View “The Master Watchmaker”
Photography by Peter Belanger
Written by Todd Oppenheimer
As our timepieces have become increasingly digital (and their functions increasingly invisible), we’ve almost forgotten that these devices were once handmade masterpieces—with miniature gears, chains, springs, and balance wheels that kept time with amazing precision. Today, most watchmakers don’t even know how to repair these old mechanical wonders. Jean-Pierre Bourroux is a notable exception. A CRAFTSMANSHIP photo essay.
In the text that accompanies the photos below, you will notice mentions of many other sources on horology: brief histories of watchmaking’s great periods of innovation; videos and websites explaining how mechanical watches are made; publications that showcase the most remarkable timepieces being made by today’s independent watchmakers; and schools that still train people in the art and craft of horology. Links to some of the best of these sources can be found in the accompanying sidebar, “The Intricate World of Mechanical Watches.”
© 2024 Todd Oppenheimer. All rights reserved. Under exclusive license to Craftsmanship, LLC. Unauthorized copying or republication of any part of this article is prohibited by law.