Watchmakers’ Hand-Book

Pocket Watch Workshop

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At nearly 500 pages this book is all encompassing. Even though it is over 130 years old it is one of my ‘go to’ books.

It is divided into six parts:-

Theory
Materials
Health (but not in a modern day health & safety, red tape sort of way)
Tools
Repair
Techniques

It is magnificent and contains advice on subjects as diverse as preventing rust, gilding, polishing, choice of stool, the advantages derived from using a wheel in place of a bow, making drills (easier than you think), making fusees and repairing a barrel. Quite often alternative methods are suggested which is great for improving your all round horological knowledge.

Of course, many of the techniques and recipes have been replaced by modern technology and materials (I’m not sure I would like to work in the light of an open gas flame!) BUT there is so much advice here that is now long forgotten but still very useful.

There are well laid out contents pages at the beginning of the book and a comprehensive index at the back.

I started out with a pdf version which I found very difficult to use as intended by the author and soon bought a hard copy.

This is the 1948 edition and runs to nearly 500 pages.

The Contents runs to 6 pages

Fourteen superb plates unfold at the back of the book.

Claudius Saunier, 1881

Translated, revised and considerably augmented by Julien Tripplin and Edward Rigg

The great man himself.