How you engage with a culture different from your own
From basic course to journeyman's certificate — the path through school and practical training
When you want to be a watchmaker you follow a path similar to other vocational educations: you alternate between going to school and working in a company. The special thing about this trade is the entire education in Denmark happens in one place — at The Danish School of Watchmaking which is part of ZBC in Ringsted. So the whole trade centers on the same workshop and environment.
§Basic course 1 and 2
If you come more or less directly from grade 9 or 10, you start on basic course 1. It is a broad introduction where you learn to be a student at a vocational school and get your first experiences with the subject area. Basic course 1 typically lasts about half a year.
Then basic course 2 follows which is targeted at the watchmaker trade itself. Here you work with basic skills at the bench learn to disassemble and assemble and you encounter both mechanical and electronic watches. If you have been away from school for a few years you can in some cases start directly on basic course 2.
§Main course — school and practical work alternating
When the basic program is completed and you have a training agreement with a company, you move on to the main program. This is where most of the time is. You work in a watchmaking shop or workshop and come to school for shorter school stays spread throughout the program. That way what you learn in school is constantly tested in a real everyday—and vice versa.
| Step | Location | What's happening |
|---|---|---|
| Basic course 1 | School | Broad introduction to vocational education and field |
| Basic course 2 | School | Targeted watchmaker trade; basic workshop skills |
| Main course | Apprenticeship + school | Training in a company interrupted by shorter school periods |
| Conclusion | School | Journeyman's exam, which gives the journeyman certificate |
§Entry requirements
To enter you must in principle have completed primary school and meet the grade requirement in Danish and mathematics that applies to vocational educations. If you don't meet the requirement the school can offer an entrance exam and interview so you can still gain access. The most important thing is that you are motivated for the fine, precise work.
§How long does it take?
Overall the education takes about four years and six months when you count basic and main courses together. The exact length depends among other things on which basic course you start with and your background.
You end with a journeyman examination, where you demonstrate that you master the trade. When it is passed, you have your journeyman certificate and can call yourself a watchmaker.