Tools of the Trade

Watches have been around for a long time. As a result a great many tools have been developed over the years to repair watches. Some are very specialized and some are hand made. However you will only need a few tools to start. As you progress you will require additional tools. You can find most of the tools you will need at Marts that are put on by the local chapters of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, check them out under links in the main menu. A Mart is a meeting of a local chapter of the NAWCC. At Marts they will have workshop demonstrations as well as members and vendors selling all sorts of horological supplies including watches and tools both new and used. Great buys on used tools can usually be found at these Marts. Of course tools may also be purchased new at most material houses. The tool you will probably use the most will be your tweezers. There are many different styles and sizes but to start one fine and one regular size should be sufficient. Be sure to buy quality as you will have them for a long time. Dumont and Vigor are good names. I prefer the non-magnetic stainless steel tweezers but the others are fine. You will find that things tend to get magnetized so you will need a demagnetizer if you do much work. A magnetized watch will drive you crazy trying to regulate it. There are two kinds of demagnetizers. One requires power while the other one is like a magnet and requires no power. The one that uses no power is by far the least expensive unless you can get a good buy on the plug in type at a mart. Most tools will last for a lifetime. You will find many excellent values in used and new tools at Marts but be sure to inspect them carefully as there is also some real junk sold at Marts. .

An eye loupe is another necessary tool. They come in various styles, the lease comfortable but by far the cheapest, are the ones that you hold in your eye socket. Headbands types are popular and cost about $10.00. They require a little getting used to. But if you are on a budget the inexpensive held in the eye socket will work just fine. I prefer the double lens style that clip on my glasses. You will also find a loupe is also great for helping you to see small splinters in your fingers and any other fine work you may be doing.

The three tools that you will use the most are your tweezers, your loupe and your screw drivers. It is very important that these three items be the best quality you can afford. These are three tools that it pays to purchase new. Even a good watchmaker cannot work with inferior tools. If you are as enthused with watch making as I am, you will be using your tools for years to come. Sharp srewdrivers of good quality are essential to quality work. A screwdriver of poor quality will often slip and mar either the screw or the plate an error that is much more costly than having a quality tool.

Another important aspect of watch repairing is to have proper lighting. If possible choose an area that has good lighting to begin with. Then supplement that lighting with an dual bulb fluorescent light. Get the type of light that is on a flexible arm. There are several advantages to using a fluorescent light of this type. It can easily be moved close to your work and generates only a small amount of heat. The adjustable lights that use a standard incandescent bulb are less expensive but can to generate a lot of heat. But once again if on a budget a flexible incandescent light (this can be uncomfortable when working close to the light source) can be purchased at "Office Max" or "Staples" for about $10.00.. Good lighting is essential to being able to see into the insides of the watch while it is assembled. Good lighting is necessary to be able to give the watch a good visual inspection when estimating what may be wrong or adjusting the escapement which is often difficult to see. Nearly all procedures that the watchmaker’s are required to do require a well lit area.

You should get a few catalogs from material houses. These catalogs will have tools and supplies commonly used by watch and clockmakers. These catalogs will show you what is available for tools and give you an idea of their prices. You will then be able to judge the value used tools.

Of course a watch like any mechanical device needs to be oiled to run correctly. There are many different types oils and oilers available and they are shown in the videos. The type oiler used most frequently is the flat tip oiler. It has a spade type tip which when dipped in oil collects a drop on the end which is then transferred to the watch by touching the tip to the location to the lubricated. This type of oiler is inexpensive and is the one I prefer to use for general use. The handles are generally color coded according to the size of the tip. Different areas of the watch require different amounts of oil hence the different size tips.

If you plan to clean many watches its much more convenient to use a mechanical watch cleaner. I show you how to clean watches in the videos using a simple jar method and solutions that are economical and readily available. When you have progressed to the point where you want to purchase a mechanical watch cleaner you will find many available at your local NAWCC Marts.

I have only scratched the surface regarding the many types of the common tools used by the watchmaker. Many more tools are shown and their use covered in the video with complete explanations how to use them. Because the watchmaker’s trade has been around so long there are frequently a number of different tools to perform the same repair.