The Breitling Watch Source Forums

A few weeks back, timed to coincide with Basel, the Daily Telegraph (UK newspaper) published a watch supplement which I stuffed in my case, forgot about, and then browsed a few days later. Inside were details of a draw to attend one of various 2-hour masterclasses - watchmaking, engraving, enamelling, setting - which Jaeger-LeCoultre were hosting in a corner of Harrods which they've taken over with various exhibits to mark their 180th anniversary. I sent off a mail asking for the watchmaking session and what do you know, my name came out of the virtual hat.

Thus it was that yesterday afternoon I sat at a fully equipped workbench, confronted by a naked calibre 822 movement from a Reverso Grande Taille, in a recreated JLC workshop in Harrods. After a presentation on the general principles of mechanical watchmaking from a watchmaker trainer from Le Sentier, the excellent, lucid (and patient) Jean-Yves Adreani, we (four of us) were set first to the task of disassembling the movement - we did it in three stages after seeing it done by J-Y - and laying out the components as a watchmaker would for easy [sic] reassembly. Then we put it all back together again. I'm not very mechanically minded, and physically assembling the movement - quite apart from enhancing one's admiration for the dexterity of those who do it - enormously enhanced my understanding of the principles and engineering of a mechanical watch. Oh the thrill when, having dropped all the wheels in and tightened the bridge, the winding mechanism actually worked without anything flying lose; and of passing the ultimate challenge when the fiddly escape wheel was judged to be balanced correctly. Finally, J-Y showed us how you drop in the hairspring, and it was a marvel to see the movement start beating. It reinforced my conviction that a mechanical watch without a clear caseback is, well, a crying shame.

All this was happening, I should add, in a shop window on the Brompton Road. So, if you happen to own a JLC, was wandering past Harrods, and made a mental note never to entrust your beloved timepiece to any of the hapless Bergeon-tweezer-wielding chimps in the workshop scouring the floor for lost screws - then fear not, we were emphatically not the real deal. That said, I do now have a very impressive looking Diploma, signed by their CEO, certifying that I have 'successfully passed the watch training course on Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 822 of Reverso Grande Taille'. Which means that I will now change the batteries on my kids' watches with an extra swagger.

Props to JLC and to Jean-Yves Adreani for doing this - there was no accompanying hard-sell; on the contrary, all they asked for was a contribution to a nominated charity.

what a wonderful experience this must have been, Tom !

Very cool!

When I got my watchmaker tools I spent about 3 hours just picking up and putting down screws to get used to the tweezers

I can well imagine. Virtually the first thing we were told was not to squeeze the tweezers too tightly as the screws would just go flying across the room. You can guess what happened next...

I liked the way in which, what with the tweezers, plastic stick, blob of gum etc, you can assemble and disassemble the watch without ever actually touching any of its parts.

Yeah, finger oils should be avoided. I wear finger cotts simply because it's sometime easier to use fingers on things like mainplates and you need as many different things as possible when assembling the running train.

Wow - what an awesome experience. Shame I never read the telegraph if not I may have had a chance....

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Wow, very cool!! What a great experience. I've taken apart some old (cheap) watches just for the experience, but haven't always gotten them back together right. Would be great to have some expert guidance and actually see it run afterwards.

Wayne

That sounds brilliant. What an opportunity!