Hello! We, as your mod team, wanted to give you a guide on some basic troubleshooting for watch issues you may run into. These may or may not solve any issues you have, so if you've done all the basic steps and still have issues, please visit a watchmaker!

The first issue you might come across is the watch is running too fast or too slow. Having a timegrapher app, or a physical timegrapher, will be your friend here. You're going to record the watch in 6 positions: Dial Up, Dial Down, Crown Up, Crown Down, Crown Left, and Crown Right. Take note of how fast or slow the watch is running in each position after giving it about a minute to settle in. Write down your findings for each position. Also, pay attention to the Beat Error- this should, ideally, be under 1ms, and for best timekeeping, be under 0.5ms.

To change the watch's rate, you will be interfacing with the balance. **BE VERY CAREFUL.*\* If you mess up the hairspring, the watch will break and you will need to source a brand-new balance wheel. There are two movable posts (see Fig. 1) that adjust the rate and beat error. Work with the watch on the timegrapher to see in real-time what your adjustments do. You do not need to move the posts very much at all to change the rate, so push very gently and give the watch about a minute to settle in again and see what your adjustment did. Then work from there. Carefully manipulate the posts until you have something that runs close to +/- 0 sec/day in all 6 positions.

Another issue you might have is your date wheel is off-centered or doesn't turn properly. If that's the case, first try advancing the date using the date crown position, then using the time-setting position to advance 24 hours. If it still doesn't work, loosen the dial a little and see if that causes it to work. It may be that your dial is on too tightly and is rubbing against the date wheel. If that solves it, you can try getting a dial washer that will provide a little extra clearance between the calendar works and the dial to let the wheel spin freely. If not, take it to your local watchmaker and see if they'll work on it.

You may also find that your caseback doesn't properly accommodate the automatic winding rotor (if you have an automatic watch). If that's the case, you may need to swap the rotor, or the case. Also, make sure the rotor is fully tightened down, as if it has come loose, it might present this problem. You could try filing down the rotor slightly after removing it from the watch, but if you remove too much material, it may not wind properly due to lack of weight. Your best bet is to try a different rotor or case.

The last common issue is hands not working properly. See if removing the movement from the case helps the issue. Make sure the hand stack has proper clearance. Advance the time 12 hours to make sure the hands aren't catching on any of the dial furniture or on each other. If it stops working again when inside the case, you likely have a clearancing issue, and may need to get another case or a slightly more domed crystal.

If you have any other issues, please feel free to ask the community, ask us, or try the wealth of knowledge on a sub like r/watchrepair!

Hi everyone,

There have been a few changes to the sub recently. We’ve noticed an influx of newcomers into the hobby and want to make this space a safe and welcoming one for all hobbyists, new and veteran.

Feel free to comment below with any addenda, additional resources, movement and compatibility guides, tools, etc. that you’d recommend newcomers get and try. I’ve intentionally activated the option to respond with videos, photos and GIF to make interactions easier. Let’s make this space collaborative and friendly.

Please keep the conversation on-topic and refrain from promotional materials or sales of courses, goods or services in this sub - there are other places to do that elsewhere on Reddit, doing this here will result in post removal, repeat offenders will get banned.

Without further ado, here’s the ultimate guide to starting on the hobby.

Building Your First Watch — A Beginner’s Guide

Hi there, and welcome to the hobby!

This guide is for anyone building their first watch. The learning curve is steep, but that’s part of the fun. This should get you through your first build; after that, the community is a great resource, particularly when you start experimenting with different movements, cases and dials.

I’m assuming zero prior knowledge. You’ll probably know some of this already, but everyone’s blind spots are different.

Before buying anything, spend some time reading the wealth of knowledge here and on watch forums. Watch a few YouTube videos explaining the different movements available and, most importantly, which parts are compatible with each movement. I’ll be including resources below as the community shares and suggests.

What will it cost?

Like any hobby, there’s an entry cost. Roughly £180–230 (GBP because that’s my local currency; convert to your own) should get you the tools and parts to test the waters and build your first watch.

Expect to wait around a month for everything to arrive.

There are better tools, equipment and parts available, but prices escalate quickly. Unless you have more disposable income than common sense when trying something for the first time, start cheap and upgrade as you need to.

For your first watch, make it easy on yourself. The process is fiddly enough without deliberately making it harder, set yourself up for an easy win.

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TOOLS

These are the basic tools of the trade. Unless stated otherwise, I consider all of them mandatory.

Spring bar tool

For changing straps and adding/removing pins from bracelets.

Anti-magnetic precision tweezers

For moving, adjusting and manipulating small parts. I recommend silicone or ceramic.

Rodico

A soft, Blu Tack-like material for picking up fiddly parts and cleaning dials, cases and hands.

I got a ball from my local watch repair shop for free. If the hobby sticks, buy your own later.

Movement holder

Universal and movement-specific versions are available. I prefer movement-specific holders.

Most are cylinders that accommodate one movement on one side and another on the other.

Inflatable rubber ball

Roughly hand-sized.

Your first watch will probably have a screw-down caseback. A rubber ball lets you press the caseback on securely without relying on your hands. Cheap metal caseback openers are also available.

Hand applicators

I have five different sizes. These let you safely install the hands onto the dial.

Precision clippers

You’ll need to cut things, and decent clippers make a difference.

Don’t buy Tamiya God Hands, but don’t cheap out either. Go to a hobby shop and ask for flat sprue clippers like those used for Warhammer and similar models.

Metal hobby file

After cutting, you need to smooth the end. A decent metal hobby file is the cheapest way to do this.

Threadlocker

A softer, super-glue-like product for securing metal parts such as the stem to the crown.

You’ll use very little, so one bottle will last a long time. Get the real stuff from Loctite; Loctite Blue, the medium-strength version, works best. This is the only brand I’m going to name in this tutorial, there’s good reason for it.

Gasket lubricant

The caseback gasket needs to be lubricated to help with waterproofing.

Watchmaker’s blower

For blowing dust off the movement, dial, case, etc.

A microfibre cloth, like the one you use for your phone screen or sunglasses, is also useful.

Finger cots or latex gloves

Unless you want to cover tiny parts with fingerprints that you’ll see every time you look at your lovely watch.

Caliper

Preferably digital.

“Measure twice, cut once” applies particularly well here. Cutting a stem a fraction of a millimetre too short can turn into an expensive mistake.

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That’s the bare minimum. All together, it should cost around £100.

Yes, half of your initial budget just went on tools.

Luckily, the consumables can be bought cheaply.

TOOLS TO BUY LATER

If the hobby sticks:

Hand-applicating tools

Not necessary for your first assembly, but useful later. You can centre the watch and depress the pillar for perfect hand application every time.

Magnifying loupes and a good light source

I’m blessed with good eyesight and plenty of natural light, so I haven’t needed these yet.

They can be very useful if you build at night or have less-than-perfect eyesight.

Timegrapher

If you’re anything like me, you probably won’t buy the finest and most precise Swiss movement for your first assembly because you’ll be terrified of making an expensive mistake.

Cheaper movements are less accurate, and learning to adjust timekeeping is a fun part of the hobby.

Don’t buy one immediately. There are phone apps you can use at first, but keep it in mind.

Watch press

Most of your initial builds will use screw-on casebacks, so a rubber ball and caseback opener will do.

Eventually, you’ll build a watch with a press-fit caseback. A watch press isn’t expensive, but it isn’t a minute-one purchase either.

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PARTS

For your first build, you’ll need consumables that you’ll generally use once per watch.

You can spend a lot or a little. For your first watch, I’d recommend going cheap on AliExpress and deciding later whether you want to invest in better parts.

Movement: Seiko NH35

The NH35 is your friend.

It’s popular for good reason: huge parts availability, a massive community, lots of shared knowledge, and a simple, beginner-friendly platform. It’s also cheap.

Can you use a Chinese clone?

Absolutely. For a first watch, they make fantastic training wheels. They have the same architecture, although they’ll generally be less smooth and less accurate.

For your first build, I don’t think that matters much.

Expect roughly £25–30 for a clone or around £70 for an authentic one these days. You can also buy a cheap watch with an NH35 inside and crack it open, it will often be cheaper than buying the movement direct.

What if you want to go even cheaper for my first build? Then swap every instance of “NH35” in this tutorial for either “VH31” or “Miyota 2035”, you’ll end up with a lovely quartz watch that will likely be a lot thinner. I’m using NH35 in this example, simply because most people coming into the hobby want to try making an automatic watch.

Dial

Get one compatible with the NH35. They’re normally 28.5 mm in diameter and available in an enormous range of styles.

Find one you like. Prices vary enormously, so I won’t quote one here.

Hands

Get a set compatible with the NH35. The vast majority are.

The finer the hands, the more fiddly they are; the thicker they are, the easier they’ll be to install.

Pick something you like.

Case

Follow your own preference, but if you don’t know where to start…

If you’re an average-sized man, I’d recommend 38–39 mm without excessive lugs, or 40–41 mm for something sportier.

For an average-sized woman, 31–34 mm has been the norm for a while, although 35–37 mm is becoming increasingly common.

Your first watch will also be thicker than you expect—around 14 mm or so. That’s the price of having a rotor and buying cases off the shelf. Don’t worry about it, you can do thinner builds with the NH family or other movements later on.

A cheap AliExpress case should be around £25–30 at most; better cases can cost hundreds.

Strap

Get one you like.

For your first watch, I recommend leather with quick-release spring bars. They’re cheap and easy to work with.

Have an old watch you no longer use? There’s your free strap.

Just make sure the strap width matches the distance between the lugs on your case.

⸻

BEFORE YOU BUILD

Go to a local watch dealer and look at watches with few complications beyond date.

Look particularly closely at field watches, cocktail watches and dress watches. Take pictures and note down styles that inspire you. You’ll use those ideas when choosing your parts.

Then go online and watch people assembling NH35 watches.

Honestly, that’s most of the education you need.

You’ll learn very quickly not just how to assemble a watch, but also where you want your own watchmaking journey to go.

For me, I became obsessed with less common movements and silly complications like battery reserve and moon phase, which eventually took me away from the NH35.

For you, it might be Swiss heritage movements, leading you towards Sellita/ETA. Maybe skeleton watches. Maybe chronographs. Maybe an “a watch for every occasion” collection. Maybe copying famous designs using off-the-shelf movements.

It could be something completely different.

That’s fine. The important thing is that, once the initial paralysis wears off, you’ll have a better idea of what you actually want to build.

⸻

MAKING YOUR FIRST WATCH

1. Prepare the movement

Keep the crown/stem installed while handling the movement.
Set the movement on the movement holder.

2. Install the dial

Check that the dial feet correspond to the NH35.
Lower the dial vertically onto the movement.
Secure the dial feet.
CRUCIAL: Never force the dial down. If it doesn’t seat naturally, stop and find out why.

3. Install the hands

Set the crown to Position 2 (setting the time), then advance the movement through midnight and establish the 12:00/date-change position.
Install the hour hand exactly at 12.
Install the minute hand exactly at 12.
Install the seconds hand.
CRUCIAL: Rotate the hands through a complete 12-hour cycle to check clearance after you set each one.
Make sure none of the hands touch each other or the dial.
Set the crown back to position 1 (winding), depress the lever and gently pull the stem out. It should be released easily, don’t try to force it out.
Clean the dial and movement.

4. Install the movement/dial into the case

Check the case gasket and clean internal surfaces.
Place the movement into the case in the correct orientation.
Fit the movement spacer/holder, if any.
Confirm the dial is sitting evenly and isn’t being pinched.
Do not install the case back yet.

5. Fit the movement/case components

Install any case clamps/screws.
Confirm the movement is firmly retained.
Check that the stem/crown tube lines up correctly.

6. Cut and install the stem

Insert the stem with its permanent crown.
Using your calipers, determine the required length before cutting.
Mark the cut point.
Remove the stem before cutting.
Cut slightly long, then progressively shorten it until the crown sits flush with the case
Deburr/file the end.
Install the crown.
CRUCIAL: Never force a stem that is too long or too short. The crown should sit correctly against the case while the movement still switches positions normally.

7. Test the crown positions

Crown pushed in: winding.
First pulled position: date adjustment.
Second pulled position: time setting.
Check that the date changes correctly and that the hands move normally.

8. Close the case

Check the caseback gasket.
Lightly lubricate it.
Seat the caseback.
Tighten it evenly with the rubber ball/caseback tool.
Don’t overtighten.

9. Install the strap

If it has quick-release spring bars, remove the spring bar and fit it into place with your hands.
Otherwise, use your spring bar tool.

10. Final inspection

Wind the movement.
Set the time.
Check the date change.
Check hand clearance again.
Check crown operation.
Check that the rotor rotates freely.
Inspect the dial/crystal for dust and fingerprints.
Only then consider the watch finished.

Congrats, you’ve finished your first watch!

From here you can either use the same family of movements and make different styles of watches, or you can experiment beyond the NH family.