Thwaites & Reed has been in continuous manufacture since its foundation and claims to be the oldest clock manufacturing company in the world. Paul use original old tubes, and combines them with vintage items to make one-of-a-kind clocks.Clock from Thwaites & Reed, 1817, now in Hessenpark, Germany They are no longer used in industry or manufactured, as the invention of the LED and then LCD display made them obsolete. A Nixie tube is a glass cylinder that contains all the digits from 0-9 stacked up inside, along with Neon gas which causes the orange glow. These uses a 1950s technology to indicate the numbers representing the time. Paul Parry is a clockmaker specialising in Nixie Clocks. The Worshipful Company of Watchmakers also supports watchmakers. You can attend short courses to increase your skills. Once you are qualified, you can become a member of the British Horological Institute or the British Watch and Clockmakers Guild. GCSE Design and Technology may be useful, along with GCSEs in English, Maths and Science.īusiness studies or enterprise are useful if you want to run your own business. Some of these courses have entry requirements. the British Horological Institute Certificate in the Repair, Restoration and Conservation of Clocks/Watches.The Horology Department at Birmingham City University School of Jewellery offers As a watch designer, you need to be able to explain your creative ideas to customers. If you are dealing with the public, you need to have customer service skills and be able to explain technical terms simply. To design watches, you need to have creative flair and an eye for attractive objects and good craftsmanship. If you are repairing and restoring antique watches and clocks, it helps to have an interest in them and their history. Good eyesight helps, as well as good hand-eye coordination. You also need to be patient, as the work can be very time-consuming. If you are a watch repairer, you need to be good at problem-solving. You need to be good with your hands and able to work very carefully and methodically. The inside of a watch is precision-built on a very small scale. To be a watchmaker, you need to have a good eye for detail. Many watchmakers have websites and use social media platforms to promote their work. Here they can meet other watchmakers, suppliers and potential clients. Watchmakers often go to clock and watch fairs in the UK and overseas. Customers who can’t visit the shop send their watches to the watchmaker.Ī watchmaker who designs and makes new watches is likely to meet customers to discuss the design.
This might be a high street shop where customers can visit. They usually work in their own workshop, which might be at home or in other premises. Some watchmakers work for large watch or jewellery companies or nationwide chains. They may also use chemicals for cleaning watches and parts. Watchmakers use a range of specialist equipment, such as lathes, drill presses, ultrasonic cleaning machines and hand tools (tweezers, pliers, screwdrivers).
repairing or replacing broken or defective parts, including making parts where necessary.opening watch cases and examining mechanisms.They may work on any part of the clock or watch - either the mechanism inside, or the outer casing. Watchmakers may work on very old clocks and watches, repairing and restoring them.