How to build your own custom watch (Don't do what I do, learn from my failure!)

In this video, you all get the pleasure of watching me fail miserably at building my own custom watch. This is basically my naive and wishful thinking that watching a couple of Youtube videos would have given me enough knowledge to build a custom watch from scratch using parts from eBay, Aliexpress and other online sources.

Unfortunately, that was not the case, it started of easy enough, but everything descended into madness quite quickly when trying to install the seconds hand.

The purpose of this video is to document my attempt at building my own custom watch. This is my first try but not my last, and I wanted to warn people that were to try this on their own, that your first try may not be successfully so try to source cheaper parts first then build from there.

Alternatively, you could buy a cheap Chinese watch, take it apart and rebuild it as a first alternative.

For the time poor, below is a "don't waste my timestamp" of the video.

00:00 Intro
00:35 Step 1 : What you need to build your own custom watch
02:46 Step 2 : Installing dial / face onto movement
06:26 Step 3 : Installing hands onto the movement
09:39 Step 4 : DISATER!!!! I FAIL AT LIFE, EVERYTHING IS A FAILURE, MY LIFE IS A FAILURE. (Curl up in a ball and cry)
10:17 Step 5 : Recover from failure, check the damages to the watch
11:32 Step 6 : Install movement into watch case
13:58 Step 7 : My sad closing thoughts

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[michaelbell]

The first time I did this, I used an ETA 2824 movement. It took me the best part of 2 hours and lots of cursing to get the seconds hand fitted. This was a few years ago before all the kits that you can now find and I didn’t see any tutorials on YouTube either. I’ve since made more using 2824 movements and also NH35/36 movements and I agree with the other commenter that the NH movement is the one to start with. I’ve messed a few up, and it’s a bit disheartening each time you do so, but in the end you end up with something unique. I’ve given them as gifts - my wife has been the recipient of a couple and both my children got one as 18th birthday presents. My next project is for my newly-born granddaughter.

[ForestWoodworks]

I've been a watchmaker for like 4 weeks now, interested in watches for like 8. This is by far the best video I've seen lol. Every single mistake you made goes through my head whenever I touch a movement. Off topic a bit, but the first two movements I serviced are from vintage quartz watches. I literally didn't know you could service a quartz movement, but it's true, or any movement until 8 weeks ago. On the one I finished last Saturday, it was actually a non runner, so not only am I new, I also had to learn in short order, so I could diagnose the problem, which I did and ultimately fabricated a replacement part. Not bragging, just saying there is always a level of service you can do I guess, even for quartz watches. I passed them both to my daughter who will hopefully keep them long enough to pass on someday.

Thanks for the great video and lesson! ❤it!

[kensumner]

About to build my first watch and appreciate your error-fest very much. The video may be old now, but avoiding mistakes never gets old. Thanks!

[greggkerber]

I appreciate your honesty and guts showing your mistakes. But mistakes are part of learning.

[timmorrow]

A lesson is being taught in both success and failure. Thank you for sharing your lessons with us as a PSA precautionary tale about modding gone wrong. It shows strong character to own your mistakes, especially in a public forum. I learned quite a bit from your video, thank you. I'm confident your next attempt will turn out a very fine time piece.

[popey]

mate, these are the best kind of tutorial videos. top stuff for not trying to be a master at first shot. i'm now going to look at your other videos. i hope you finished and put up a new video .

[rolfkok]

Learned a lot from this lesson. I'm about to put together my own watch and will try not to make these mistakes.
Thank you for this educational video.

[brandont]

Thanks for showing your mistakes so others can try to avoid them. I’m going to start my first build soon.

Also, 9:07, that’s what she said.

[endurojimmy]

Thanks so much for posting this.
I am gathering some bits to build my first watch.
You have probably saved me from using a screwdriver with rodico on the end to clean up the dial.
Also prepared me what to look out for when fitting the hands.
This has been such an educational video.
Don't give up.

[henryalvarez]

I haven't done a build yet, but I'm getting ready too. Thanks for the video!

[thekingbee]

I'm new at this too and you're not alone in stuffing things up. I find the NH35 movement to be less difficult. Thanks for sharing keep after it. I find joy in giving as a gift, a watch I assembled. Each one I've given has a makers mark. By that I mean a scratch, or small bend, but it it can only be seen with a loop. Cheers

[Ba_Yegu]

Yeah, the seconds hands on the Miyotas, DG 2813 and relatives are the most demanding because their axles are only 0.17mm thin. ETA's 0.25mm seconds hand axle feels like a beefy rod compared. Patience and carefulness finally wins all the obstacles though. Complete those with experience and we have a winner.

The real watchmakers use peg wood sticks for manipulating and cleaning very delicate parts, but I use just cocktail sticks. 🍸😋

Sooner or later every watch hobbyist runs in situation where he/she would need some standard little screw or a few, so best to be prepared and purchase a watch screw set beforehand, so the job at hand wouldn't again pause by lack of a cheap standard part. Check carefully to order real watch screws that actually fit a wrist watch, not those "Watch and Glasses Screw Sets", which by guarantee do not have one screw who would fit in the innards of any normal wrist watch.

[lennsalientes]

Thank you! Because of your video I know now what to watch out for when I do my own watch. Greatly appreciate your video!

[Tom_H]

This was a great video. I learned a lot.

This is why I haven't tried to build my own watch. 1. I need all the equipment. 2. I need multiple parts because I will F them up. 3. I no longer have the steady hands required to do the build.

But I would like to design my own watch, pick out all the parts. I would have to have someone with experience to do the actual build though.

Thanks for doing this!!

[joeygreatorex]

Awesome video. I am on my second build. 1st was a disaster! I scratched the dial then cut the stem to short. lol. I’ve learned so much from my mistakes. Thanks Joey

[jeffreydheere]

You're a good sport in showing the failures. Did you try again or get different parts? I'd love to see the finished product.

[idealmethod]

Good video m6 friend, learn more from mistakes than if it were to go flawlessly. Thanks for the video

[icyhot]

Brass, bronze or nickel tweezers are your friends when handling hands or any part that can scratch. Dials scratch incredibly easily, so best to avoid fiddling with them too much, or drag tweezers over them. I usually use brass and keep my nickel tweezers for the more precision stuff that still requires a delicate tool. Brass is the safest, but they bend really easily.

As for the hands. I haven’t found a second hand that won’t fight back. I personally don’t recommend the cheap hand press used in the video. They tend to cover what you’re trying to see and too wobbly. The real ones cost a good bit and have no wobble. Best to use a good set of handheld hand tools, get down super low with a good loupe with around 4x magnification, use Rodico to hold the hand in the proper position with the non dominant hand, then press on with hand tool in dominant hand. Yeah, it’s awkward having your face at desk level working 4” away from the movement with a loupe, but the second hand is like balancing a needle on a bit larger needle. If you can’t see what you’re doing or not gently pressing down perfectly perpendicular to the stem, it will bend.

The movement doesn’t matter, as the battle with the second hand will be the same. Cheaply made hands will make the fight even tougher, so best to source the better parts.

[Martinbergin]

Great video, he who never made a mistake, never made anything.

[imaginekarma]

I personally use pegwood with rodico on the end to place the hands and to help clean up the dial and hands afterwards. It helps to get right down to eye level with the movement to see the pinion where the seconds hand will go, and to use the handheld hand setting tools.