I recently fell into this rabbit hole. I bought a cheap automatic watch - a Seiko 5, for both practical reasons and otherwise (will work after an EMP attack/solar event, but it's also just cool as hell mechanical engineering using 200 year old technology). Then I started putting watch repair youtube videos on in the background as I did chores or wrote code. Then I started actually watching the watch repair videos. Last week, I got a box of books, tools, and expendables. Today, when I get home, I'll have a box of broken pocket watches to tear into and probably irreparably mess up.<p>When I was a kid, my grandfather and I tore down some old watches as a rainy afternoon activity one day. I was fascinated. It wasn't until I listened to the podcast Shit Town (S-Town) that I thought about horology as a hobby again.<p>One interesting thing I learned, is that if you're looking for a career change, you can become a certified watch maker for free. Many of the schools are sponsored by the big name watch manufacturers, and tuition is free. It's a full time education, so you'll need enough financial runway to survive for a year or two, but you'll come out with no debt as a certified watch builder/repairperson.
I made a WebGL mechanical clock simulation if anyone wants to look at it in motion: <a href="https://clock.leshenko.net/" rel="nofollow">https://clock.leshenko.net/</a>
Another type of movement which is fun is the tuning fork movement: <a href="https://www.watchonista.com/articles/bulova-accutron-tuning-fork-revolution" rel="nofollow">https://www.watchonista.com/articles/bulova-accutron-tuning-...</a><p>For those of you of a patriotic persuasion, its a US invention, something they did better than the swiss.<p>I like them (even though I'm not american) because they are good looking movements, and have some hilariously tight engineering tolerances<p>They also used to power planes and satellites before cheap low power robust quartz and eventually atomic clocks.
I would like to suggest "the history and mechanics of the self-winding mechanism" from the subtitle as a more informative title for this article.<p>Watches work in a lot of ways, after all; some are solar-powered quartz with a radio listening to the atomic broadcast!<p>Also, it appears "How Watches Work" is the name of the series, which would be awkward if another post from the series ended up on Hacker News.
Also I can recommend taking a look at Seiko's spring drive technology. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoEorK6elZM" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoEorK6elZM</a>
Slight tangent but I thought this guide to Rolex labels and features was pretty interesting - even for a non-watch-head:
<a href="https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a539980/the-complete-rolex-buying-guide/" rel="nofollow">https://www.gearpatrol.com/watches/a539980/the-complete-role...</a>
May I also recommend this excellent video[1] from Hamilton made in 1949 that thoroughly explains how mechanical watches work.<p>[1] <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL0_vOw6eCc" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL0_vOw6eCc</a>
Mechanical watch is a mesmerizing device. Makes you wonder though, why there was so little progress around mechanical technology (not only watch specific) lately? My car can talk to me, steer, retain speed by following other vehicles, but the most amazing mechanical innovation it has is a frustratingly slow, whining seat memory function. It’s not only boring, it also relies on a century old tech. Watch are the same, auto wound mechanism was introduced 98 years ago, was slightly improved 60 years ago, still is expensive to produce and maintain, still has reliability issues.
I love this. As a watch enthusiast myself, it's always great to see the history of watches and how their internals came to be.<p>For anybody interested, there's also an awesome video from Hamilton made in the late 40s that shows a lot of the information in this article!<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL0_vOw6eCc" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL0_vOw6eCc</a>
Since I bought my first Apple Watch it's really hard for me to find a reason to buy mechanical watches. They are less useful, less accurate, and this gap is only going to continue. Yes, they are beautiful. But even their straps and bracelets are superior and more comfortable than any leather or steel I experienced.<p>Imagine if in 10 years Apple Watch would measure your blood glucose and pressure. And what that could do to your health.<p>And mechanical watches aren't eternal by any means. Servicing a premium watch (recommended every 5 years, 10 years for Rolex) costs about the same as an aluminum Apple Watch.
One of my favorite videos: a Japanese watch repairman repairs a watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbpgNSvWHOo" rel="nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbpgNSvWHOo</a>
Mechanical watches are fascinating, but to be honest, they don't serve any practical purpose. Time is a solved problem. They can be cool and often are also status symbols. It feels a bit giving up on participating in the betterment of society if one concentrates on those.
To those that are interested in Watchmaking.<p>1. All books by Henry Fried. (A. many books overlap info., but if reasonably priced are work buying.)<p>2. All books by DeCarle. (see A above.)<p>3. George Daniel's book.<p>4. All past issues of AWCI magazine.<p>5. Oh yea, get Questions, and Answers for AWCI test questions.<p>(Don't pay a lot for these books, pamphlets. They can be found, but you need to hunt.)<p>6. Decide if you want to use a loupe, or stereoscope.<p>7. Yes--it does take a few years to get good.<p>8. You will not get rich repairing watches, but you can do it forever.<p>(If you are in the need if a watchmaker in the bay area, in a few months I will have a small shop. The business will be under the name of Jacob Decosta. I'm honest. There will be some very complicated watches I won't work on though. My prices will be vastly lower than factory prices.)
If anyone is interested in this I highly recommend Longitude by Dava Sobel. It's about the creation of modern timekeepers by a carpenter with no training at all in watchmaking. Brilliant guy who created something which truly changed the world.
For those who are interested in superior technology, start reading about quartz movements and the piezoelectric effect. Citizen Watch Company recently release the most accurate quartz watch ever, accurate to 1 second <i>per year</i>. Contrast that to the mechanical watches that Rolex—one of the best mechanical manufacturers—produces and the best they can do is an accuracy of about 1 second <i>per day</i>. Hundreds of times less accurate. Yikes! And then you can get into radio-controlled and GPS-controlled solar watches that you literally never have to set or change the battery. So neat!<p>Mechanical watches are an emotional rather than rational technology, and hey if that's what you're into: mechanical watches and horse-drawn-buggies and gas lanterns then that's totally cool.