Break comes with a storm

 With school coming to an end before a 4 day break, what better send off than a large storm that just arrived and will be staying until the end of the break.

This week was a shorter one but eventful nonetheless. Starting with the most important, Mun took his final exam!

In the last few days he took his written and oral exam, as well as two practical exams, best of luck!

Some students have reached the final hurdle of their first year in micro mechanics. The final task being to complete an hour wheel. Teeth cutting is a time consuming but enjoyable. 

Teeth

More teeth

Teeth aside, the new students have started making progress on their winding stems. This week, playing with fire, they have started to learn to process of hardening and tempering steel bars. 

Burn baby burn 

Ending with Art and Craig who have now started to dive into the intricacies of the chronograph. Their brain powers quickly depleting after a few hours of theory.

Well that’s it for now, until next week!

Cookout!

 

   Week 42

Over the weekend, the students made the most of the fading warmth of autumn and all gathered together for cookout and bonfire. Everyone ate their fill of hamburgers, mac & cheese, and marshmallows before relaxing around the fire. Many thanks to Christiaan for the use of his backyard.

 

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

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

     A solid achievement for Art this week as he passed his hairspring exam with commendable marks. A weight off his shoulders, to be sure, and one step closer to the Final.

The timing machine analysis for Art's balance and hairspring, showing an average rate (X) of +3 seconds/day and a maximum difference between all positions (D, or delta) of only 5 s/d.

Workshop B

Students:
    Christiaan, Craig, Gary, Jaewon, Philippe, Sense    

 

Philippe not only finished his hand-turning exercises, but made a very nice display block for them.

 

 

Craig used some of his time this weeks to perform a full service and adjustment of a ladies' Omega watch from the 1960s. Very small, and now ticking away happily.

All apart

All back together

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week

Ever-turning

 

 

   Week 41

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

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

     Joan spent the week hand-tuning on the watchmaker's lathe, practicing making pivots that require a microscope to clearly see.

Workshop B

Students:
    Christiaan, Craig, Gary, Jaewon, Philippe, Sense    

 

Christiaan put the 3D printer to further use, fabricating a series of prototype cases for one of his watches.

 

As his work with the lathe continues, Jaewon was also instructed in the necessary maintenance of the lathe tools, learning how to sharpen the gravers on diamond grinder.

 

Craig reached the point of taking his first practice exam for the balance and hairspring. It's a full day of intense concentration, but at least it's the last exam before the final one.

 

Craig also put in some time learning how to make the spiral-ground finish developed by previous student Ivan Berets. It's not ~technically~ snailing, but it still looks very impressive. 

 

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week

Frost is creeping up

 Welcome back, another week in Le Locle past. 

Jaewon is getting aquatinted with the lathe. Looks like he’s building some gym equipment. 

The junior students, Gary, Phillip, Chris and Jaewon are working hard with the machines in the school, to finish up all their tools and move on to hand turning. 

Mill man Chris

Chris is doing some experiments on the lathe, trying to see the deepest cone he can make with a graver.

The lather Gary

In the meanwhile Gary has also been putting Chris’ new furnace to work in some enamel experiments. With some trial and error he found the ideal material for the enamel base and a good temperature. Here he is trying different colours to see the end result.

Fresh mint

Here we got Louis grinding hard and having made his first balance staff!

Look at that baby

Craig, always ahead, has now moved on to timing and adjustments, the heart of horology. He started timing the balances, making adjustments to the position and clearance of the regulating pins, and performing dynamic poising to bring the timekeeping into tolerance for 5 positions and at full and half winding.

Before 

After

Cesar and Bernd have happily finished with their pivot gauges, having completed their exams this week. But out of frying pan and into the fire, for balance staffs are next!

Thank you once again for reading. Until next time.