Young talent for a traditional craft
Watchmakers graduate from Glashütte Original’s “Alfred Helwig” School of Watchmaking
Now over 170 years old, the Glashütte art of watchmaking welcomes new talents with open arms: summer temperatures on Thursday, 12 July 2018, accompanied 22 watch experts as they celebrated the completion of their studies at Glashütte Original’s “Alfred Helwig” School of watchmaking. Management and teachers at the school awarded them diplomas and congratulated the graduating class, the majority of whom were young women. The up and coming experts didn’t rest on their laurels for long: most of them began work the next day at Glashütte Original.
The Saxon watch manufactory Glashütte Original dedicated Thursday July 12th, 2018 entirely to the next generation of watchmakers: 22 graduates of the company’s “Alfred Helwig” School of
Watchmaking celebrated the successful conclusion of their studies in the atrium of the manufactory. Along with fifteen female and seven male watchmakers, two toolmakers accepted congratulations from their families, friends, representatives of Glashütte Original, teachers and former students. The watchmakers had completed their studies in three years, the toolmakers in three and a half.
Training at the Alfred Helwig School of Watchmaking
This year’s graduates have already provided ample evidence, during their studies, of their talent, exceptional manual dexterity and sense of tradition and innovation in their craft. Every year since
2001 Glashütte Original has trained watchmakers and toolmakers at its “Alfred Helwig” watchmaking school. Students at the modern, well-equipped training institute acquire the very highest level of skills in these two tradition-rich professions.
In the process, the teachers ensure that the students learn how to make the tiniest movement components, comprehend complex mechanical relationships and gain an appreciation of the effort, precision and value that the manufactory dedicates to even the minutest of details. Along with theoretical knowledge, the curriculum offers a number of opportunities for students to gain insight into the practice of their trade. During their apprenticeship they participate in a variety of internships in selected assembly and customer service areas at the manufactory in Glashütte.
As a world-renowned watch brand, Glashütte Original places particular emphasis on international standards of education in the field – a fact underscored by its partnership, unique in Germany, with the Swiss watchmaking school, WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program). Thanks to this arrangement, students graduating from the “Alfred Helwig” School of Watchmaking may also sit the WOSTEP final exams and earn, in addition to the German skilled worker certificate, the WOSTEP diploma. As part of their training programme, students are also given the opportunity to make a so-called “school watch” – a project as exciting as it is instructive, as it allows the students to apply their theoretical knowledge to the actual practice of
watchmaking.
