Clik here to view.
The runaway apprentice
APPRENTICE RAN AWAY. Penrith 24th of 12th month 1790. Whereas John Thompson (son of John Thompson of Wigton, Clockmaker) an indentured apprentice to William Wilkinson (late of Wigton) Clockmaker, ran...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Doing it the Wright way
Sheffield has been home to England's blade-making industry since the 14th century and is where stainless steel was originally invented in 1912. In the 1970's, there were 150 small-scale scissor...
View ArticleFrom Apprentice Corner: Book Review
Longitude by Dava SobelLongitude, by Dava Sobel is a short but no less fascinating read. The history revealed and timeline constructed, outline the trials and tribulations of mariners, scientists and...
View ArticleFrom Apprentice Corner: Brian Loomes
Brian Loomes is a horological historian, genealogist, and a prolific author and best-known expert on British clocks. As Britain's longest-established clock dealer, his name is known by everyone...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Preserving Australian railway watches- one Pronto at a time
It is always great to start the week on a high note. We have discovered a second Pronto Quartz SRANSW watch (model ref #612-714-31). What a find! Full credit for this discovery goes to Bobby who found...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Too old, too dumb, unwilling to invest - YouTube Live
Mark your diary, and set a reminder on your YouTube account forSunday 17th May, 10am AEST LIVE on YouTube.Celebrating the 8th birthday of our Australian watchmaking project.- 3 reasons why makers...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Timascus Update: cutting the timascus with a diamond tool
Long story short, as Josh reports from Brookvale:"No-one has ever cut timascus with a diamond, and that's what we are doing here- using diamond tools to make timascus perfectly flat. How flat? Below 1...
View ArticleSeiko. Since 1881
There is no greater way to end the week than on a high note. This morning I got a letter from a Seiko owner. The bracelet on his trustworthy Seiko Cal. 7A28, finally gave up the ghost. And who can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Timascus Update: No. 17
"The insane intensity of Timascus"Yes, this is the actual nickname of the seventeenth piece in our Timascus series which was snatched up within minutes of being assembled. Currently, No. 18 which is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Freedom to Make, Right to Repair
Hello, Order received yesterday, thanks. I think that's the fastest delivery during this whole isolation thing, congratulations. The loupes are lovely. The gold polishing cloth is magic. The mug is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Creating your own watch: Three mistakes we made that you should avoid
No script, no editing, raw from the camera. We've tried to answer the most common question asked by enthusiastic watchmakers / brand makers: how do you get your name on a watch dial? Where does one...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You are invited
I am a big believer in self promotion.If you don't tell the world what you stand for or what you are capable of doing, or what specialist service you provide to make customer's life easier and better,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The most abused horological masterpieces
are pocket watches. Butchered, slaughtered, molested then discarded. Being larger than wrist watches, pocket watches are simply a magnet for 'wannabe watchmakers'.Here is a perfect example of a 1920...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Case polishing explained
Last week we published a photo of before and after of a Rolex case polishing job undertaken by Bobby, second year apprentice.The polishing was done by hand using just various grades of emery paper and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The world is running out of watch gears!
Or more precisely - our need for small diameter precision gears is diminishing fast. Some of you surely remember tape recorders, turntables, cassette players and video recorders - all the electronic...
View ArticleClik here to view.
There is a cure
This happens about once per year. And it happened last night. But I swear on George Daniels’ grave- it won't ever happen again.The game is simple: a man in his late thirties calls to make an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Reclaiming the Horological Grounds
Let's be brutally honest: mechanical watchmaking is a dying trade. The small pockets of activity are centred around mega brands who themselves go through cycles of boost and bust. Consequently the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why should we care about preserving our horological past?
For a simple reason: there is not much left to be preserved. Every watch or pocket watch which bears unique Australian markings - regardless of how humble it may look- has a story to tell.Here is a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Workshop News, Brookvale
Continuing with the Manufactured in Australia project. It has been a busy week with plenty of excitement. Josh is currently manufacturing titanium screws, reaching the 'new small' with a thread...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Watchmakers Secret Revealed
Like all tradesmen, watchmakers do not share their tricks of the trade, but I have nothing to hide. This two minute YouTube video shows how to professionally remove chronograph hands from an Omega...
View Article