The Naked Watchmaker Masterclass
Building on the success of its website, known for its ‘deconstructions’ of priceless watches, The Naked Watchmaker has just unveiled its Masterclass, a series of distance learning courses. The instruction is intended for those individuals craving a greater understanding of horology. Subjects range from basic to advanced and the course is suitable for industry professionals as well as aspiring aficionados.
Every year, legions of school children leave school for the final time. In my home nation, the act of daubing one’s school uniform with a felt-tip pen and throwing eggs and flour at schoolmates is a rite of passage. It signals the advent of adulthood. Exercise books are ‘chucked’ in the back of the wardrobe and the notion of education is put to bed.
However, it does not take long before many adolescents realise that the requirement for knowledge never diminishes despite the onset of years. Irrespective of which career you choose to pursue, continuous learning proves essential for success.
In the world of watchmaking, the learning process often starts young. Indeed, in the canton of Geneva, it is not unusual to see a 15-year-old boy working at a bench. A precocious talent can transition into a consummate watchmaker within 10 years. However, while most watchmakers begin their careers working on simple two-handers, only the finest practitioners of horology will ever have the opportunity to breathe on a grand complication.
While there are several ways for watchmakers to acquire new skills, there is little provision for other professionals working within the same industry. Sales, marketing, public relations, finance and logistics are just some of the departmental functions where employees often lack basic awareness of horology. Now, The Naked Watchmaker has announced a series of distance-learning courses, aimed at those professionals who already work in the watch industry but yearn for greater knowledge of the products in their midst.
The Naked Watchmaker Masterclass comprises several courses, commencing with a foundation course. Recently, I was given the opportunity to test my knowledge of horology and found the course was presented in a logical sequence. At the end of each module, I was invited to validate my understanding of the topics covered. The format of the course proved user-friendly and the instruction was infused with a welcome degree of humour. I also found the course format suited my lifestyle. Indeed, while partaking in a module, I could pause at any time, grab a coffee or simply have a break and pat my cocker spaniel.
The foundation course may also appeal to individuals who currently work in other industries but yearn to work within the watch industry. Interestingly, I reflected on the course content and I envisage the course will also appeal to watch enthusiasts, eager to discover more about the fascinating world of horology.
Following the success of The Naked Watchmaker website and its deconstructions of priceless watches, the firm has, once again, been very innovative, creating a new generation of distance learning courses. Having spoken to The Naked Watchmaker, the foundation course is merely the start. Future courses will provide additional layers of knowledge, sating the desires of the most curious minds.
Watch this space for details.
Further information
The Naked Watchmaker Masterclass Series
The brand’s press release
Founded in 2017, The Naked Watchmaker has become a popular educational resource, much loved by watch industry professionals and devotees of horology. Visitors to the company’s website can see mechanical timepieces, both in assembled and deconstructed form. Indeed, the deconstruction process often culminates in a myriad of parts being neatly arranged on a watchmaker’s bench, indicating the complexity of a mechanical timepiece.
Deconstructing a timepiece is a time-consuming process and necessitates the skilled hands of a master watchmaker with vast experience, especially when the watch is complex, expensive or rare. Each step of the deconstruction process is recorded with a macro lens and shown on The Naked Watchmaker with accompanying text.
From the outset, the objective of the company’s website was to educate and inform the visitor. Now, The Naked Watchmaker is pleased to announce it is offering a new service, a series of distance-learning courses designed to fulfil the needs of individuals who crave more knowledge of horology.
There are a multitude of professions within the watch industry beyond making components or assembling timepieces. Those personnel working in marketing, public relations, sales etc within the watch industry, will undoubtedly benefit from understanding more about the world of horology. The Masterclass Series from The Naked Watchmaker guides the student from elementary instruction to an advanced level.
Alternatively, some individuals may be drawn to the course because horology is their passion and they wish to delve further into a world of levers, pinions, pivots and springs. The Naked Watchmaker is the perfect vehicle for sating their curiosity.
The foundation course
The first course to be unveiled is the foundation course entitled ‘Understanding watchmaking, the beginning of a journey’. It comprises six modules, each lasting approximately one hour. The student can remotely access the course, pausing at any stage and returning to it at an opportune moment, thereby working at their own pace.
Initially, the course introduces the history of the wristwatch before discovering how a timepiece works. This instruction looks at key components and also covers some of the terms widely used within the watch industry. Thereafter, precision timekeeping and popular forms of decoration are covered, again touching on some of the terms widely used.
The term ‘complication’ refers to watch functions over and above just displaying the time. The foundation course guides the student through various complications, ranging from the comparatively simple to highly complex mechanisms, eg minute repeaters and tourbillons.
At the end of each module, the student is invited to complete a simple multiple-choice quiz to validate understanding and, where applicable, highlight gaps in their knowledge. However, rest assured, the foundation course is simple to follow and it’s also fun.
The foundation course is just the start
The Masterclass series dovetails with the numerous deconstructions shown on The Naked Watchmaker website. The foundation course provides an accessible insight into watchmaking and with future courses planned provides a superb basis for amassing further knowledge in the future. Furthermore, the student can also enjoy email support for additional help.
With the advent of the Masterclass series, the Naked Watchmaker reveals even more.