Behind every mechanical watch lies more than just a sophisticated movement: it’s the result of a watchmaker’s precise work. Given the small, delicate nature of the pieces that make up a watch, even minor tasks require specific tools that facilitate accurate control. As such, knowing how to use them is essential for any watchmaking student.
Perhaps the most basic watchmaking tool is a watchmaker’s screwdriver. Unlike the standard screwdrivers one can find around the house, these are engineered to an exacting degree of precision. With this tool, a watchmaker can properly tighten or loosen a tiny screw without risking damage to the screw head itself. Since a screw inside a watch can easily be just a few millimeters wide, using a non-specialized screwdriver can easily scratch or dent it, which may prove problematic for the watch’s future servicing.
Another tool that plays a frequent role in the life of a watchmaker is the tweezers. The small size of gears, springs, and jewels makes them very hard to handle by hand. As such, watches makers will use specially-made tweezers with tips of varying shapes according to their needs. The manner in which one grabs objects with tweezers is equally important; the delicate nature of these pieces can render them broken under excessive force.
Magnification is another necessity to horology. The typical watchmaker will use loupes or a microscope to see fine details of the watch in a more precise manner. This allows for the detection of surface wear, or allows for precise adjustments. Something that might be too small to notice without magnification can be significant to the performance of a watch, as such, a watchmaker will use a microscope to avoid damaging a piece or the movement.
A movement holder is used to hold a watch in place as it is being worked on. As movements are very complex and have a variety of parts that are interconnected, it is essential that one keeps the watch held in its proper position so as not to damage it. A watch movement can be easily jostled as it is removed and placed back on a watch maker’s bench, potentially causing a part or two to become damaged.
The same is true for a cleaner, which is used to clean the movement while servicing it. As lubricants and dust need to be removed during a watch’s servicing so as to apply new oils, a cleaner removes these foreign substances from the watch’s components. This helps ensure that the movement is not hindered by increased friction, and will allow it to run longer without the need to be serviced.
A timing machine is one of the more common tools seen on the workshop bench of a watchmaker. This machine analyzes the watch’s escapement and balance to determine the movement’s timing. This gives the watchmaker vital information, such as whether the watch is running too fast or too slow. In order to become a competent watchmaker, the watch maker will have to understand the function of a timing machine.
Although watchmaking today is very dependent upon technology, much of what is required to become a watchmaker is an understanding of manual dexterity. A watchmaker not only needs to know how to use the right tool, but also how to properly handle them in a manner to not damage them. This requires a certain level of precision and patience, since even the smallest mistake can have significant repercussions when dealing with a piece no larger than a fraction of a millimeter.
For a watchmaking student just beginning their horological journey, knowledge about the tools used by watchmakers provides them a glimpse into what the working life of a professional watchmaker entails. Not only are they necessary in ensuring the precise nature of a watch, but also allow a watchmaker the means to preserve it for future use. As they become more intricate, so do the movements that they drive, necessitating the watchmaker’s expertise and skill.
At first glance, these tools may seem fairly simple, yet with the watchmaker’s use they become essential devices with extreme precision that allow a mechanical movement with many interrelated parts to maintain its accuracy to keep accurate time for centuries.