American Watchmakers - Clockmakers Institute
Supporting and Advancing Horology through Education and Cooperation
A survey course for the new or prospective watchmaker covering the basic skills and techniques used by the modern watchmaker. This class is perfect for anyone thinking about entering the profession of watchmaking or for the individual who just wants to gain a better appreciation for the art of watchmaking. This […]
The purpose of this course is to teach the student the basics of a modern mechanical watch with some complication, such as a calendar or another feature. The size of the movements used will be smaller than those used in the Introduction class and the 21st Century class. They will consist of both new and […]
Come see our mobile classroom at the Retail Jewelers Organization Winter Buying Show 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona! Visit AWCI educational staff, learn about the organization's watchmaking and clockmaking courses, see our state-of-the-art Archie Perkins Mobile Horology Classroom, attend educational seminars and inquire about our specialty events such as Build a Watch courses, specific industry-tailored training […]
The purpose of this course is to teach the student all the fundamentals of balance staffing. Topics covered will include the verification and analysis of the escapement function, poising (static & dynamic), truing and timing adjustment in a mechanical watch. Cutting out a balance staff on a lathe and adjusting the balance staff, […]
The purpose of this course is to teach the student most common causes of timing errors and methods of correcting them. Performing precision timing exercises, including staffing, static & dynamic poising. Prerequisites: Having a minimum of five (5) years in mechanical watch repair, or having participated in the AWCI Basic Watch Repair Reading Chapter […]
The purpose of this course is to teach the student all the fundamentals of modern mechanical automatic watch repair that are most prevalent on today’s market. The student will learn how to perform the various diagnostics in evaluating the condition of the various components, cleaning, assembling, adjustments, dialing and casing. Prerequisites: Having at least three […]
A survey course for the new or prospective watchmaker covering the basic skills and techniques used by the modern watchmaker. This class is perfect for anyone thinking about entering the profession of watchmaking or for the individual who just wants to gain a better appreciation for the art of watchmaking. This […]
The 2026 Spring CW21 Certification Exam Registration is now being accepted. AWCI will host CW21 certification at its headquarter April 27-May 1, 2026, offering two core components and all five available elective components during the certification period. As it was during CW21 certification in 2025, the exam is modular and each component can be taken […]
The purpose of this course is to teach the student all the fundamentals of modern mechanical automatic watch repair that are most prevalent on today’s market. The student will learn how to perform the various diagnostics in evaluating the condition of the various components, cleaning, assembling, adjustments, dialing and casing. Prerequisites: Having at least […]
Polishing a case today requires many skills. Complex case and bracelet designs are common in the marketplace. Standardized polishing methods were often not taught in watchmaking schools here in the U.S. until recently. Many watchmakers learned polishing by trial and error or observing the procedures of others. Today’s consumer has high expectations concerning the […]
