A wonderful thing happened over the past few weeks. My full-time bookeeper found some "time on her hands" and became very interested in what I and my 40+yr experienced watchmaker I employed were doing to effect necesssaary repairs to my collection.

She asked my watchmaker person if he would show her how to do repairs, and "viola" in a couple weeks she was cleaning, re-jeweling, staffing, and adjusting watches. Last Friday, she left a re-staffed, re-jeweled, <2 Msec Beat error, <2 sec/day accurate 21j 16s Bunn Special on my desk that she rescued from the "donor box". Excellent work, even the rusty spots were delicately removed from the click gear.

So now she has her own bench and tools, and "Just in time", as soon after her "training" was done my watchmaker friend left our employ to take over a shop for a friend of his who was taken seriously ill.

Some may think 2 weeks time to learn the basics is ridiculous, but NOT for someone who is patient, has good hands, is a fast study, and quickly learns by example.

My Watchmaker-bookeeper's brother is a watchmaker in No. California, and her father is an avid clock collector-repairman. So some could think it is little surprise because it was "in her genes"(?).

This "epiphaneous event" should remind all of us that "hidden talents" are everywhere, and a program to develop watch repair people through some encouragement to and for those who are thought by the ignorant to be physically "challenged, by WAR, AGE or accident (for example) could serve to stem the shrinking resevoir of talent we have to do this ever growing job of servicing and repairing antique timepieces.
Just a Thought . . . .

Dave,
She sounds like a savant. There is little doubt it comes naturally to a few.

She took to the K&D Inverto staking set like a fish to water!