Quick yet very big update!

[FeelingTheBlues]

Greetings TRF,

It's been a long time since I told you about my classes and how they were doing, therefore I thought it would be good to start a thread tonight as it was the very last day of my three weeks internship in a jewelry store.

Last time we talked about my program, I had done working on poising balance wheels after changing their staffs. Since then the big classes followed each other, I worked on manual winding watches, automatic movements, clocks, quartz watches as well as practicing movement replacement (for cheap quartz watches) and general repairs (from the complete service to the simple crystal replacement).

Here are a few things I've noticed/learned in all those classes:

- I worked on several on my watches during those classes, especially the manual winding class. I really enjoyed it as it was a real challenge but it sure tested my patience and made me learn a few things the hard way. Vintage watches aren't made to be as accurate as new ones and when I first started I made the mistake of thinking I could get the same results on the timegrapher. At times it's better to avoid working too much on a watch and make sure its accuracy will be good when you look at the hands, not when you put it on a very fancy machine that wasn't even created when the watch was first assembled. I've been able to clean, lubricate and regulate some of my old watches and they now work well on my wrist but at first I kept trying to make them gain amplitude or run much better on a Witschi, a mistake that made me learn a lot of things about older movements and how to judge the work that has to be done on them versus brand new mechanisms.

- Clocks are very nice to work on, it's a very similar yet completely different world! I guess it depends on where you live but in my neck of the woods there is an awful lot of people who have clocks that need to be repaired, you don't have them serviced like a watch around here, usually people will wait until it stops working before sending it in...which means that usually something got completely worn out or broke inside. I've polished wheel's pivots, put bushings on plates and adjusted the chiming gear train to make it chime at the right time and end in the good position. A lot of students at my school weren't so interested in clocks when they finished the class but I know I love it!

- Decent quartz movements can and should be serviced if they stop running! Unless we're talking about a 3$ movement that has rivets instead of screws and that is impossible to disassemble, cleaning and lubricating a quartz watch can be done and even electronic parts can be repaired. I've been able to bring a quartz watch back to life by soldering a part of its coil, it had been broken when another jeweler slipped with its tool whilst opening the caseback to change the battery. The watch belongs to my girlfriend's great aunt (who got it from her late husband, he received that watch as a gift from his company) and she asked me to take a look at it. The look on her face and genuine happiness when she thanked me for my job was worth more than any amount I could have ever charged for the job, it really made me appreciate what I do and why I do it.

All in all, I cannot give too many details on what I did because it was mostly some regular services, yet I've had to adjust quite a few parts in my old watches and in some clocks and I am really happy with the experience I gained in those classes as well as what I learned by working on antique timepieces, it really is something else and although the result isn't as accurate (as per today's standards, that is) the job is very interesting.

As for my internship, I must say I enjoyed every single day of it! I was working with people who had a passion for their job, were as kind as they were funny and always ready to help me out. I've been told I was a good intern and their words were really appreciated, they really helped me to gain confidence and think that even if you make mistakes it's okay as long as you learn from them, one should not feel ashamed but should rather take advantage of the situation and learn how to solve problems as they will always happen, whether you just started your career or have 20 years of experience.

Please accept my apologies for the long post, I hope you guys will enjoy it anyway and for those of you who don't want to read it all let there be known that although I'm going back to school tomorrow to start the second part of my formation I am, right now and officially, a watchmaker with a diploma on the way.

...Now stay tuned, for I'll have something special to show you in the weeks to come.

Thank you for reading, feel free to comment!

[sleddog]

Great read Carl, and very pleased to hear of the enjoyment you are gaining from this watchmakers course.
I'm 100% sure you will succeed in this quest my friend.

[johnbeth]

Originally Posted by sleddog

Great read Carl, and very pleased to hear of the enjoyment you are gaining from this watchmakers course.
I'm 100% sure you will succeed in this quest my friend.

x2

Could not have said it any better myself!!!!

[kieselguhr]

Awesome! Thanks for the update!

[Runnin' Rebel]

[Lisa]

Carl, you're awesome! Thanks for the update. We have been privileged to follow along on your journey. Congratulations on your success!

[paverman]

Congrats Carl. Your passion will take you far my friend. Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

[Hooper]

Keep up the good work Carl my friend!! I'll be sending my Sub to you for it's service next year

[vitalsignsrn]

Way to go Carl.

[Kingair]

HAGOne

[Bangel]

Excellent Carl!

I always enjoy reading about your progress, so I am definitely staying tuned!

[Vincent65]

good job - sounds very interesting

[Psmith]

Good to hear

[SearChart]

Congratulations Carl, thank you for sharing this with us

[dysondiver]

very interesting , keep up the good work

[FeelingTheBlues]

Thank you so much guys! I'm not enjoying a good breakfast before getting ready to go back to school, it sure is exciting!

On the menu for the next six months...

- Making a balance staff on a lathe
- Working on complicated timepieces
- Autoquartz watches (like the Seiko Kinetic)
- Cuckoo clocks
- Westminster clocks
- Quartz chronographs
- Grandfather clocks
- Stop watches
- Chronographs

...I'll keep you all updated!

[Monte Cristo]

Congrats Carl always great to read your posts on your watchmaking course.

Your other posts ain't too bad either.

[FeelingTheBlues]

Originally Posted by Monte Cristo

Congrats Carl always great to read your posts on your watchmaking course.

Your other posts ain't too bad either.

Aren't they? I kept posting when you were away and thought "that young boy Alex will find that one not too bad, you'll see"...

Thank you my friend.

[1675-David]

Great post Carl! Keep up the good work

[East Bay Rider]

Good job

[SUBversive]

Great education. You must have a steady hand too.

[The Joker]

Nice one Carl

[Cru Jones]

great read, carl! thanks for taking the time to share.

[MrPhatKatt]

Keep living the dream, you deserve an attaboy.

[dddrees]

Sounds great Carl, even better since you've been able to use some of what you've learned already.

[viper9669]

That's fantastic news Carl! Very happy for you!

[texex91]

Thanks for the update my friend--I was wondering how things were going

[tinger]

Superb post Carl!

[rodrob59]

Many congratulations Carl. I always enjoy hearing of your progress.

[Foxy1]

Congratulations