Where to start building watches?

[m78D]

Hello,

 

I looked a bit through the forum but I couldn't find a thread about it. If it already exists, my excuses.

 

I want to start building watches (replicas) and own designs. My question is now where should I start?

 

I don't have a problem with buying the tools or waiting a bit for everything to arrive but are the factories where

I can just buy movements, cases, etc.?

 

I hope questions like these are permitted here. I unfortunately couldn't find other threads.

 

If it helps: I'm currently living in Europe

[Sogeha]

Well, short answer yes,

 

Long answer, if we know more about what you are wanting to do, we can direct you better. Are you wanting to build one off watches for your own pleasure or are you wanting to do a small run and maybe sell? 

 

Unless you are experienced working on watches, a good place to start might be with Unitas or Unitas clone movements because they are larger. This would open up the world of Panerai replicas as well as one off designs along the pilot watch design. I have an number of useful contacts and will certainly help all I can if I understand better your needs.

[m78D]

Thank you for the quick answer.

 

In the long run it would be my goal to make custom watches and sell those to willing customers. Meaning I should be able by then to "blindly" assemble

any watch and repair watches that have problems.

 

For now I want to learn what goes into building a watch, so that I can understand where every piece belongs and what every piece does. So I want to start

slow and over a few years be a lot better than I am right now.

 

If I learn everything by building custom watches or by building replicas doesn't really matter that much to me as I just want to learn how it works.

 

I hope this answers your question. If not please let me know what else you want to know.

[Sogeha]

Well I'm no blind watchmaker, but I have learned a little over the years. A great place to start is to try and get hold of a couple of broken mechanical watches and maybe a cheap broken pocket watch. Pocket watches are great, because a lot of the basics are the same, but everything is bigger. You can practice decaseing the movement without causing further damage. If it is already broken, then there is nothing to loose and eventually you will get one working again (that's a great feeling)

 

These two threads may be of interest to you:-

 

 

 

Replica watches is what this forum is about. If one of our members can't point you in the right direction to buy any particular replica watch or associated part it is because it doesn't exist. However we all have wider horological interests and once you decide which direction you wish to take on your first build project, I'm sure we will be able to point you in the direction of suitable parts. I'm not being coy with information, but there are simply too many variables to list everything. If that were possible we would already have posted it I'm sure

[m78D]

Is there maybe a site where I can buy broken mechanical watches and cheap broken pocket watches? It would be the first

time for me buying something like this and I really wouldn't know where to look.

 

With replicas I would love to build or buy a Rolex Cellini (Time or Dual Time) or a Rolex Datejust.

[Sogeha]

eBay springs to mind or maybe just ask around friends and family first and see what anyone has in a draw somewhere that they haven't got around to throwing out. I started out by being gifted a bunch of broken Seikos by an ex-watchmaker, which was great because there is a lot of interchangeability in the parts. A Datejust could be a great project to start out with. Alternatively any of the Trusted Dealers could sell you a rep of the Datejust or Cellini. The problem with the dual time is what movement to use.

 

If you do buy a pocket watch, a useful tip is that parts supply for American pocket watch movements is incredible, while English and Swiss ones are hard to find parts for.

[Dawagner]

Couple quick one stop shops that come to mind if you want to build your own watch is helenarou and raffles time. Both sell cases. Movements, hands, dials, and bands. Would be a good resource for an easy first foray into building your own watch.

 

Or you can look on eBay there are quite a few sellers selling lots of old mechanical watches. Most are older citizens and such with miyota movements. You could try buying one of these and seeing of you can get them fixed up and running again to start.

 

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