Watch repair tools: what a beginner actually needs

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Search for a watch repair kit and most of what comes up is for changing a battery or a strap. Working inside a mechanical movement takes a different set. These are the tools a watchmaker's bench starts with, the same ones the Bench teaches with, and what each one is for.

Try the tools free on the Bench first How to learn watch repair

Battery kit or bench kit?

A typical “watch repair kit” is a case opener, a pin tool for straps, a case holder and a few screwdrivers in a box. It is fine for a battery or a bracelet link. Taking a movement apart needs finer screwdrivers, good tweezers, a loupe, a movement holder and somewhere safe for the parts.

The tools, and what each is for

1. Screwdrivers

   A set of watchmaker's screwdrivers with several blade widths. The blade should fill the slot of the screw: too small and it slips and marks the bridge, too big and it chews the slot. A stand keeps them in order. See them on eBay

2. Tweezers

   Fine tweezers for lifting parts. Non-magnetic or brass tips are the usual choice near a balance and hairspring. Grip gently: squeeze hard and a small part springs away. See them on eBay

3. Loupe

   An eye loupe for looking at parts and finding what falls. A lower magnification is easier to work under; a stronger one is for close inspection. See them on eBay

4. Movement holder

   Holds the movement steady while you work, so the screwdriver doesn't have to. Check it opens wide enough for the movement you practise on. See them on eBay

5. Hand blower

   A rubber bulb blower for dust, and on the Bench, to check that the train spins free before the pallet fork goes back in. See them on eBay

6. Parts tray with a cover

   A tray with separate wells and a dust cover. One part per well, in the order it came off, is how you get it back together. See them on eBay

7. Case opener

   A case knife for snap backs or an adjustable wrench for screw backs. Most cheap “repair kits” are built around this tool. See them on eBay

8. Hand levers and a hand setter

   For taking the hands off without bending them, and pressing them back on. Hands come off before the dial, and before any movement work. See them on eBay

9. Cleaning putty

   A soft putty that lifts dust and fingerprints off parts. Keep it away from oiled places. See them on eBay

What to buy first

• Screwdrivers, tweezers, a loupe, a movement holder, a blower and a covered tray. That is enough to strip and rebuild a practice movement.
• An inexpensive practice movement, so the first mistakes cost little.
• Everything else, hand tools, oils and a cleaning set, when you know you enjoy the work.

Practise before you open a real watch. Watch movements are small, sprung and easy to damage: a slipped screwdriver marks a bridge, a screw turned the wrong way can strip, and a spring can fly. Learn on the Bench and on a spare, inexpensive movement first. You open your own watch at your own risk.

Questions people ask

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