We got in contact with one of the more interesting watch companies that require you to assemble your very own watch! Ok not quite close to being a full-fledged watchmaker but this is as close as it gets! (At least for me, I figured that out when I was assembling my piece).
DIY Watch Club, as its name suggests, lets you choose the watch you like and they don’t just simply deliver their fascinating timepieces to you but they want you to do the work too.
For some, you may be thinking, “I don’t think I can do it” or “It’s too troublesome and I’m afraid I will damage the watch” but enough of the endless pessimism because I am no different! They offer a comprehensive video to guide you along so you have nothing to worry about.
In the end, you’ll not only be rewarded with the product but something much more valuable, read on to find out!
There are currently 4 options for you to choose from and once you pick one, there’s no turning back and you’ll have to meticulously and labouriously assemble them part by part. I’m joking it’s not really that complicated! Just think of yourself playing Pokemon and you have to pick between the 3 starting Pokemons, the process will be fulfilling, just like how you level your Pokemon up.
I got mine in navy blue and the dial looks spectacular under the light.
You can then visit this link here if you are getting the same Mosel Series as me which brings you to the assembly guide.
I started by taking all the tools and parts out and cross-referencing them with what they have given me in the assembly guide, pretty neat, just like how you built your first IKEA furniture.
The Dial and the movement, your heart and the face. Please take a moment and admire that face. I’m actually quite impressed with myself making the rhyme out of nowhere but seriously, look at how alluring that dial is.
The movement they provide in this particular piece is the Miyota 82S0 Silver which is a movement Citizen uses. It has a power reserve of 42 hours, beats at 21600bph and comes with 21 jewels. Pretty standard if you would ask me. But that’s not the point!
Movement & Movement Holder
I began the estimated 2 hours process by wearing my finger cots, placing the movement in the movement holder on top of the leather mat they provided which actually says “EONIQ” and if you are wondering, this watch is a collaboration project with EONIQ, another watch company.
It’s my first time touching a movement and I must say I was thrilled yet fearful as I know I am quite clumsy at times.. Before I did anything, I watched the video where they educated me on which areas of the movement I should avoid contact with and which are more sturdy (all in the guide). At that time, I honestly couldn’t wait any longer but I had to do what I had to do.
I find myself pausing the video every now and then to admire the microscopic parts of the movement, how the pallet fork, escape wheel and balance wheel move in unison. You can use the loupe they provided to actually see how small the parts really are like the hairspring under the balance wheel. If you’re unfamiliar with the terms you can check out this article written by Mark which talks about the anatomy of the watch.
Dial
I moved on by placing the dial cautiously onto the movement. You need to be very careful with this as the dial is extremely fragile and you should only be touching the edges, you do not want stains on the dial now do you.
Hands
This step took me awhile as I try to lay the delicate hands onto the dial. This can be a tiresome step for the non-dexterous as you are required to hold the watch hands with a tweezer or by using the rodico that they provided (some sticky putty) and attempt to put the hands on the dial.
The next step requires you to adjust the height and level of the hands to prevent them from touching each other or the dial when it is moving. The toolkit comes with a small transparent tool for you to measure the ideal height.
After an agonising hour… just joking, it didn’t take me that long! I then tested the hands by adjusting the time. I flipped the movement over and observed how each gear engaged with each other when I pull the crown out to adjust the time and when I push the crown back in to wind the watch. Truly satisfying.
You have to also note that the accuracy of where the hands point toward the markers on the dial relies on this step, to ensure your hands point directly at each minute marker, you better get this right!
Case
Finally the last step! Fitting the movement in the case is not hard but you have to try your best to align the hole of where the crown is inserted at the 3 O’clock of the case in order to fit the crown in.
Once done, I covered the exhibition case back with the case opening tool and voila! The first watch that I assembled by myself!
Final Thoughts
The watch looks absolutely stunning when everything is put together.. And remember when I said you’ll receive much more value than having the end product?
After assembling the watch, I felt a sense of pride and attachment with the watch immediately which is what DIY Watch Club actually sells to you, a deep feeling of kinship with the watch, an intangible experience and a heartfelt memory. It certainly is a bonus with the watch looking that suave but who really cares about the branding or the movement used when you personally assembled the watch yourself?
Don’t get me wrong, I love watches and I care about the movements etc but all I’m saying is, if this watch I personally assembled has out-rightly beaten some of my favourite watches in my collection, it shows a thing. Sometimes it’s all about engagement and the sense of attachment with something, it doesn’t even need to be expensive. This brings you that much closer than ever before.
The watch comes with a navy blue leather strap which fits in with the watch fairly nicely and most importantly, it fits my wrist really nicely.
On that note, I forgot to mention, I accidentally made a hairline scratch on the dial with the tweezers, guess I made my mark for another tale to tell.
Promo Code
If you would like such a memorable piece assembled by you to be in your collection, be sure to leverage on their 15% discount and our promo code “thenomad360” for an additional 5% off! You can click the link here which brings you right to their website!
Our promo code will end on 30th June, so better hurry!
We’ve recently reviewed another brand with the dial looking similar to this piece, you can check out that article here, promo code and a giveaway link included as well!