TASTER COURSE!

 WEEK 151

Origin: Thailand & USA, 

Name: A, Kate, David & Leilani

Watchmaking class: Technician

Current mood: 

The technicians have been quite busy! We have had three trial exams for the Gear Train in the past two weeks. We are graded on cleanliness (THE most important aspect of watchmaking), screw tightness (second only to cleanliness in importance), flatness and endshakes of gear train wheels, lubrication of the winding and setting mechanism, proper positioning of the mainspring bridle, and lubrication and endshake of the barrel. The final exam is coming soon. We have also been assessing power reserves in automatic movements using a technique that is quite simple but very reliable. A few of us have used the lathe to make custom anvils out of brass and steel for the Horia tool. These come in quite handy when adjusting jewels. At the end of next week, we’ll be a quarter of the way through our course. Time is truly flying by!

-David

Team B

Origin: Japan/Switzerland & Canada

Name: Tetsu & Dean

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

This week, (21~25 February) started with a bit different feeling…, our first proper exam was on the way.

Dean & Tetsu did the first trial exam last week and graded the pieces on Monday. Based on the results and explanations given by Henrik, we had another chance of trial exam on Tuesday followed by the results on Wednesday.

We still have a lot of room to improve, but at the same time we are improving and building our confidence towards the first proper exam of the micro mechanics program. Hence, the judgement day has come on Thursday.

We have had enough time to prepare beforehand and material pieces are now on the workbenches together with all the necessary hand tools. Starting at 8h and finishing at 17h with an hour lunch time between, we put our effort to accomplish the task.  With the time constraints, not everything goes smoothly as you expect but it is our current ability.

At the end of the day, the pieces were done and handed over to Henrik for the verdict…

On Friday, we both got a pass and will be moving on.

Even in this situation, we still managed to find a time slot to gain some more experience with Agathon grinding machine to sharpen the gravers and also worked on tool making, which would be graded in the near future.

Now we are allowed to use the machine without Henrik’s supervision.

Another week went by unbelievably quickly. We have finished one thing and are going to face many more tasks to come.

No time to stand still but no rush, steadily and surely.

We wish you all a great weekend!

Dean & Tetsu

Team C

Origin: Switzerland, Norway & USA

Name: Renato, David, Francesco, Åsmund & Robert

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood: n/a

STEP 1: VISITOR! (DANIEL)

Daniel from Sweden came for the taster course/bench test which was very nice!

STEP 2: JAWS! (ÅSMUND)

Asmund assembled back his micrometer, but now with his own jaws!

STEP 3: FILING EXAM! (TETSU & DEAN)

Dean in one of his trial exams!

STEP 4: ANVILS! (TECHNICIANS)

The technicians found out that you can't buy commercially all the sizes of anvils and pushers needed to be able to service and repair watches at a high level, so they made several custom ones for themself! 

STEP 5: GRAVERS! (ÅSMUND, FRANCESCO & ROBERT)

Asmund, Francesco and Robert also learn how to make slot gravers!

STEP 6: TECHNICAL GUIDES! (RENATO)

Renato got this technical binder about Longines watches, and found some technical info for his Ultra Quartz!

HENRIK's WORDS:

 

 

 

I will keep it short as I am running out of time! This week was extremely busy with trial exams for the technicians but also Dean and Tetsu had their real filing exams. Daniel from Sweden came for the bench test/taster course which was very nice! A balanced but also very intensive week! Have a great weekend everyone!

FOCUS!

 WEEK 150

Origin: Thailand & USA, 

Name: A, Kate, David & Leilani

Watchmaking class: Technician

Current mood: 

We’ve got the first pre-exam this week about the barrel and gear train. The result of the exam really shadows where we are in reality. We received comments and also the direction to correct our performance. We need to focus, revise and improve it more. Actually, it might be some pain but if there is no pain, there will be no gain.

A Verachai

Team B

Origin: Japan/Switzerland & Canada

Name: Tetsu & Dean

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

This week, (14-18 Feb.) Henrik introduced Tetsu and Dean to the Aciera Milling machine. This machine is capable of the same precision as the Schaublin lathe, so to ensure it’s used to its full potential Henrik also introduced us to two measuring instruments: The dial gauge and the centring microscope.  To ensure the cross slide doesn’t drift, (or drifts minimally) a dial gauge is placed in contact with it, then the cross slide is wound across it.  The needle is then checked for tolerance.  After using the dial gauge, the centring microscope is used to look directly down the centreline of the mill to ensure a proper setup.  Fun Fact: Aciera was a Swiss company founded right here in Le Locle back in 1903, so Henrik’s mill didn’t travel far from the factory prior to becoming a part of his school’s equipment inventory.

Tetsu and Dean also took a practice filing exam.  This involved the sawing and filing of two pieces; one male, and the other female.  The shapes of the pieces were easy to understand, however; filing them within Henrik’s specified tolerances is no easy task. Throw in some time constraints associated with the exam and you’ve got your work cut out for you!  The practice exams will be conducted at least twice prior to going live, so Tetsu and Dean will be adequately prepared for when the time comes.

Have a great weekend everyone!

                 Dean & Tetsu

Team C

Origin: Switzerland, Norway & USA

Name: Renato, David, Francesco, Åsmund & Robert

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood: 

Hello everyone, this week I’ve finished the practice exercises for winding stems so I decided to finish my tripod.

It has a different layout from the one that we have to make at school. This one is designed to clamp square pin vises. As you can see in the photos it’s a kind of vise with two screw rods at the bottom, the purpose of these screws is to adjust the hight of the tool.

A lot of machine have been involved in the project, the lathe for the two bars and the screws, the milling machine for the three brass rectangles and the drilling machine.

I largely used the pivot gauges to measure the exact diameter of the holes. The result I think is great, I got a really nice play between the steel rods and holes inside the brass block. At the end I finished the surface with the frosting technique, sablage on the big screw, black polishing on the screws in the front and straight-graining on the flanks.

At the end I’m happy with the result but I still have to finish the handle at the end of the screw rod! 

See you next weekend with the tool completed!

 

-Francesco.

STEP 1: FOCUS! (TECHNICIANS)

The technicians working very hard to advance as much as possible in the course!

STEP 2: GRAVERS! (ROBERT)

Robert was practicing sharpening his gravers this week and got really nice results! of course these are too sharp to be practical so he will make modifications at the tip to make them last longer!

STEP 3: TOOLS! (FRANCESCO)

Francesco machining a tool!

Friction fitting!

Getting close to finish this tool!

STEP 4: MILLING! (TETSU & DEAN)

Squaring up the vice with a dial gauge!

Tetsu using the microscope to zero the spindle!

Dean counting turns to arrive at correct destination!

Flying chips!

STEP 5: PHOTOGRAPHY! (FRANCESCO)

Francesco taking photos of his practice squares!

Francesco also finished his square filing exercises! 

STEP 6: OVERHAULING! (RENATO)

Renatos Ultra Quartz Longines watch was overhauled and a reduction of 20% consumption was achieved and its now within the normal specs for this calibre!

STEP 7: EXAMS! (TECHNICIANS)

The technicians ready for their first trial exam!

STEP 8: PIVOTS! (RENATO)

0.17 mm pivot gauge!

Renato made another couple of very nice pivot gauges this week, this is the 0.17 mm!

STEP 9: BOOKS! (RENATO)

Another really interesting book on loan from Renato!

STEP 10: BIGGEST BASE IN SCHOOL! (FRANCESCO)

Francesco was very lucky to get this gem of a measuring tool base! A bit bigger than a regular one ;) 

HENRIK's WORDS:

Its getting considerably warmer in Le Locle, instead of snow we mainly now get rain and the snow is almost gone! After overhauling Renatos Longines Ultra Quartz, the consumption got down by as much as 20% and is now within the expected norm for this calibre, this was nice to see as we had no clue if it would improve or not! We also had two different trial exams this week one was for the technicians, their first exam covering the winding, setting, barrel and mainspring, and the gear train with its jewelled bearings and the other trial was for Dean and Tetsu, their first micromechanical trial exam, filing and sawing brass by hand. Francesco finished a series of hand filed squares in brass as a first practice ahead of winding stems. Renato finished another couple of pivot gauges, very fast and good quality! Robert practiced sharpening his HSS lathe gravers by hand, very high quality! A very friendly local gave a good deal to Francesco on a very impressive vertical measuring stand that can be used with micrometres and comparators as they usually have the same standardised shaft diameters! A balanced but also very intensive week! Have a great weekend everyone!

TRUEING!

  WEEK 149

Origin: Thailand & USA, 

Name: A, Kate, David & Leilani

Watchmaking class: Technician

Current mood:

The technicians had another busy week of learning and working on their 7 movements. This week we focused on barrel service as well as checking for and correcting the flatness of wheels. Lots of tedious work, but very rewarding! To finish the week off, all the technicians worked on making a conical post for their balance bridge holders and got a demonstration on how to remove/replace/adjust friction fit jewels in main plates and bridges.

Have a great week!

-Leilani 

Team B

Origin: Japan/Switzerland & Canada

Name: Tetsu & Dean

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

What was new for us this week, (07~11 February)? 

Dean & Tetsu learnt a new technique, “hand graving” on the Schaublin 70 lathe from Henrik. Instead of using a graver in a holder fixed on an x-y compound table, which give us 1/100 mm precise measurement and smooth motion, now we are cutting a material with a hand graver totally controlled by ourselves!

We both tried it, which seemed to be a very simple thing to do, but the reality was …

Again, this was an “if it is easy, anybody can do it” task and very important to master the skill for us to become a watchmaker.
He also gave us a refresh lesson of the famous “10-way adjustable” grinding machine, complicated but very useful. We will need a few more lessons before operating it on our own.

After spending a month at the school, we start to realize that we are slowly getting used to the tools and the machines. There are still a bit of hit & miss and some mishaps but we feel more comfortable and are building up confidence in ourselves.

Preparation, practice and patience…

P.S.; Dean has an Instagram account exclusively for his school activities.  If you want to check it out, his handle is @watchmaking__student. 

We wish you all a great weekend!

Dean & Tetsu

Team C

Origin: Switzerland, Norway & USA

Name: Renato, David, Francesco, Åsmund & Robert

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:  

Continued making pivot gauges. Plenty of experimenting around the burnishing, especially dome burr removal, but also the whole process and getting plenty of routine in using the Jacot tool. Made a good looking 0.11mm gauge at the end of this week. Many more to follow :)

-Renato

Hi everybody, this week I finished the exercise pieces for the winding stem. I practiced my hand-turning skills by making female and male cones, I used radius gauges to verify my pivots and dome-ended 1/1.5/2 mm shafts.

Then I started a new project last week, I’m making a special tripod for square pin-vises.

Now I’m finishing it, next week you’ll see the result.

Have a great weekend, 

Francesco.

STEP 1: TRUEING! (TECHNICIANS)

The technicians learned how to inspect wheels and pinions and also how to true them in the flat!

Simple but very effective tools!

STEP 2: HERRLI! (FULLSKILL)

Maurizio had improved the shop a lot! Many more very interesting machines and parts also, nice! This time the Fullskill students went and the next time it will be the Technicians so they will have some more time to understand what tools might be beneficial for them.

STEP 3: PIVOT GAUGE! (RENATO)

The first pivot gauge made by Renato with a 0.11 mm pivot turned by hand between dead centres! 

STEP 4: BARRELS! (TECHNICIANS)

The technicians also learn to check the efficiency of the automatic mainspring, Leilani attaching here a special pinvice to hold the arbour of the barrel before checking the efficiency!

STEP 5: SNOW! (EVERYONE)

Le Locle got another light sprinkling of snow!

STEP 6: TURNING! (TECHNICIANS)

The technicians also turning the conical pin for their balance bridge holder!

HENRIK's WORDS:

 

Le Locle has been calm this week we only got very little snow. Renato Finished his first pivot gauge at 0.11 mm diameter which was very nice to see! The technicians learn how to inspect wheels and pinions for damage and finally true the good ones in the flat, they also got introduced how to deal with the jewelled bearings that watch pinion pivots and other parts are running in. David finished making the winding stem for his Omega prototype movement. Asmund started to turn brass with the 8 mm lathe for the first time by hand and Tetsu and Dean also tried out spotting the centre on brass by hand! The week was very creative and extremely fast! have a great weekend everyone!