Learn the fundamentals of watchmaking and horology

Watch 101

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The Most Important Decades In Modern Watchmaking (Part 1: The 1980s)

Everything You Need To Know About Dive Watches

Twice as attractive, double-signed watches are all about exceptional stories from the world of watches and beyond — special timepieces dedicated to communities, collaborations and milestones that continue to have an important place in the heart of collectors
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Ask any watch collector what attribute they deem most important when buying a watch, most will answer provenance or history especially when referring to vintage pieces. Whether an issued watch, an inter-generational heirloom or a presentation gift; if a watch has an interesting origin, collectors can get hot under the collar! One such subsection of watch collecting is so-called double signed dials, where watches have an additional line of text or a logo to commemorate the retailer that originally sold the watch or the company or organization from whom the watch was gifted. And it goes without saying, the most keenly pursued brands to feature these special dials are Rolex and Patek Philippe. It’s not, however, just vintage pieces that can sell for astronomical prices.

One of the most famous examples of a retailer-signed dials is Pateks sold by Tiffany &amp; Co. in New York. The relationship between the two giants of the luxury world dates back to the middle of the 19th century, when Messrs Patek and Tiffany began a long-standing agreement for the latter to sell the former's watches across its network of stores in the USA. This was an important step for Patek, as it allowed the brand to have a solid distribution network, and therefore increased visibility and sales in an important and growing market.&nbsp;

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<img alt="old ads patek" data-caption="Old advertisements from Tiffany and Patek Philippe illustrate the relationship between the two luxury giants Photo:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.vintageadbrowser.com/jewelry-and-watches-ads-1950s/6#ads5dl865tkoxhay&quot;&gt;Vintage Ad Browser&lt;/a&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ba267b3c-f413-4063-9a8a-256729be9c54" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/185/6_4.png" width="1568" /><img alt="Tiffany-stamped Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711" data-caption="Launched in 2021, this Tiffany-stamped Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 (limited to&amp;nbsp;170 pieces) was a commemorative salute to the 170-year history shared by two of the biggest names in consumer luxury" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2090f7f3-4934-493c-b79b-93eed0ec4e01" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/185/Edit%2520Double%2520Signed%2520Watches.png" width="1568" />
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In fact, Tiffany &amp; Co. is the only retailer that is still allowed to print their name on the dial which led to an astonishing auction result for a Tiffany-stamped Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 last year. As part of the brand’s fond farewell to its iconic Jumbo sports watch, it was announced that there would be a run of 170 pieces made with Tiffany &amp; Co. with a ‘Tiffany Blue’ dial and the famous signature. Strictly available at retail price to hand-picked clients of Tiffany New York, it was one of the hottest launches of the past year, decade…maybe ever! One, however, made its way to Phillips where it was sold to the original underbidder for a sum rumored to be over $5 million USD. What a difference a name makes!
<img alt="Phillips" data-caption="Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675 with a Tiffany stamped dial, circa 1966 Photo:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080319/36&quot;&gt;Phillips&lt;/a&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0901c72c-c18b-4ab1-9302-e0437f4ed556" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/185/Phillips%2520Tiffany%2520signed%2520Rolex.png" width="1568" />
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Tiffany &amp; Co. signed Rolex watches were also available until the early 90s, as were pieces by Cartier and Van Cleef &amp; Arpels. One particularly important Van Cleef retailed Rolex is a yellow gold Daytona. Whilst we are focusing on the dials in this piece, often retailer also stamped the case lugs and or the bracelet clasp too, as is the case with the yellow gold Daytona reference 16518 on leather strap that has the “V C &amp; A” under the standard five lines of text in the upper half of the dial. Albeit accompanied by a significant amount of documentation, it still caused a stir when it sold for $187,500 at Phillips, which was well in excess of ten times what a regular version of the watch was selling for at the time.
<img alt="VCA" data-caption="One-of-a-kind, the Rolex&amp;nbsp;Ref. 16518 &quot;Le Roi Soleil&quot; featuring Van Cleef &amp;amp; Arpels' “V.C.&amp;amp;A.” signature on the dial Photo: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.phillips.com/detail/rolex/CH080318/18&quot;&gt;Phillips&lt;/a&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="03bb0f03-d24e-4bbb-a60b-a7c23bdf9cc8" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/185/Edit%2520Double%2520Signed%2520Watches%2520%25283%2529.png" width="1568" />
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Rarity, and its associated value, is not the only reason that retailer-signed dials are popular. Collectors can fall for the romanticism of a retailer’s location or associated glamour. Joyeria Ricciardi was one of the biggest jewelers in South America, based in Buenos Aires Argentina that sold both Rolex and Patek Philippe and its artistic logo script is a joy to see on a dial. Then who could turn down a dial with the Hermes signature on? There are few more exotic than Serpico Y Laino. The Venezuelan retailer was founded in 1925 by Italian businessmen in Caracas. Again, much like Tiffany’s relationship with Patek Philippe, Serpico’s relationship with both Rolex and Patek, plus also Tudor, was very important in establishing the brands in such regions that were so far away from Switzerland. It was often the case that by adding the retailer’s signature to the dial, the watch became more desirable to the jeweler’s clients as these watches had the ‘stamp of approval’ from the trusted local retailer. It’s hard to imagine that now, around 100 years ago it was a very different story.

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<img alt="Wristcheck" data-caption="Tiffany continues to retail a selection of Patek wristwatches (including various Nautilus references) with the historic ‘double signature’ from four of its flagships, all of which are located in the US Photo: Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="42d29b58-07ef-418e-99b7-fefddf692bd0" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/185/5_6.png" width="1568" />
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One of the heartlands of the luxury industry is London, in a large part thanks to the wealth that has resided in the capital for centuries. Famed Royal jeweler Asprey is another retailer that is well known for its watch sales, especially Rolex and Patek Philippe. When it comes to Rolex watches, some of the most desirable vintage pieces were supplied to the Sultan of Oman by Asprey, with special Khanjar dials and other signatures on the dial. One of the most interesting Asprey signed watches involves a story that is very close to my heart, as it involves a dear friend of mine, London-based watch dealer David Duggan.&nbsp;

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<a data-image-style="" href="https://wristcheck.com/discover/six-watches-wristchecks-grand-opening-link-past-pt-ii"><img alt="Wristcheck Khanjar" data-caption="Rolex Ref. 6263 “Big Red,&quot; which came with a personal card from the Sultan Of Oman Photo: &lt;a href=&quot;https://wristcheck.com/discover/six-watches-wristchecks-grand-opening-link-past-pt-ii&quot;&gt;Wristcheck&lt;/a&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abf8c9c5-65d0-4dfb-8521-8b59a79c38f8" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/185/8_5.png" width="1568" /></a>

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Known as ‘The Asprey’, the watch is a Patek Philippe reference 2499. The watch is still the only known example of a complicated Patek that is actually double signed Asprey, with the signature both on the dial and stamped inside the case back. Let’s be honest, a 2499 is an important watch in itself, but this unique Asprey signed example makes it a very important watch indeed. I feel like I know this watch well, as I have been aware of it for many years and was one of the few people who knew its original story. The catalogue notes now disclose that it was originally bought from the original owner by my friend David Duggan. The original owner RC (whose initials adorn the case back) sold the watch to Duggan in the late 1990s. The watch was first seen publicly in 2006 at auction where it achieved 2.2 million Swiss francs – a then world record for a reference 2499. The 2006 private buyer kept the watch until it appeared again in 2018 when it sold for 4 million Swiss Francs. What a difference a name makes!

What Makes Double-Signed Watches So Desirable?

Almost every notable name in independent watchmaking — right from Philippe Dufour to Gaël Petermann — has a background in restoring complicated antique pocket watches and clocks. We explore how the art of restoration has influenced the work of these creative geniuses
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Almost every notable name in independent watching has a background in restoring (often complicated) antique pocket watches and clocks. This curious through line includes the likes of Franck Muller, F.P. Journe, Philippe Dufour, Kari Voutilainen, Felix Baumgartner of Urwerk, Denis Flageollet of De Bethune, Konstantin Chaykin, <a href="https://wristcheck.com/discover/contemplative-watchmaking-raul-pages">Raúl Pagès</a>, and many from the “next generation” of independent watchmakers like Gaël Petermann,&nbsp;Florian Bédat and Cyril Brivet-Naudot. As you&nbsp;can glean, it’s a greater challenge to find an independent watchmaker who has never worked in restoration. If there’s a standard character arc in the development of independent watchmakers, the origin begins with restoration.&nbsp;

Here, we explore why restoration plays such an important role in the journeys of the most capable and creative watchmakers today. We spoke to Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat from the&nbsp;eponymous brand, Petermann Bédat, about their backgrounds in restoration and its relation to their own creations today.&nbsp;

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<h3>Exposure To The History Of Watchmaking</h3>

First and foremost, restoration provides watchmakers with a breadth of exposure to the history of the discipline. Like many other disciplines, the earliest days of watchmaking were a bit like the Wild, Wild West. Before methods and techniques became standardised, almost all watchmaking was fundamentally experimental, which means things were prone to be a little more eccentric, a little more unusual than today.

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<img alt="Gael and Florian" data-caption="Florian Bédat (left) and&amp;nbsp;Gaël Petermann&amp;nbsp;(right) Photo:&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.petermann-bedat.ch/&quot;&gt;Petermann Bédat&lt;/a&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abc3d071-da0c-42fd-8b02-1106133c89fc" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/183/9_5.png" width="1568" />
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“Watchmakers were more akin to scientists in the 18th, 19th&nbsp;and even in the early 20th centuries. They were testing and experimenting without knowing in advance what effect they would create,” explain&nbsp;Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat.&nbsp;This period of watchmaking chased the goal of more precise timekeeping and more complicated mechanics to measure and track time. The state of timekeeping then simply wasn’t good enough for watchmakers to rest on their laurels. It was a time when the demand for more advanced timekeeping was massive, requiring high levels of creativity, experimentation, and with this came more eccentricity.&nbsp;

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<img alt="Florian Bédat" data-caption="In October 2021, Petermann Bédat introduced a second series of the 1967&amp;nbsp;— a limited edition of&amp;nbsp;25 pieces made of grade 5 titanium&amp;nbsp;Photo: @&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/petermann_bedat/?hl=fr&quot;&gt;petermann_bedat&lt;/a&gt;/ Instagram" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1473850f-a6b0-4a0e-b1e8-228b14513f76" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/183/8_4.png" width="1568" />
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For a young watchmaker, restoration opens a world of mechanical possibilities. That exposure creates a more comprehensive understanding of timepieces,&nbsp;complications, and stylistic differences amongst their historical creators. Falling in line with <a href="https://wristcheck.com/discover/wristchat-designer-watchmaker-and-historian-dr-rebecca-struthers-her-horological-journey">Rebecca Struthers</a>, the English independent watchmaker, who says,&nbsp;“if you can make parts for other people’s watches from scratch, you can make them for yourself.”

For those who&nbsp;branch out to create their own timepieces, that broad exposure is often the foundation for creative ideas.&nbsp;

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<a data-image-style="blog_inline_image" href="https://wristcheck.com/discover/wristchat-designer-watchmaker-and-historian-dr-rebecca-struthers-her-horological-journey"><img alt="Rebecca Struthers" data-caption="Rebecca Struthers at her work bench&amp;nbsp;Photo: Andy Pilsbury" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afc05f7a-0d7e-4e50-82db-23eb14a7c805" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/183/Edit Restoration.png" width="1568" /></a>

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<h3>Inspiration for the future</h3>

Restoration isn’t just instructional on a wide breadth of watchmaking skills, it’s also incredibly inspirational for many independent watchmakers.&nbsp;

Gaël Petermann and Florian Bédat mentioned that their focus on black polishing all steel components in their 1967 timepiece stems from the restoration of chronograph minute repeater with date pocket watch.&nbsp;

Likewise, the iconic wandering hour indicator on Urwerk timepieces was inspired by a 17th century clock created for Pope Alexander VII. Created by the Campani Brothers in Italy, the story goes that the Pope was disturbed by the “tick-tock” of the clock in his bedroom. To solve this problem, the Campanis invented a silent escapement and an exceptionally unusual wandering hour indicator. Today, this clock is housed in the British Museum.
<img alt="Campani Clock" data-caption="Housed in the British Museum, the Campani Clock was created by the Campani Brothers for Pope Alexander VII Photo: &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1958-1006-2128&quot;&gt;British Museum&lt;/a&gt;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eabf395d-4e1b-434a-a25c-fbf8ae7b4574" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/183/Edit%2520Restoration%2520%25282%2529.png" width="1568" />
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As a child, Felix Baumgartner was exposed to these clocks as his father’s antique clock and pocket watch restoration atelier was based out in his home. Seeing some incredibly important and unusual clocks come through his home created a lasting effect – that exposure led to the creation of a core element of Urwerk’s identity. Martin Frei and Baumgartner created the first ever miniaturized wandering time indicator on wristwatches for the UR-101 and UR-102 in 1997.&nbsp;
<img alt="UR-101" data-caption="Urwerk UR-102 “Black Series,&quot; Urwerk UR-102 and Urwerk UR-101/40 and the UR-102 (left to right) Photo: &lt;a href=&quot;https://monochrome-watches.com/christies-watches-online-auction-early-urwerk-ur101-ur102/&quot;&gt;Christie's&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1f8d17e2-6fbb-4be3-bd66-79157dfc18f0" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/183/1_3.png" width="1568" />
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Philippe Dufour is another example of how exposure to historical exceptional timepieces inspired his own creations. Known for proclaiming, “I have invented nothing,” Dufour’s most complicated Grand Sonnerie minute-repeater was inspired by an early 20th century Grand Sonnerie by Raymond Freres. Like Urwerk, Dufour’s exposure and inspiration pushed him to create the first Grand Sonnerie minute-repeater in a wristwatch. Released in 1992, it’s considered the Holy Grail amongst grail timepieces by many collectors with as few as four ever produced (as documented by SJX in one of his stories).

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<img alt="Image of Dufour Grand Sonnerie Minute-Repeater" data-caption="Philippe Dufour Grande and Petite Sonnerie Minute-Repeater Photo: Phillips&amp;nbsp;" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="662e2213-c1cf-4828-a872-5616fa99dabc" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/183/Edit%2520Restoration%2520%25281%2529.png" width="1568" />
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<h3>Making Ends Meet</h3>

Beyond watchmaking itself, restoration also has the additional (but critical) benefit of helping independent watchmakers make ends meet.&nbsp;

“In the early days of developing our company, we were doing restoration work for Christie’s and that was very important to keep going,” says Gaël Petermann. Generally, it’s far easier to get started in the business of restoring and maintaining existing timepieces than to create, market, and sell new ones. Sometimes, it’s the only way for independents to financially support their workshops.

In the character arc of many independent watchmakers, restoration is often the first domino to fall in a line of events that push the discipline forward. It opens watchmakers up to a vast world of possibilities, the exposure often sparks a creative fire, and that creativity leads to the rejuvenation of the discipline. On top of that, it’s often a necessary commercial component of starting and running an independent watch brand. Restoration’s influence in modern independent watchmaking is so far-reaching that it’s nearly omnipresent.

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Editor's Note: The banner image for&nbsp;this story is credited to&nbsp;Andy Pilsbury for&nbsp;Struthers Watchmakers.&nbsp;

Restoration: The Underappreciated Side of Independent Watchmaking

After an intense hour-long session with a trained watchmaker, here’s how I put together Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Caliber 770 — an exercise in patience, persistence and perfection
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Dexterity, focus, precision and a strong eyesight to work with extremely small components are some of the essentials for any watchmaker. I believed I ticked all the boxes until I attended my first-ever watchmaking class.

Earlier this year, Jaeger-LeCoultre had invited us to the&nbsp;“Reverso Stories” exhibition at its flagship boutique in Hong Kong. It was a rare opportunity to experience the brand’s heritage up, close and personal – not only did I see some of the original Reversos from the 1930s but also tried my hand at perlage – a decorative technique used to adorn the bridges and plates on a watch movement with overlapping circular patterns made with the help of a rotating peg. I’ve been writing about watches for nearly six months now and this experience really piqued my interest in watchmaking. So when I was offered a special class with Jason Hung, Jaeger-LeCoultre resident watchmaker in Hong Kong, I was thrilled to bits!

Right from the tools to the techniques – Jason introduced me to the basics of watchmaking in an hour-long session, which (mildly put) was quite intense. Now, I totally understand why these ateliers are located in serene and picturesque places like Switzerland and how these watchmakers need to be in a zen zone all the time.

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<h3>The Tools&nbsp;</h3>

First things first, Jason introduced me to some of the tools used in watchmaking. He explained that though some of the tools may appear to be redundant at first, there is a reason why they are essential to the whole process.&nbsp;

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<img alt="tools" data-caption="Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b4dc82f3-2d28-4955-8954-fe90c105d4ba" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/Edit%2520Watchmaking%2520Nat%2520%25281%2529.png" width="1568" />
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We start with the much-needed anti-dust storage tray that keeps everything in place, after each step of unscrewing and storing the components. One of the most commonly used tools are screwdrivers in sizes 120 and 140. Now to use the screwdrivers, there was a special technique and finger placement: index finger on top, thumb, and middle fingers to screw, or unscrew. This method really helps because it divides the amount of pressure put on the screw-head and gives you a precise grip.

Next up, tweezers. They're intended to be extremely handy when managing small screws and moving them to and from the tray. Another item I majorly underestimated was this plastic stick used for precise placements of delicate and fragile parts. The magnifier or eye loupe comes in handy when you are working with components barely visible to the naked eye. Finally, Bergeon Rodico Traditional is a versatile tool, somewhat similar to blu-tack in appearance and texture, but it's less adhesive and sticky. This is really useful if you need to move screws or jewels, or if you want to avoid fingerprints and dust when cleaning a piece.

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<h3>The Movement</h3>

Placed right in the center of a brightly lit desk was the Caliber 770 – my playing field for the day. Featuring a date function, as well as true seconds, this movement debuted in Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Geophysic model (now discontinued) in 2015. One of the highlights of this movement was the Gyrolab balance – made in-house at the brand’s manufacture and it was this particular component that really pushed my abilities to be a watchmaker for the day.

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<img alt="calibre 770" data-caption="Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Caliber 770, which&amp;nbsp;debuted in the Geophysic model (now discontinued) in 2015&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="48601512-749f-41df-b2c9-d58357f4f3ed" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4278.jpg" width="1568" />
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<h3>Disassembly</h3>

To be honest, the first five minutes can be a bit mind-boggling if you are not familiar with the names of different components. I started to unscrew the bridges, which revealed the gear train: barrel, center wheel, third wheel, fourth wheel, escape wheel and balance wheel.

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<img alt="gear train" data-caption="From left to right: barrel, center wheel, third wheel, fourth wheel and escape wheel&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ba972dd6-f0ef-4a38-9bf9-37668d1c4d64" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4319.jpg" width="1568" />
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Watchmaking engages all your senses to full capacity, not just your eyes but ears too. I was asked to pay attention to the intricacies of sound while screwing or unscrewing the components. If you hear a click during unscrewing, it means the screw is ready to be removed. I discovered that in case of super tiny screws, this sound indication comes really handy.

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<img alt="disassembly " data-caption="Tweezers are intended to be extremely handy when managing small screws and moving them to and from the tray&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3e9ae6cd-9e58-488e-921b-84262fe83fda" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4243.jpg" width="1568" />
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Another important tip, don’t be in a rush. “Be slow, be patient and move lightly”, Jason kept reminding me these three things throughout the session. One also needs to be mindful and focused because any sort of extra pressure can damage the screw head or, in some cases, the movement itself.&nbsp;

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<img alt="watchmaking" data-caption="Jaeger-LeCoultre's Caliber 770&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1da224b3-9a49-48d4-be42-82064abcb3c9" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4277.jpg" width="1568" />
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I managed to disassemble the movement in around 20–25 minutes. While minor mistakes were made all along–picking up a screw with my finger instead of a tweezer or placing a screw outside the tray and momentarily losing it – I quite enjoyed the first part of the task.&nbsp;

Before heading onto the next step,&nbsp;we took a little break to inspect the components more closely under a microscope. It was quite amusing! The last time I used a microscope was to examine the peel of an onion during my science class in 2010.

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<img alt="natasha looking into the microscope" data-caption="Taking a detailed look at the palette fork under the microscope&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0b4b6239-b66e-4308-a796-36eb789147d6" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4385.jpg" width="1568" />
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<h3>Assembly</h3>

Time for assembly. To be frank, I was already a little disoriented. It was like gazing at jigsaw pieces waiting to be put together. I started off with the escape wheel, balance wheel, fourth wheel, third wheel, center wheel, and barrel. The jewels made things a little easier as I knew just where to place the wheels. Fun fact: traditionally, these watchmaking jewels were made with actual rubies and their primary purpose was to act as a bearing for the caliber's small components. Nowadays most timepieces utilize synthetic rubies.&nbsp;

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<img alt="balance hairspring" data-caption="The balance wheel hairspring is incredibly fragile - it is thinner than human hair&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="60ece3bb-ffea-4ffb-becd-8ec04b7b60cc" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4315.jpg" width="1568" />
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The most difficult steps in this stage involved the setting of the palette fork and balance wheel. It was difficult for two reasons: the palette fork is extremely small, and the balance wheel – incredibly fragile, it is thinner than human hair. Given that it was my first attempt and the first time I had ever seen the inside of a caliber, I nailed it on the first try. Call it beginner's luck or whatever, but I was thrilled with how I fared.&nbsp;

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<img alt="palette fork" data-caption="As the palette fork is so small, it is one of the most difficult tasks for a beginner to execute during assembly&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="42ef0dfd-d052-4251-82b0-5cc29be928cb" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4325.jpg" width="1568" />
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Following the positioning of the wheels after the escape wheel, it was necessary to use the plastic stick to gently spin it to test if the wheels rotated. First, I used the loupe to ensure that each wheel's teeth were perfectly aligned with the other. Then, I rotated the barrel, which gives energy to the entire movement, to see if all of the wheels were turning. This step is absolutely crucial, according to Jason, because if you screw up and fail to check at every stage, you'll have to unscrew everything just to correct that one component. The moment of true delight–seeing the entire movement come to life after placing the balance wheel, also known as the heart of a watch! It was the most gratifying and rewarding part of the entire process. Phew.&nbsp;

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<img alt="watchmaking" data-caption="Jaeger-LeCoultre's resident watchmaker guiding me on where to place the gear train&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="940eacf4-d470-4dbe-9950-36efd3d0b367" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4245.jpg" width="1568" />
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Even though I’ve only spent around an hour as an amateur watchmaker, I now genuinely understand why watches are such priced luxuries. Making or restoring a watch takes great patience, lots of attention and sometimes months or even years to complete a project. My eyes felt really strained and I had to look at something other than the caliber every 10 minutes to get my focus back.&nbsp;

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<h3>The Most Important Lessons&nbsp;</h3>

Learning the fundamentals of watchmaking was an insightful and fascinating experience, and I'm seriously considering enrolling in a more in-depth course. To top it off, I also received Jaeger-LeCoultre's certification towards the end of the class. What’s a lesson without an evaluation from the instructor? "You seem to be in a hurry," said Jason, who graduated from Richemont Watchmaking School and has worked with Cartier previously. “You have an excellent eye and a steady hand, but you must be more patient. You installed the balance wheel hairspring in a single shot. Overall, I give your effort an 8 out of 10,” he said. I couldn’t be happier. "3 P's of watchmaking," as my colleague, Neha, mentioned, "patience, persistence, and perfection." That’s what it takes.&nbsp;

&nbsp;
<img alt="natasha's jlc certification" data-caption="Mission accomplished. Here's me&amp;nbsp;receiving Jaeger-LeCoultre's certification towards the end of the class&amp;nbsp;Photo: Perkin Yu/ Wristcheck" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a62647c6-d805-40c2-b53c-a82ca2117d27" data-image-style="blog_inline_image" height="1046" src="https://wc-strapi.s3.ap-east-1.amazonaws.com/article_import/images/172/WCL_4399.jpg" width="1568" />
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Editor’s Note: *The Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmaking class is only available to selected clients.&nbsp;

My First Watchmaking Class

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