What’s it all about?
Who bothers with watches in this age of mobile phones? And who would spend thousands of dollars on a watch that’s less accurate than the watch that comes in a cereal box? Quite a few people as it turns out.
Mechanical watches – tiny little machines made from hundred of gears and cogs – have an appeal that transcends practicality. Indeed, the sort of watch your grandfather wore is enjoying a quiet renaissance in this digital age, and the appeal goes far beyond having a convenient way to tell the time. In this class we will learn how they work and why people continue to love them so much.
What will we cover?
In just over an hour we’ll cover enough ground to give you a solid basic knowledge of mechanical watches. You won’t learn everything, but you’ll be well equipped with the skills and tools to hold your own, horologically speaking. More specifically the following topics will be covered.
- What are mechanical wristwatches? How do they work?
- The history of wristwatches.
- Terminology 101: know your ebauche from your calibre!
- How can a watch cost as much as a car? (And that’s without the diamonds!)
- What’s a ‘good’ watch, and how much should it cost?
- Vintage watches: tips and tricks.
- Buying watches: the internet and how not to get ripped off.
- What’s hot in watches?
Who will be teaching?
Felix Scholz will be your teacher for the night. He’s got years of watch nerdery behind him. About a year ago he launched his watch buying business The Tailored Watch, advising on watches and sourcing them for people. And for the last few years he’s also been a regular contributor to leading NY watch blog HODINKEE.
Felix loves mechanical watches because of the history tied up in them, and the skill involved in designing and making them.