Clockmaker Watchmaker Lathe Projects

Practical applications of the jewelers lathe - 15 video modules and a course manual.

This is an approximate 4.5 hour long intermediate level course. It is divided into 12 modules with an accompanying manual. It is designed for the Clockmaker, Watchmaker or home machinist who may already own a jewelers lathe.

Generally, many people use their lathes for polishing clock parts, watch parts and tools. Most of the time, it sits on the shelf. They know their lathes can do much more, but they don't know where to start in order to learn the needed skills and techniques to get more out of their lathes. This course will teach you practical techniques and skills to learn and unlock the numerous possibilities within your jewelers lathe.

In this course, you will learn to work with different metals to develop your lathe skills for making parts, making accessories for your lathe and creating customized tools. We will also introduce and use the various lathe accessories that are available for purchase. These accessories will be used in the projects contained within this course. They can be found for sale on the internet, clock and watch conventions, tool swap meets, and antique machinist shows. The next time you see these accessories, you'll know what they are and how to use them. There will also be discussions and demonstrations of how to do the same projects without the use of the accessories.

Making customized tools and jewelers lathe accessories: Although hardware stores, hobby stores, and material houses have enormous amounts of inventory, they frequently don't have the right tool or part for the job. Most of the tools that can be bought are usually limited by size. Either they are too big, too small, or just not the right size, and not the appropriate tool for the project at hand. If you know how to make your own tools, you won't be limited by what is available on the market. In most cases, it is faster to make the right tool or accessory then it is to search it out, drive somewhere to find it or wait for something to arrive in the mail that may turn out to be incorrect.

These projects will not be overly complex by requiring a multiple number of advanced skills or expensive equipment. That would not be practical for most people or for the scope of this course.

This lathe projects course includes a 38 page manual full of further information about the lathe and other details not covered in the video portion of this course. It follows the sequence of the video and you will want to refer to it throughout the course. All tools, materials, and equipment used in this video course are listed in the manual for easy reference to model, make, price and, where they can be purchased.

The lathe projects course was designed to teach you in the user friendly way of doing things. They may not be the only way, and there are variations, but what is taught will be very useful and stimulate thought to generate other possibilities. Maybe you can find new ways of doing things to fit your specific needs. Please feel free to be creative.

This clockmaker watchmaker jewelers lathe projects course running time is approximately 4.5 hours.


Course Curriculum


  First Section
Available in days
days after you enroll

Your Instructor


John Tope
John Tope

Learning from books and manuals can be confusing and frustrating. It can be difficult trying to recall what you previously learned in a class. That is why I have created these video courses for you. Even though I have learned from many books and manuals, nothing beats someone showing and telling. For over the last 15 years people from all over the world have been learning from my video courses. You can learn to repair antique clocks and watches.

My interest in clocks, watches and antiques started 25+ years ago. My wife Cynthia wanted to buy an antique tambour (camelback) clock like the one her parents once had on their mantel. Before that time, my grandfather gave me his antique pocket watch.

Since then we have accumulated several tambours and a wide variety of other antique clocks and watches.

Most of the clocks and watches we bought needed some work, or did not work at all. That is where I came in - to learn to fix them all!

I still continue to buy, sell, repair, and collect many antique clocks and watches.

For most parts of the U.S., and outside of the U.S., there are very limited resources to learn clock and watch repair. These videos are for those people who have some or no access to antique clock and watch repair and restoration training.

There are 3 ways to learn clock and watch repair.

  • You can go to school in Columbia, PA and pay up to $1000 per classroom course. There is no guarantee that you will remember all you learned or recall the information when you need it. Also, there is the cost of travel, lodging and meals. This is the most expensive method considering the costs and the loss of information you may not remember.
  • Do it yourself by looking up some information on the internet, read some books and piece the information together. Experience a lot of trial and error which consumes much your time and can lead to frustration and disappointment. This is the long and hard road.
  • Learn from The Tick Tock Productions Online School where the lessons are organized, you have a resource library and the ability to recall all the information when needed. You don’t need to struggle to remember everything, no trial and error from incomplete information and no travel required. This is the most economical and convenient choice.

See the testimonials below from some of the students that have commented about the courses.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

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