If you’re here, you like watches. But would you like to know more? Things like the difference between a chronometer and a chronograph, between a foudrayante and a fusée? The courses offered by The Naked Watchmaker provide a fascinating introduction to the world of fine watches, revealing the secrets of movements and complications, and explaining the incredible crafts techniques used to create the finish that transforms a piece of miniature engineering into a work of art.

Find out more about The Naked Watchmaker Masterclass.

The courses by The Naked Watchmaker are provided entirely online, with videos, texts and quizzes that enable you to track your progress. The platform enables you to start and stop whenever you like. The instructors and presenters are Peter Speake, watchmaker, watch restorer and master of complications, and Daniela Marin, whose career includes work with important watch brands.

The journey begins with a brief overview of how small mechanical timepieces first appeared in the 16th century, gradually becoming smaller, moving on to the appearance of pocket watches in the 18th century and at last wristwatches in the early 1900s. Then Peter begins to dissect the watch, revealing the details of case, strap, bracelet and buckle, before diving into the movement and explaining how energy flows from mainspring to balance, and all the intriguing details of how these incredible machines cadence the passage of time with an accuracy of 99.9%, with no electronics and no battery.

Peter & Daniela’s experience in building watches, and deconstructing them for the superb illustrative articles on The Naked Watchmaker website, enables them to select the very finest pieces to illustrate the technical features described. Breguet is strongly present, both with historical pieces by Abraham-Louis and the brand’s superb contemporary interpretations. Whatever your level, you will discover something new, because we are introduced to many different watches made by both famous companies and watchmaker artisans.

In a way, The Naked Watchmaker’s course is about the flow of time, both in the microcosm of a single watch as it keeps track of seconds, minutes, hours, days and years, and in the watch industry as a whole. The history of watchmaking is as interesting as the watches themselves, from the centuries of the pioneers through to the eventful 20th century, when the quartz revolution almost brought about the demise of mechanical watches. Their survival and emergence as a luxury commodity can be ascribed to their unique dual identity: precision engineering and sophisticated artisanal brilliance. The Naked Watchmaker reveals all this and much more.

Click on this link to find out more about The Naked Watchmaker Masterclass.