Summer is here

 Always hectic towards the end, especially when it’s this hot! We’re ending it all off with a lovely dinner.

Another eventful week in Le Locle, we had Sens graduation and a hefty two days of cleaning. Got the workshop looking sharp. 

We are all very proud of Sens for completing his degree! He can start his summer on a great note.

Sens and Henrik

Last thing before the break is always a deep clean. Always oddly satisfying seeing all the surfaces and benches looking brand new. No corner is left untouched.

Gary is making more progress on his case! Here he made a prototype out of aluminum, looking very nice.

What are you doing outside Nick?

Well that’s it’s for now, by the end of the weekend most of us will have left to return home.

Hope you all have a lovely summer!

Until next time!

Count down begins

 With just one week left, everyone is busy. Time is passing by faster than expected, but that’s always the case. I have started working on my school watch, making the bridges out of German silver. Having drilled the through holes for the bridge screws on the jig borer. Then on the lathe, using the base plate to spot center the jewel holes and attaching the bridge to then drill. The George Daniel’s method.

Used a ball mill to make the slots for the winding stem and a mill for the winding pinion slot. Some fun lathe work.

Michael and Henrik are doing some demonstration of ratchet wheel decorations. Amazing how many different ways there are to decorate a single wheel. Here we can see the classic triple snailing along with the method made by an old student Ivan.

Mesmerizing 

Along with these, they are also showing prime examples of Geneva stripes, a very traditional and classy finishing technique, done on the mill. 

Up close

Sharp yet curvy 

Philip and Gary took their gear train exam today! Congratulations to them both. Caio and Gui have started working on the balance staff, a daunting yet rewarding trial.

Jaewon completed another pivot, can only be seen under the microscope.

 Meanwhile Joan is working on hairsprings, the most unforgiving part of watchmaking, one slip and it’s all over.

That’s it for this week! Until next time!

Exams!

 Here we can spot a wild watchmaker in his natural habitat. 

Gui is speeding through the technician course, yesterday he took his pivot gauge exam just a few weeks into learning them. Meanwhile in the other workshop Jae won and Chris took their gear train exam. The first exam for the technician course. An exciting exam including a full barrel service, bending wheels, adjusting end-shake and divisions. 

Nick is machining his way through his brass tools, here you can see his diamond pallet fork holder. 

Jae won, still working on an ancient memovox. Been neglected for many years until Jae won came along to bring it back to life. Life to that baby pur.

This is a special weekend in Le Locle, it’s the annual festival when thousands of people come and fill our empty streets. Hopefully we’ll see you there.

Until next time!

Way too hot

 Hard to work in this heat. Yet we persevere.

Sens took his final exam this week! So if all goes well we will be celebrating very soon. A big weight must be lifted from his shoulders, and now we must wait.

The other students in his workshop as making their way through the start of the technician course, bending wheels, adjusting end-shake and division. Hopefully they will be taking their first technician exam soon.

As for myself I spent the day today doing some restoration work on our lathe. Disassembled the whole cross slide, deep cleaned then reassembled and oiled. It’s now smooth as butter on this hot day.

Short one this week, but I hope you everyone has a chill weekend under some shade.

Until next time!

Back to Geneva

Starting off with last weekend, we have a Hong Kong movie night! Chris and Phillip were kind enough to cook for everyone, making some Hong Kong themed dishes. Some old students also came by to pay a visit. A very merry day all around.

Our chefs

Later in the week it was time for EPHJ. Also fun to go on a Geneva trip. Spoke to many people and saw many cool machines. We were also lucky enough to get an invocation by The Watch Lab in Geneva to visit their wonderful workshop. 

And look at this little guy, hopefully he won’t be taking our jobs.

Back to school now, I have been making some good progress in making and plating some dials. Took a while to find a good plating method but with the help of our professor they are coming out nicely.

Turning the dial

Plated 

Bernd worked in turning a special Horia pusher for pushing the 7001 roller table. Useful little guy.

Pushing 

Chris made a custom graver for cutting screw threads. It’s a function his new lathe has, so we’re all eager to see him start playing with it.

That’s it for this week. 

Until next time!

Celebration time

 Yesterday Bernd finished his hair spring exam! This is his final exam before his final exam. Now having 5 months free to prepare and work on his own projects. A big weight lifted. 

Over in our workshop, after Bernd’s exam we started learning the final details of the technician course. Our professor taught us the theory and oiling points of the calendar and of the automatic winding. Which now leaves just the chronograph. 

While in the other workshop, Nick is making solid headway on his turning. After having learnt how to operate the lathe, he’s quickly finishing parts for his tools.

Balance bridge holder

Completing his balance bridge holder, a very useful tool in the second year. Also putting to use the milling attachment to make screw heads. 

Meanwhile Sens is preparing for his final exam, here achieving and almost perfect reading.

Jaewon, Chris, Gary and Phil are now learning the intricate winding and setting system of the watch. A part of the watch hidden behind the dial and rarely seen. This arrangement of the watch is particularly tricky to oil and involves a couple different oils.

That’s it for this week! Until next time!

Who let the dog out

 Everyone working hard over here in Le Locle. I myself finished restoring a very old pillar pocket watch. With gilded and hand engraved bridges, it is quite the handsome watch. 

Dog?

After a lot of debate, we still could not come to a conclusion as to what this animal is.

Not many parts to this watch

As for GUI, today he completed his winding stem restoration exercise. For this, he is given a caliber with no winding stem at all, from this he deduced the full dimensions of the stem then turns and tempers it. A very useful exercise.

Dimensions to be found

Restored 

Jaewon, Chris, Gary and Phillip are now learning about barrel restoration. Going through arbor end-shake and side-shake, and how to change it. 

Work arbor 

Chris laser engraved the back of Joan’s custom AliExpress build. Came out nicely.

Sense is now preparing for his final exam, touching up his skills on regulation. Attempting to reach isochronism, where the rate at low amplitudes match the rate at high amplitude, giving the watch consistency. As well as dynamic poising, to match the rates at different positions.

I’ll end it with a reminder of spring’s arrival. Until next time!