Source
r/WatchHorology•
StrNotSize

Essential watch making tools

Hello horologists. I am a 3D artist and my latest personal project involves an amateur clockmaker's workbench. I'm looking to add that nth degree of realism to my scene. What are some tools or other accouterments that, if you saw them, would make you say "Hey, a real watch/clock maker's bench" as opposed to "That looks like what people think clock making looks like" ?

Happy clockmaking. It's been really awesome doing research on this project; you guys make some amazingly cool stuff.

Posted Mar 16, 2019, 2:08 PM UTC

1514
prostfire•

Dial hand removers , case back stand and remover, a mini lathe would be cool, a bunch of mini screwdrivers and files. These are just a few that come to mind.

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StrNotSizeOP•

Excellent list. That will keep me busy for a quite a while. Thanks!

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prostfire•

Always happy to help. Good luck with your project!

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randomaker•

you're also likely to see glass domes on a bench to cover work and prevent dust settling on work. A staking set or hairspring vibrating tool are also pretty iconic horological tools.
Generally I would say from experience that old school clock and watchmakers benches are absolute messes, so just pile a bunch of crap up.

Here's the bench and workshop of Phillip Defour

Here's the bench and workshop of George Daniels

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StrNotSizeOP•

It's an odd mix of both being somewhat precisely ordered... but also a giant cluttered mess. Some how at the same time? That's sort of what I'm trying to capture. It's a very distinct impression. Those links are awesome. Thank you so much.

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Yeti-Crab•

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTebb5SatDw

​

This is the guy you are looking for.

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StrNotSizeOP•

Oh wow, you hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!

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nephros•
  • cupboard with a lot of really small drawers
  • loupes, (especially if attached to a pair of round wire-frame glasses)
  • watchmaker's lathe
  • poising tool (e.g. Bergeon 2802)
  • ...
2
StrNotSizeOP•

Thanks, that's a really helpful list and gives me the "what to google image search". Very helpful. Thanks.

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cp5184•

https://www.reddit.com/r/WatchHorology/comments/9mvj74/budget_friendly_tools/

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StrNotSizeOP•

That's a very helpful thread. Thank you.

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Brupielink•

Will it be a watchmaker's bench or a clockmaker's bench? Both use different tools and setups that I'd be happy to talk about.

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StrNotSizeOP•

I typed up a big ol' paragraph, reread it and realized A) I didn't answer your question B) I don't know the answer to your question and C) am not quite ready to decide between the two. I'll need to think on it for a bit first. Thanks for offering. Knowing that there's a clear distinction between the two is helpful.

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Brupielink•

You're welcome! I'm a watchmaker in a jewelry shop that does everything in-house so I have lots of old and interesting tools, plus the benches of myself and my old mentor (who will stop working when he's 6-feet underground). If you want any examples, I can take pictures for you as reference.

People here suggest putting a watchmaker's lathe on the bench but most watchmaker's don't have it on permanent setup (or have one at all, for the daily tasks of servicing). You can also decide on what type of watchmaking bench it is (like new-school watches or old-school pocket watches, which have various tools that aren't made anymore).

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