A non-profit trade association, the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute (AWCI) is set to host two Build a Watch sessions during JCK Las Vegas, the biggest watch and jewellery fair in the United States. Taking place on June 3 and 4, the six-hour workshops are a hands-on introduction to mechanical watchmaking that’s both theoretical and practical.

Each student starts with a disassembled ETA 6497, a time-only, hand-wind movement that’s the biggest diameter, widely available calibre today. A student gets to put together the movement over the course of the class, acquiring a real-world understanding of crucial aspects of movement assembly like lubrication and regulation.

Once the movement is complete, students will move on to casing the watch – installing a dial, fitting the hands and installing the movement inside the case. Every student gets to keep his or her finished timepiece, which is a generic beobachtungsuhr-inspired pilot’s watch, at the end of the course.

The two-day class costs US$1295, and includes the finished watch. It’s open to the public, and will take place at the Vdara Hotel & Spa. Registration can be done direct at AWCI.