Hi Kath,

As far as I am aware you can’t upgrade your 1800 hour WOSTEP qualification into the 3000 hour one, as they are two separate courses. So, if you want the skills to make a watch from scratch, then you would need to start with the 3000 hour course.

They’re very intensive courses and so you’ll be working 5 days a week during normal working hours, but if you wanted to subsidise your finances with evening and weekend work, then that is possible.

The salary for watchmakers can vary quite a lot, mainly depending on geography, as London will generally pay more than the rest of the country for example, however living costs will also be higher. At some companies £40k may be unattainable, while at others it may take 2 years, a lot depends on the opportunity and the movement of other staff at the business.

Colin

I’m a disillusioned physio looking for something a lot less people-heavy. I used to fix watches, radios and clocks as a child and loved it. I wondered though – what is the watchmaking/repairing industry like in terms of entry level availability and how long does it generally take to get to earning an average (£40k) salary? I’d probably look into doing a 1800hour WOTOP course due to cost, but would ideally like to be able to make watches at some point in future too. Would I be able to do part time work once I’d completed the initial 1800hour, to help fund the 3000hour?

Hi Mark

Thanks for your comment. I think the main difference in what the courses offer for you would very much depend on what you plan to do in the future. If you only have the ambition to be a watch repairer, then the 1,800 hour course should teach you all you need to know. If you have plans to get into watchmaking either straightaway or at some point in the future, then the 3,000 hour course would be seen as a “must have”.

You will likely only be able to train full-time once in your life, as it is very difficult to take a step backwards and become a student again once employed. So for myself I wanted to do everything I possibly could, and for most of my career as a watch repairer that meant I had learned skills that were redundant. But now that I am a watchmaker, having learned how to make parts, create technical drawings and finish to a high standard, have all become incredibly important in my day-to-day work.

But if I hadn’t taken that step to make watches, then those skills would have stayed redundant.

In short, there’s no correct answer, it very much depends on what you are training to be.

Colin

I have just been accepted into the two-year WOSTEP course at BSOW, but I feel quite uncertain at the moment. Since 95% of watchmaking jobs are in the UK, the 1,800-hour WOSTEP course seems sufficient. I’m not sure about the value of taking the 3,000-hour course. I would greatly appreciate any advice you could offer.

Hi Hien

I don’t really deal with clocks, however a lot of the principals are the same. This model appears to use disks rather than hands to display the time. You may find that the minute disc is held on with a “C” clip, and you will need to remove this and the disc will come away, the lower hour and alarm hands can probably be lifted off in the traditional way with hand levers. If there is a “C” clip, be very careful when removing it as they tend to spring off and get lost – and so I would always recommend putting a piece of clear plastic over the clip and removing it through the plastic, so that when it springs off it will be held in place.

Colin

I’m eager for a career change and to learn a trade; watchmaking has been a pleasant surprise in its appeal, but I can’t seem to be able to find apprenticeships anywhere. Where would be the best place to look?

Many thanks

Russell

Hi Kamal, thanks for your message. I am very busy making my own brand of watches at the moment, but if there is something I can help with, please get in touch. Colin

Hi Michael, yes there are courses offered by some brands and WOSTEP also offer a course too: