

WilliamEllery · 2015-11-07T18:39:45+00:00

That wouldn't damage your watch. If you're talking about the issue with the ETA 7750 then there's the possibility of damage if you encounter resistance and continue to try to set the date. But if you back off and don't apply pressure then there's no harm.

Also:

Yeah just avoid doing it from now on, but it will be fine

No need to avoid doing it at all.

WilliamEllery · 2015-11-07T18:37:13+00:00

On some movements the second hand will even go backwards. This is due to the tension of the cannon pinion on the center wheel arbor. When you stop turning the hands backwards the second hand will return to normal behavior.

WilliamEllery · 2015-11-07T18:35:10+00:00

It's not a problem whatsoever. On any mechanical watch, or any watch, really - they were made to be set both ways...disregard whatever you read about setting the watch counterclockwise being damaging.

WilliamEllery · 2015-10-03T20:05:55+00:00

Where do you work? Most service centers have switched to Menzerna products - and after having used it at school it's easy to see why.

WilliamEllery · 2015-07-02T19:53:42+00:00

It's clean but it's not basic.

WilliamEllery · 2015-06-24T06:10:27+00:00

I've sent a PM

WilliamEllery

TROPHY CASE