Watchmaking & Clockmaking Academy

How to use this academy

Working through the curriculum

Track

Beginner track

Foundational theory: what horology studies, how a mechanical watch works, the parts of a movement, terminology, and how to read and recognise a movement without touching it.

1. 01What Is Horology?The scope of horology as a field of study, craft and collecting.20 min
2. 02How a Mechanical Watch WorksThe energy chain from mainspring to hands, in outline.30 min
3. 03Parts of a MovementA component-by-component tour of a typical watch movement.35 min
4. 04Basic TerminologyThe core vocabulary used throughout this site and the trade.25 min
5. 05Reading a MovementHow to inspect an opened case-back and interpret what you see, without touching anything.30 min
6. 06Identifying EscapementsVisual identification of the verge, cylinder, lever and deadbeat escapements.30 min
7. 07Bench Setup and ToolsThe watchmaker's bench, its lighting and layout, and the core hand tools, named and explained.30 min
8. 08Handling and HygieneWhy cleanliness, static control and correct handling protect a movement before any tool is even picked up.20 min
9. 48Safe Disassembly PrinciplesThe general principles that make disassembly reversible and safe, before any hands-on technique is taught.20 min
10. 49Rate Diagnostics from SymptomsHow an owner's plain description of a watch's behaviour maps onto broad categories of likely cause, and the limits of that reasoning.25 min
11. 50Causes of a Watch StoppingThe main categories of fault that stop a mechanical watch entirely, from simple to serious.25 min
12. 54Measuring and Recording a MovementHow to take basic, non-invasive measurements of a movement for identification and record purposes.25 min
13. 55Documenting an Object Before WorkWhy a thorough condition record, made before any service or repair, protects both the object and everyone handling it.25 min
14. 56Reading Auction and Dealer Descriptions CriticallyHow to read the specific vocabulary of sale listings for what it does, and does not, actually claim.25 min

Track

Intermediate track

Bench practice and diagnosis: disassembly sequence, cleaning, lubrication, gear trains, escapement adjustment, balance systems and fault-finding — framed as study of technique, not a substitute for supervised training.

1. 09DisassemblyThe logical sequence and reasoning behind stripping a lever movement.40 min
2. 10CleaningWhy movements are cleaned, what the process involves, and its risks.30 min
3. 11LubricationWhy different points of a movement need different oils, and in what quantity.30 min
4. 12Gear TrainsRatios, torque and the reasoning behind a going train's design.35 min
5. 13Escapement AdjustmentWhat 'adjusting the escapement' means in a lever watch, and why tolerances are so tight.40 min
6. 14Balance SystemsBalance types, hairsprings, poise and their effect on rate.35 min
7. 15Fault DiagnosisA structured way to reason about why a watch has stopped or is running poorly.35 min
8. 16Letdown of the MainspringWhy and how stored spring energy is safely discharged before a movement is opened.25 min
9. 17Case Opening Techniques by Case TypeHow screw-back, snap-back, case-back-and-bezel, and one-piece cases differ in how they are opened.30 min
10. 18Hand and Dial RemovalRemoving hands and dial without marring the dial surface or bending delicate hand pivots.25 min
11. 19Oil Selection by PointWhy different points in a movement receive different lubricants, and the reasoning behind each choice.30 min
12. 20Reassembly and Train Freedom ChecksRebuilding the going train correctly and confirming it turns freely before power is restored.30 min
13. 21Mainspring Selection and Barrel WorkChoosing a correct replacement mainspring and servicing the barrel that houses it.35 min
14. 22Jewel and Bushing WorkHow worn pivot holes are identified, and the difference between rejewelling and bushing.35 min
15. 23Pivot Polishing and BurnishingRestoring a pivot's surface and geometry without removing more material than necessary.30 min
16. 24Balance Staff Replacement and Hairspring HandlingReplacing a broken balance staff and the closely related skills of truing, centring and overcoil handling.40 min
17. 25Poising and Static and Dynamic BalanceWhy a balance wheel must be poised, and the distinction between static and dynamic poise.30 min
18. 26Escapement Geometry Checks and Beat SettingDrop, lock, slide and run to the banking pins, and how a watch is set 'in beat'.40 min
19. 27Timing Machine Interpretation and Positional RegulationReading a timing machine's trace and using it to regulate a watch across positions and, separately, temperature.35 min
20. 28Fault Diagnosis FlowchartsStructured diagnostic reasoning for stopping, low amplitude, poor positional rates, and knocking.35 min
21. 29Keyless Works and Stem-Wind FaultsHow the winding-and-setting mechanism works, and the common faults that cause winding or hand-setting to fail.30 min
22. 30Fusee and Chain WorkServicing considerations specific to fusee-and-chain movements, building on the historical outline given earlier.30 min
23. 31Clock Trains: Pendulum, Weights and StrikingPendulum suspension and beat, weight lines and pulleys, and how striking and chiming trains are set up.45 min
24. 32Documentation and Record-Keeping for a ServiceWhy a thorough service is documented in writing and photographs, and what a good service record contains.20 min
25. 42Beat and Beat ErrorWhat 'in beat' means, how beat error is measured, and why it matters for timekeeping and for the ear.30 min
26. 43Amplitude and What Changes ItWhy amplitude is read as the single most informative number on a timing machine, and what moves it.30 min
27. 51Magnetism and Its EffectsHow magnetism disrupts a mechanical watch, how it is recognised, and how it is corrected.25 min
28. 52Cleaning Theory and Ultrasonic RiskWhat cleaning a movement is actually removing, and why ultrasonic cleaning is a precise process rather than a general-purpose fix.25 min
29. 53Pendulum Suspension and Setting in BeatHow a pendulum is suspended, how it drives the escapement, and what 'in beat' means for a pendulum clock.30 min
30. 57Workbench Ergonomics and LightingHow bench height, posture, magnification and lighting are chosen to support small, repetitive precision work.20 min
31. 58Hand Tool Anatomy and CareWhat screwdrivers, tweezers and hand vices are made and shaped for, and why their maintenance is inseparable from bench safety.25 min
32. 59Micrometry and Measuring InstrumentsThe instruments used to measure watch and clock parts to the tolerances the trade actually works to.25 min
33. 60Theory of Solvents and ContaminationWhy cleaning is a chemical process with its own risks, not simply a matter of removing visible dirt.25 min
34. 61Lubricant Chemistry and Viscosity ClassesHow modern watch oils and greases differ chemically, and why viscosity class is matched to specific bearing loads.25 min
35. 62Principles of Timing Machine AnalysisHow an electronic timing machine turns the sound of a running watch into rate, beat error and amplitude readings.30 min
36. 63Regulation Versus AdjustmentWhy 'regulating' a watch's average rate is a different, narrower task than 'adjusting' it to perform consistently across positions and temperature.20 min

Track

Advanced track

Design, theory and craft: movement design, escapement theory, precision regulation, historical construction methods, complications and traditional hand finishing.

1. 33Movement DesignHow a calibre is designed: constraints, trade-offs and the design process in outline.45 min
2. 34Escapement TheoryThe physics of impulse, locking and detachment that distinguishes escapement families.45 min
3. 35Precision RegulationPositional adjustment, temperature compensation and free-sprung regulation.40 min
4. 36Historical Construction MethodsHow movements were made before industrial standardisation, and what that leaves behind for identification.40 min
5. 37Complication MechanismsHow calendar, chronograph and repeating mechanisms interface with the going train.45 min
6. 38Restoration TechniqueConservation-minded decision-making for antique and historically significant movements.40 min
7. 39Traditional Hand FinishingDecorative and functional hand-finishing techniques used on fine movements.40 min
8. 40Dial and Case ConservationConservation-minded treatment of dials and cases, and why refinishing is generally avoided.35 min
9. 41Complication ServicingWhy servicing a complication is a distinct, higher-risk undertaking than servicing a time-only movement.40 min
10. 44Isochronism and the Limits of a BalanceThe theoretical ideal that a balance keeps the same period regardless of amplitude, and why real balances never fully achieve it.35 min
11. 45Positional Error and Adjusting to PositionsWhy rate changes with orientation, how six-position testing works, and what 'adjusted to positions' means on a movement.35 min
12. 46Temperature CompensationWhy temperature changes a balance's rate, and the historical and modern solutions to the problem.35 min
13. 64Dial Refinishing Versus ConservationThe trade-off between a bright, refinished dial and a worn but original one, and why collectors and conservators weigh it differently.30 min
14. 65Case Conservation and Metal FatigueHow cases age structurally — thinning, fatigue and metal loss from polishing — and why conservative case care preserves both integrity and value.25 min
15. 66Cataloguing Standards and Record FieldsThe structured fields a rigorous catalogue record uses, and why consistent field structure matters for later research and comparison.25 min
16. 67The Identification Decision TreeA structured methodology for moving from an unidentified timepiece to a supportable attribution, and for knowing when to stop and say 'unknown'.30 min