Interested in Building/Modding Watches
Just a question to the community. Which DIY watch clubs or places to start to learn the art of building and learning about the mechanics/wheels etc... of watches? Yeah - I could Google - but if there is a DIY kit you'd recommend, I'm listening. I'm fascinated by the master watchmakers and restorers on YouTube doing their thing and would love to get hands-on where the price of failure is low. Thanks everyone!
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Doug
Cybersecurity trainer newer to watches with questionable impulse control. Major fan of microbrands. I like supporting small business owners who offer something new and of quality. Passion is contagiou...
Naperville, IL, USA
Member since
Last active: 3 hrs ago
8.00” / 20.32 cm
DIY Watch Club is popular. I just watched a bunch of YouTube videos to understand what was involved in a build and what tools you'd need. I sourced all my watch parts from ebay and got most of the tools from Amazon. You can start with cheap tools to see if it's something worth continuing. You can always scale up your tools if you decide you want to pursue it further.
If you want to learn how is watch works then taking apart and reassembling a Sea-Gull ST36 movement is a good place to start. It's a clone of the Unitas/ETA 6497 and it's big and easy to work on - originally a pocket watch movement. Available for under $30 from China. As are many suitable cases/dials/hands.
Chinese tools are also cheap and good for having a go without serious investment.
If you decide watchmaking is for you then you'll want better quality tools but they are expensive. Though you can occasionally pick up used bargains from retired/deceased watchmakers on ebay and similar.
DIY Watch Club has the advantage that you will get the (basic) tools you need, and will get support along the way. You will probably pay a little more than with the other options.
Personally I would buy an inexpensive watch with a NH35 movement, and then go and mod it. The plus side is that you start with a working watch, and can see how the parts are coming together. (You also don't need to trim the watch stem if you keep the case.)
For a basic build you can get all the components and tools at AilExpress, which is probably the least expensive option. YouTube is full of instructions of how to mod watches based on NH35 movements. There are also plenty of modders right here if you have any questions.
I did the DIY kit and enjoyed it, then modded a few NH35’s using Namoki parts
I did the DIY kit and enjoyed it, then modded a few NH35’s using Namoki parts
Very fun to get into
DIY Watch Club is popular. I just watched a bunch of YouTube videos to understand what was involved in a build and what tools you'd need. I sourced all my watch parts from ebay and got most of the tools from Amazon. You can start with cheap tools to see if it's something worth continuing. You can always scale up your tools if you decide you want to pursue it further.
Exactly what I did bought parts from ebay and built me and my father a watch now as I'm going into watch repair I'm getting better gear.
I started with DIY Watch Club and Namoki Mods. After that I started buying the parts and cases from AliExpress.
You could also look at Rotate watches. Some full build kits and some movement kits where you can strip them down and build them back up, with step by step instructions. For those kits I think you can pay an extra premium which acts like an insurance, and they'll replace any parts you lose during the process.
I just started getting into modding/building myself. I watched everything I could on YouTube. Then just bought some tools and parts and got to work. The cost of failure is pretty low with parts from china.
Enjoy, it’s a fun hobby and I’ve found a new appreciation for watches.