American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute
Supporting and Advancing Horology through Education and Cooperation
In order to participate in a distance learning course with AWCI you will need the following:
You will select your course and a date for the live instruction.
When your kit arrives, open the box and use the included packing list to verify that it is complete.
You will need to setup a comfortable and clean area to work.
You don't need a professional watchmaking bench like the one pictured here but there are some key considerations you should try and emulate:
If you think you might be doing more watch classes or repair from home, you might consider investing in an inexpensive tabletop bench like the ones above from Cas-Ker or Jules Borel & Co or a professional bench. Table top benches are usually about $100 plus shipping and professional benches can range anywhere from $1,000 to $15,000. For your online learning session you can create a temporary workspace using a few things you may already have around the house.
Several reams of copy paper can help you elevate your working surface so that you don't have to bend down too far.
An inexpensive LED light can be focused on your work area.
A sturdy cardboard box can also help you elevate your work space but they can be dirty so be sure and cover the box or use something like the toolkit on top so you have a clean surface to work on.
If you turn the toolkit around you can attach a clip-on light to the handle.
Good light is very important! Even if all you have is a side table light you should find something to provide some extra light.
You will need to know which of your eyes is dominant so that you can use your loupe correctly. If you don't know which eye is dominant, follow the exercise in the video.
After you know which eye is dominant, try putting on your loupe and practice using it to see things.