Learn how a watch works, with Mr F and Mr P.
Mr F & Mr PTwo teachers, one step at a time. Pick one; we'll talk you through it out loud.
Free · Plays in your browser · No sign-up
Under the loupe Mainspring barrel, gear train, escapement and balance.
Learn the parts in the school →Inside a watch, part by part
What's inside a watch?
Six main parts, from the glass on top to the case back underneath. Keep scrolling and we'll lift them apart, one at a time.
The window and the pointers.
The crystal protects the dial. The hour hand goes round twice a day, the minute hand 24 times.
Learn this in the school →The face you read.
The dial carries the markers. A watchmaker reads it first and looks closely before touching anything.
Learn this in the school →The engine.
A spring stores the energy; the balance wheel swings to and fro to let it out evenly. Many vintage watches beat 5 times a second. A quartz watch counts a crystal that vibrates 32,768 times a second.
Learn this in the school →The house it lives in.
The case holds it all together and the case back closes it. In the school the case stays closed: you learn by looking, not opening.
Meet the tools →Back together.
That's a watch, from the outside in. Ready to learn it properly?
Start learningWhat you'll learn.
- 01 · LessonsMeet the watchName the parts on the outside and look a watch over the way a watchmaker does.Lesson 1 ready · more on the wayStart lesson 1 →
- 02 · Tool roomThe tool roomMeet the bench tools, then steady your hand in the screwdriver lab.Ready to playOpen the tool room →
- 03 · HistoryFrom key to crownHow winding and setting a watch changed, from the key to the crown, card by card.One activity readyOpen the history →
A teacher, a voice and a few stars.
- Mr F or Mr P talks you through itYour teacher says each step out loud, and the words are on screen too.
- Look, tap, answerOne short step per screen. Have a go; he reacts to what you do.
- Earn starsCareful work earns stars, saved on this device. No sign-up.
FreePlays in your browserProgress saved on your device
A learning game, not a qualification. Nothing here makes anyone ready to open or repair a real watch.
Prefer to read first? Lesson guides and a glossary of watch parts, in plain English.
Real watches to study.
Our sister shop sells pre-owned and vintage watches, photographed honestly, wear and all. Look closely at a few in stock right now:
Thinking of selling a watch? London Watch Market buys pre-owned watches. Sell a watch
Good to know.
01How do the lessons work?
Pick a teacher, Mr F or Mr P. He talks you through one short step per screen, out loud and in captions, and you look, tap and answer. Careful work earns stars.
02Is The Watch School free?
Yes. Every lesson is free, with no sign-up, no adverts and nothing to buy.
03Do I need an account?
No. There are no accounts. Your progress, stars and settings are saved in your browser on this device only. You can download a backup from Settings and restore it on another device.
04Which devices does it work on?
Phones, tablets and computers with a modern browser. The 3D watch needs WebGL; without it the school shows a drawing instead.
05Who are Mr F and Mr P?
They are illustrated teacher characters made for the school. Their voices are computer-generated, and every line is on screen as well.
06Is this a professional watchmaking course?
No. It is a learning game about how watches work and does not lead to any qualification. Nothing here makes anyone ready to open or repair a real watch.
07What watch do the lessons use?
Lesson 1 uses a real Seiko 2906-0020 automatic from about 1977, from London Watch Market stock, modelled in 3D from its photos and measurements. The case stays closed.
08The school used to be on londonwatchmaker.co.uk. Is my progress still there?
The school moved to thewatchschool.com on 29 October 2026. If you open the old address on the same device, your saved progress moves across once, automatically.
The Watch School is made by London Watch Market.
We sell pre-owned and vintage watches at London Watch Market, and our repair site, London Watchmaker, opens for bookings soon.
Visit London Watch Market Watch repairs at London Watchmaker