In the third year, they actually make the clock. That’s based around two strands: one, working together in groups to design a clock for public space and second working solo on a mechanism of their own. Today, CW sponsors a prize on horological movement design for our second-year students. Tell us about the link between the course and Christopher Ward… We first met at Salon QP in 2014, and they’ve supported us ever since.
#Horology degree software#
We show how that software can also be used to control manufacturing equipment. In year one, we teach them an engineering CAD program called Solidworks, which CW’s designers will be familiar with.
#Horology degree how to#
At the same time, they also pick up a strong knowledge of horological mechanisms: how they work, how they’ve evolved, what are the most common faults – and how to rectify them. I give my students the ability to project-manage, plan, research, work in groups (or alone), and to present themselves and their work across a variety of mediums. We’re developing the flexibility of individuals to shape their own career path. What are the key skills you teach? There’s a difference between teaching, and training, somebody. We have the occasional student who comes here to indulge themselves: some see themselves as the next George Daniels or Roger Smith, and think it’ll be relatively easy to design and build their own watches. Most are drawn by the glitzy world of watches – around 70 percent – though a small cohort are drawn to clocks, too. The majority have thought deeply about what they want to do because it’s so expensive to be a student. What type of students do you attract? The average age is in the early 20s. We launched it in 2012 and it’s been growing ever since. I consulted with the industry to make sure the course had everything it needed and the right academic outcomes to qualify as a degree status. For a number of reasons, having both a further education course (BHI) and a higher-level course (HND) running side by side was complicated, so we united everything into a degree format. When I was brought back here to lead the BHI pathway, my former lecturer was still here, but he took early redundancy and I took over the whole provision. But during my time as a student, the university created its own HND pathway. How did you become a horologist? The horology course I studied in the 1990s followed the distance learning course of the British Horological Institute. Here, course head, Professor Jeremy Hobbins, tells us how the degree prepares his students for a career in watchmaking – and why he still considers himself a ‘fixer’.
#Horology degree drivers#
One of the key drivers for people looking to get into watchmaking is the BA (Hons) Horology course at Birmingham City University. British horology is undergoing a renaissance, with micro-brands popping up around the country, larger companies like Christopher Ward competing – and beating – the most esteemed names in watchmaking, and the new Alliance of British Watch and Clockmakers proving to be a unifying voice for the industry.
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