I've taken up reading the mags; Watchtime, IW and In Sync. These magazines are pretty much dedicated to high end stuff that costs more than a home! Not the type of watches I'm wanting to collect or even own. well... I say that now, anyway!
Some terms I have learned:
A "Manufacture" is a factory or house that creates watches from slag.
A true "Watchmaker" makes watches. From chunks of steel are made timepieces.
A "watch company" produces watches from cases and movements brought together frm outside sources, although they may commission the case style and the dials to create a wholly original style of watch.
An "Atillier" (spelling check please?) assembles watches from produced pieces.
I tinker.
I like taking things apart, cleaning them and putting them back together. Someday I may take a course and in my fantasy life I could become an atillier (again, check spelling!) but I'll never be a watchmaker. Those guys are magicians, alchemists, and uh, brainiacs! I'm just a mystery writer who likes ripping into watches. Although many many times they tick afterwards! (Sometimes thay weren't ticking beforehand!)
If someone wants to say they are a watchmaker, fine. I'll want to see their workshop and will hold off the stunned slackjaw gape until they show me how they make hairsprings in their garage.
I like the crew here. We don't call ourselves nuthin'! Just a buncha Timexicans! We like the watches! "We don't need no stinking badges!" (I don't know what that means here, but it seems like the attitude we foster!)
I was bragging on myself in the original post becaue I owe it to THIS GROUP that I can do all these things! I never would have done this much on my own!
