Certified

SAWTA 4 was a success—I passed and I'm now officially a SAWTA-certified watchmaker.

The final exam was extremely stressful, but I'm happy to say that I can put the 7750 to bed (for the rest of our schooling, at least). As one of our teachers said, the next time I service one, I should be getting paid for it.

Graduation isn't until July, and we have to pass an LWT final before receiving our diploma, but this was the Big Test, and now I can relax, knowing that the past year and a half wasn't spent in vain.

When I started this site, I worried about what I would do if I was unsuccessful. Ultimately, I decided that I would publish my successes along with my failures so that prospective students would know the realities of watchmaking school. It's tough, and it's not for everyone. We've lost students from our class along the way for a variety of reasons, from stress to performance issues, etc.

Watchmaking is extremely demanding, and while I like to highlight my fun projects, most of my time is spent practicing the essential skills that I will need in the field. I find joy in practicing those skills, which is how I know I will love watchmaking as a profession—but that's just my experience, and it differs for everyone.

The next few months will remain busy, though what exactly I'll be doing is still up in the air. Needless to say, I'm not worried about keeping myself busy.