Last week!

 Spring weather is truly upon us. 

This week Art and Nine are making progress in their technician course, Art took his gear train test this week and is moving on to the escapement.

The senior students are making progress on their school watches and out most senior, Dunny, had his last week with us. 

Louis finished making the wheels and assembling his gear train.

Gear train on the German silver plate 

Using the topping tool

Louis used a vintage topping tool to reduce the diameter of his center wheel to make a smoother transition of power to the third wheel.

Craig is working on his dial and devised a method to cut post for the dial feet by making his own cutter.

Cutting the bit 

Tempering the bit

And…. Voila

The final hollow cutter to easily mill posts.

Cesar is working on his posing plate. 

Crocodile 

CROCODILE

This is Dunny’s final week with us before he travels back home to Texas to go independent. We all wish him the best of luck with his future endeavours.

Until next time Dunny

That’s it’s for now.

Thank you for reading!

Until next time.

Spring Machining

 

 

Week 12

This week held the first day of Spring. So the cold weather is gone... I think. At least for now. Maybe.

Craig surprised everyone with fresh-made desserts: three large pans of strawberry rhubarb crumble and pear rhubarb crumble. The occasion? The ingredients were on sale and he wanted to have some dessert. Hey, no one's complaining. 

 

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Art, Bernd, Cesar, Joan, Louis Lu, Mun, Nine

    Bernd completed three watchmaking tools this week: a pointed nose vise, a balance wheel support, and a polishing tripod.

From left to right: the nose vise, balance support, and polishing tripod

 

From plan to product

Workshop B

Students:
    Craig, Dunham, Ivan, Louis, Sheikh, Varun

    Craig continued his sprint through the technician course by passing his Gear Train exam, which covered everything from barrel endshake to wheel truing to winding and setting lubrication. Next up is the heart of watchmaking theory: the escapement.

 

Louis made more progress on his school watch, milling and finishing the two rollers for his escapement. This included shaping and fitting the jewels for proper function.

 

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week!

Snow’s back

 Here in Le Locle the spring will have to wait a bit. The warm weather is gone and the snow is back.

This week Sabri paid us a visit, showing us he’s stock of new and vintage watchmaking tools. 

Everyone looking for treasure 

The Athenian watchmaker Anastasios Sousounis gifted us an interesting book about the long history of Greek invention. Anastasios was a student who took part in the school’s summer hairspring course. We thank him for his gift, it will be added to the school’s library. 

Ivan made a specialised collet to fit in ratchet wheels, for finishing. Very useful little gadget. 

Finished product 

Putting it to use.

The student Cesar started playing around with Geneva strips and using mild enamel fillings. The surfaces need more finishing before the stripes are made but we’re getting there.

The point vice being made

The school’s logo in blue mild enamel

This week Craig perfected using the pantograph for engraving. Doing five passes with the pantograph not running using a special bit he made with Agathon.

Dial coining along

Looking SHARP

That’s it for now, thank you for reading!

Until next time 

Dreams of spring

 Hello again, the last patches of snow are melting and the days are warm. The newer students are becoming more familiar with the machines and finishing techniques while the senior students are labouring away on their own projects and school watches. 

Louis is making progress on school watch. This week finishing the plates, pillars and pinions for the gear train. He’s using German silver for the base plate and bridges, a difficult material to turn. 

Disassembled plate and bridges 

Assembled

Turning a pinion 

The finished product 

Craig is experimenting with dials for his school watch. This week he tried out the new batch of black nickel plating on this dial.

Before plating 

 

Black nickel plated

Cesar is playing around with different finishings on his tools. This week he attempted some circular Geneva strips using the milling machine and a rotating table. 

Circular stripes

That’s it for this week. 

Until next time.

Getting Technical

 

Week 9

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Art, Bernd, Cesar, Joan, Louis Lu, Mun, Nine

    Art and Nine have begun the first section of their Technician course, moving from micromechanics and fabrication to ensuring the proper operation of an assembled watch. For the past few weeks, they have been learning how to clean and oil Incabloc jewel settings, assemble and lubricate the winding and setting mechanism, correct wheel flatness, and adjust the endshake and sideshake of the gear train.

 

Checking a wheel for flatness

Art's completed work on the 6498 gear train

Workshop B

Students:
    Craig, Dunham, Ivan, Louis, Sheikh, Varun

    Craig also started the technician course, swiftly completing all the work up through the lubrication and mechanical adjustment of the mainspring barrel.

 

Craig has also been working on his own dial design, experimenting with steel press-fit into brass.

 

Initial proof-of-concept

 

Milling out a template for greater alignment accuracy

 

This week, Louis explored using the pantograph as an easier way to create gear wheels, rapidly milling out eight blanks and cutting teeth into four of them.

 

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week!

Visitors

 Hello again,

Another eventful week at K&H. Early in the week our first visitor was the watchmaker and entrepreneur Roman Winiger from Open Movements. He gave our students a detailed explanation of his goals and journey so far. Open Movements is a non profit organisation that aims to construct watch movements and parts for the public domain using open source principles. It is a place where watchmakers can freely share ideas and help one another. 

Roman Winiger talking to the group

A prototype made with the watch parts that OM offers

Later in the week, the alumni Charles came to the workshop. Charles is first generation K&H student, a real OG. 

The gang 

Finally, the new batch of students have started a new chapter. They have all started using the 8mm lathe and learning to hand turn. Will soon be pumping out winding stems pivot gauges.

Using a dial gauge to check the spindle play

Let’s not forget the peppernuts brought in by Craig

That’s it for now, until next time!

Making Tools

Week 7 

It's Valentine's Day! Don't forget to pick up some flowers.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Art, Bernd, Cesar, Joan, Louis Lu, Mun, Nine

    This week Joan began practicing filing squares for winding stems. We will be seeing these flat surfaces show up in later work.

 

Louis Lu finished making two tools: a tripod for black-polishing components, and a jig for sharpening gravers. Every student can remember the painful fingers from sharpening those by hand...

Louis Lu's Black-Polishing Tripod

A jig for sharpening gravers

Workshop B

Students:
    Craig, Dunham, Ivan, Louis, Sheikh, Varun

    Varun continued his work on gear finishes, producing a rainbow of colors and styles.

 Louis made a custom swing tool to file down a detent; incredibly precise work.

 

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week!

Outing

 Hello everyone,

This is a two in one blog update. Last week had an eventful ending with a trip to the treasure trove, Cenic watches and parts, then a visit to the great Thomas Prescher. 

At Cenic almost every student left with a bag of new toys, it is a grail of a shop for watchmakers. Selling everything from specialised tools to individual parts of rare movements.

The students mesmerised by vintage and historic calibres

 After this visit we proceeded to Thomas Prescher’s workshop. The evening started with an instructive presentation from Mr. Prescher where he gave us an introduction into his entry into the world of watchmaking and told us some stories about the industry. Afterwards we were given a tour of his workshop and shown where all the components of his handmade watches are crafted. Once the tour was over, his wife and himself treated all of us to some Fondue. The evening ended with the best part, Mr. Prescher brought out a large watch box. He brought some of his iconic pieces for us to see, from new pieces to the very first triple axis tourbillon. 

Thank you once again Mr.Prescher for your invitation and hospitality.

Fondue all round

Now for this week! An eventful time as well. Two of our students have started their technician course. Art finished making his black polishing tripod from his micro mechanics course.

Black polishing tripod

Louis, one of the senior students hand turned a new staff for his Elgin pocket. 

Old and new balance staff

Craig pushed the limits detailed engraving with the pantograph, with great success!

A couple trials

That’s it’s for this week. 

Until next time!