Who Watches the Watchmen: A Shallow Dive into the Craft of Watchmaking
My Journey into Watchmaking
Introduction
A microscope viewing the seconds subdial on an ETA movement.
My background with watches was mostly in minor repairs—reattaching second hands, adjusting regulators to fine-tune timekeeping—but eventually, I took the plunge into building my own timepieces. What started as a passing curiosity gradually evolved into a full-fledged passion. There's something deeply satisfying about the precision and craftsmanship that goes into mechanical timepieces, and I found myself drawn deeper into the world of watchmaking with every project I completed.
My initial experiences were limited to minor fixes and adjustments—resetting loose hands, tweaking regulators to improve accuracy, and cleaning out the occasional dust particle that had made its way into a case. At the time, I wasn’t fully aware of how much more there was to learn. As my confidence grew, I decided to take things a step further and assemble my own watches from kits. Those early builds taught me fundamental skills like setting hands, fitting cases, and adjusting crown stems. But more than that, they instilled a sense of appreciation for the intricate mechanics behind a well-made timepiece.
Over the years, I transitioned from assembling kits to sourcing my own components and designing watches that reflected my personal style. I experimented with different case styles, movement types, and dial designs, always looking for ways to push my knowledge further. Eventually, I expanded beyond mechanical watches and ventured into the realm of electronic timepieces, building watches that incorporated Nixie tubes and vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs). With each new build, I refined my skills and deepened my understanding of what makes a watch not just functional, but truly exceptional.
In this article, I’ll be sharing details about the watches I’ve built, the movements that power them, and the technical aspects of assembling and modifying timepieces. Whether you’re an experienced watch enthusiast or someone looking to get into the hobby, I hope this insight into my journey will be helpful. If you're interested in trying watchmaking for yourself, I’ll also include recommendations for kits, parts suppliers, and resources to help you get started.
An ST3600 build with a silver dial and embossed numerals. Once closed, this case will use friction and pressure on close tolerances to keep things sealed.
I've been into watchmaking ever since I backed a Kickstarter project that got me started. My background with watches was mostly in minor repairs—reattaching second hands, adjusting regulators to fine-tune timekeeping—but eventually, I took the plunge into building my own timepieces. Since then, I’ve worked with various mechanical and electronic movements, assembling watches from kits, sourcing my own parts, and refining my techniques. I found immense satisfaction in understanding the intricacies of mechanical movements, from the delicate balance wheel oscillations to the precise engagement of gear trains. At first, my experience was limited to repairing small issues—resetting loose hands, troubleshooting inaccurate timekeeping, and cleaning dust from dials. But as I gained confidence, I started to explore more ambitious projects.
My first builds were simple, using pre-designed kits that provided all the necessary components. These kits helped me develop essential skills like hand-setting, case-fitting, and adjusting crown stems. Over time, I transitioned to sourcing individual parts and designing my own watch configurations, experimenting with different case styles, movement types, and strap materials. Along the way, I also explored electronic watchmaking, working with components like Nixie tubes and VFD displays.
My First Watch Builds: Seagull ST3600 and Rotate Watches
ST3600 up-close in an exhibition case, back.
One of the earliest movements I worked with was the Seagull ST3600, which is a Chinese clone of the ETA 6497, originally designed for pocket watches. The ST3600 is a manual-wind movement with a power reserve of around 50 hours. Since it’s relatively large, it has looser tolerances, making it a great choice for beginners assembling their first watch.
I first built watches using the ST3600 through Rotate Watches, a company out of Los Angeles. I put together models like the Edison, Galileo, and Wright, all of which use the ST3600. The trickiest part of assembling these watches wasn’t the movement itself—it was getting everything properly fitted into the case.
This is an ST3600 movement housed in a pilot-style watch case with a minimalist, aviation-inspired dial. The dial features a clean black background with bold, highly legible Arabic numerals, designed for quick readability. The sub-seconds dial at the 9 o'clock position adds a vintage touch, like traditional pocket watches converted for wrist use. The luminescent markers and hands ensure visibility in low-light conditions, making it both functional and stylish. The triangle marker at 12 o’clock is a hallmark of classic Flieger watches, a design originally used by pilots for easy orientation at a glance.
Case Fitting Challenges: These cases are friction fit, meaning compression is necessary to secure everything in place.
Stem Length Adjustment: With Rotate kits and any build with a case that isn’t matched to a movement, the crown needs to be superglued to the stem, and if you trim it too short, it won’t engage properly with the movement.
Dial and Hands Assembly: The second hand is located on a subdial, rather than being centrally mounted, making installation a bit easier.
In pocket watch configurations, the small second hand is usually at the 6 o’clock position, but in a wristwatch, it shifts to 9 o’clock due to how the movement is rotated.
The NH35A in a dive watch configuration with adjustable bezels. Both kits by FWM/Fink Watches.
Expanding My Builds: Fink Watches and the NH35A/NH38A Movement
After my initial success, I wanted to explore different movements and case designs. That’s when I found Fink Watch Manufacturing (FWM), a London-based company, and built my first watch using a Seiko/TMI NH38A movement, then an NH35A for the date function.
What is the NH35A/NH38A?
The NH35A and NH38A is manufactured by Time Module Inc. (TMI), a subsidiary of Seiko. Unlike movements in Seiko-branded watches, NH-series movements are sold as "white-label" to third-party watchmakers. The NH35A and NH38A are nearly identical, with the key difference being that the NH35A has a date function, while the NH38A does not.
Features of the NH35A
The dive watch shown completed above, as it is put together. Hands are placed with hand pressing tools and care is taken to keep dust out of the case.
Automatic Movement: The NH35A has a rotor that winds the mainspring using kinetic energy from the wearer’s wrist.
41-Hour Power Reserve: Unlike the ST3600, this watch doesn’t need to be manually wound every day.
Water Resistance: The watch case I used had a screw-down crown, ensuring water resistance up to 5 ATM.
Assembly Differences: Unlike the ST3600, this movement has a central seconds hand rather than a subdial, making it a bit more challenging to install the hands precisely.
To assemble this watch, I used Rodico putty, which is a staple in watchmaking. It helps secure delicate parts, like hands, without leaving fingerprints or dust.
Exploring Electronic Watches: Nixie and VFD Displays
The VFD and Nixie watches are beautiful, but they have downsides, too.
After working with mechanical movements, I wanted to try wearing and collecting something different—electronic watches. I picked up a couple of IN-14 Nixie tube watches from TokyoFlash, as well as a VFD (Vacuum Fluorescent Display) watch from an independent manufacturer on Kickstarter.
Nixie Tube Watches: These use high voltage to power the glowing digits. Since they consume a lot of power, the display is not always on—you have to press a button to check the time.
VFD Watches: These use a vacuum fluorescent display, which is similar to Nixie tubes but consumes less power. Still, they can’t be on all the time like an LED or LCD screen.
Both of these watches required careful assembly due to their delicate wiring and battery integration.
Building a Tool Watch: ST3600 in a Sterling Mark III Case
The Stirling Mk III from Fink Watch Manufacturing
One of my favorite builds was a tool watch using a Sterling Mark III steel case and an ST3600 movement. This watch had:
A matte black dial for legibility.
Sailcloth strap for durability.
Sub-seconds dial, which made second hand installation easier.
17-jewel movement
Miyota 8215: A Workhorse Movement
Black and brown Miyota 8215-based watch with dot-and-dash dial markers.
One of my favorite builds using this movement is my custom brown-and-orange watch, featuring a striking design and a date bubble on the crystal. This particular build was sourced primarily through AliExpress, allowing me to hand-pick components to match my vision. Despite concerns about authenticity, the watch has held up incredibly well and remains one of my most unique pieces.
One of my more recent builds used a Miyota 8215 movement in a brown-and-orange case with a date bubble on the crystal. Miyota (a subsidiary of Citizen) introduced this movement in the 1970s, and it's still widely used today.
Comparing the Miyota 8215 to Swiss Movements
Accuracy: Less precise than an ETA 2824-2, as it lacks a hacking feature.
Durability: Considered nearly indestructible, making it ideal for budget-friendly, everyday watches.
Power Reserve: Around 42 hours.
The ETA 2824-2, by contrast, has a higher beat rate, better regulation, and a hacking function, making it a more premium option.
Recent Projects and Dive Watches
This NH05 movement is smaller than many of the ones I’ve worked with before, which means much tighter tolerances during assembly.
One of the more intricate builds I recently completed was the Knight by Rotate Watches, which features the NH05 movement. The NH05 is an automatic movement, but unlike some of its Seiko counterparts, it has a particularly small date complication, requiring extra precision when aligning the date window on the dial.
Again, the stem must be manually cut and glued to the crown. If the stem is cut too short, it won’t engage properly, and if it’s too long, the watch won’t function as intended. This process adds an extra layer of difficulty, making it a more advanced kit compared to others.
The NH05 is so small, this plastic spacer is used to keep it from rattling around in the larger rectangular case.
The smaller size of the NH05 movement also meant that aligning the hands and securing the dial required extra patience. Unlike some of the larger movements I’ve worked with, where the tolerances are a bit more forgiving, even a slight misalignment in this build could result in issues with the date function or hand clearance. However, despite the added difficulty, this was a satisfying build, and the result is a sleek, modern timepiece that stands out among my collection.
Advice for Beginners
If you want to get into watchmaking, start with kits from DIY Watch Club, Rotate Watches, or Fink Watches. These kits include:
Complete Toolkits (case opener, hand press, tweezers, screwdrivers, etc.)
Dust control accessories (finger cots, air blower, microfiber cloths)
Compression-fit case closure tools
For those looking to source parts individually, AliExpress can be a cost-effective option, though quality control may vary.
Final Thoughts
Watchmaking has been an incredibly rewarding hobby, allowing me to explore mechanical craftsmanship while building a collection of unique timepieces. The more I build, the more I refine my skills and appreciation for the engineering behind these movements. If you're considering getting into the hobby, I highly recommend starting with a kit-based build and working your way toward assembling watches from individually sourced parts.
Some of the finished watches in my collection
Feel free to reach out if you have questions—I’d love to talk more about watches!
