The American School of Watchmaking

From American Horologist magazine, March, 1945

The American School of Watchmaking

The American School of Watchmaking, Los Angeles, has just released details of its training in a new 12 page folder for prospective students.  The folder is profusely illustrated, showing the school, some of the personnel, students, and future fields of opportunity for watchmakers.

The watchmaking school is associated with the American School of Aircraft Instruments, oldest school of its kind in America. Both schools are located on the nationally-famous Aero Industries Technical Institute campus in suburban Los Angeles. Association of the watchmaking school with the other Aero Tech schools is cited as an advantage, in that students may benefit throughout the training period by their work with men specializing in allied professions.

Instruction offered at the school is entirely individual. Instructors work with each student to train him thoroughly. The student puts all technical instructions into actual practice, working with modern equipment, performing the same operations he would in professional watchmaking.

The school is approved by the United Horological Association of America, and has the full recommended curriculum of URAA, including study and shop training over a period of one year.

Herbert W. Hartley, president of Aero Industries Technical Institute, addresses students in a personal message in the booklet, in which he says "Never has a career in Horology offered greater opportunity, for never before have timing mechanisms been such an important factor in everyday life." 


Helen Sheehan, secretary at the American School of Watchmaking, Los Angeles, exhibits a large watch escapement. It is a working model made at the school by instructor Millard Nendel. If a wrist watch were to be built around it, the watch would be large enough for a modern Paul Bunyan-a man with a wrist 16 inches across, weighing 1200 pounds and standing 48 feet tall.