As a specialist member of the Jewellery Valuers Association, I am in awe of the vast number of educational opportunities available to gemologists and students of jewellery. Sadly, for watches… there was virtually nothing.
So, from 2024, I am proud to announce the launch of ‘The Watch Scholar’, a series of brand-independent courses and resources to bring further education to the watch world.
For those who want to build watches, fantastic opportunities exist with the British Horological Institute, The British School of Watchmaking and of course Birmingham City University. For those who want to sell watches, value watches, authenticate watches, or just find out more about them, The Watch Scholar is for you.
For over ten years, I have taught the UK’s only course on 'Fake, Franken, and Customised Watches', helping businesses avoid costly mistakes. I'm delighted to say that this course is now joined by 'An Introduction to Watches’, both beginner and advanced, 'A Guide to Valuing Watches', and ‘The Fine Art of Selling Watches’. All subjects close to my heart and it gives me great pleasure to share over thirty years of experience to help others learn more about our fascinating industry.
As an experienced professional in the watch industry said to me recently, ‘The knowledge is assumed, but no one actually teaches you. You can go for years without ever covering the basics, which gets embarrassing.’ As the retail market gets tougher, flippers vanish, and the only people buying are those who actually want to own and enjoy watches. My ‘secret shopper’ exercises and interviews show that customer service is often more ‘cash and wrap’ than a passionate endorsement - this isn’t good.
Collaborating with well-established and credible international organisations, the mission of The Watch Scholar is to build knowledge-backed enthusiasm for watches, combined with a resource hub for watch value data, research and authentication archives, servicing and accessory providers, and other vital services for the watch community.
If you require the content of any of the courses below tailored specifically to your organisation, or have more than eight people to train, it may be better for you to host a private event. Please do not hesitate to get in touch to discuss this.
Staying up to date with the latest developments in watches, both real and counterfeit, is vital in today's fast-moving market.
This needs to be balanced with an understanding of vintage watches, their development
and context.
Current Training Courses
Fake, Franken & Customised Watches -
One Day Course
This very popular one day course will teach you the approach and methodology for authentication, and the resources available to assist you. Learn what constitutes a Franken watch, the steps you need to take to identify them and the limits to what can be detected. You will understand the techniques used to identify customised watches and be made aware of the impact that various forms of customisation have on the integrity of a watch and its future value.
Next course date: 18th June 2024, London
A Guide to Valuing Watches -
Two Day Course
Applying a value to a watch can be necessary for many reasons. It may be a replacement value at the new retail level or a replacement from the secondary market. It may be a value to sell or a value for probate or family division. For each of these situations, it is crucial to understand which market you should be comparing to and the exact nature of your watch. This two day course will enable more competitive reserve setting for auction without being unrealistic, and prevent overlending against watches, facilitating better buying decisions.
Next course date: 4th & 5th June 2024, London
The Fine Art of Selling Luxury Watches -
One Day Course
The art and skill of selling watches has never been more important. Striking the right balance between engaging and pushy is tricky. You want to make a friend, but you also want to make a sale. This one day course will teach you how to combine your knowledge and your enthusiam in the most appropriate way, depending on the customer, and of course, the competition.
Next course date: tbc
Introduction to Watches - The Fundamentals -
One Day Course
An introductory program for those with little or no experience with watches. By the end of the course, you will have gained a solid grounding in the world of watches and you will be able to talk confidently about the parts of a watch, their functionalities, movement types, complications, and other intriguing features.
Next course date: tbc
A Deeper Insight into the Art of Watchmaking -
One Day Course
At the end of this one day course, you will have a comprehensive understanding on the more complex elements of watch making, including complications, case features, and the wide variety of manufacturing methods used in both vintage and modern timepieces. We will also examine the modern watch market and the relative brand positions within it.
Next course date: tbc
Testimonials
"This watch course is a great follow-up for those in the know and perfect for updates on watch stats and history. The super fake information is a must for these times." M.R.
"Another brilliant course! So informative and covered all aspects of valuations. Great tasks at the end with challenging examples to build confidence". L.B.
"Comprehensive, lots of interesting information, the tip of the ice berg!
But not scary, very encouraging. Thank you!" A.R.
"I cannot recommend Adrian’s courses enough. In an ever-changing and challenging industry, the content he shares is invaluable." S.F.
"Adrian has always been easy to address and gives a very thorough and informed response to a request. His attention to detail and knowledge of watches in particular, is very valuable across the luxury goods industry" R.P.
"I have been a regular attendee at Adrian's training events, talks and presentations for the past decade, and you would be hard-pressed to find someone more knowledgeable on watches or the watch industry. He can present detailed information clearly and entertainingly, irrespective of the audience's knowledge level. And he is my first port of call whenever I need assistance or advice on watches. He truly is a fantastic person to know." G.B.
"Great, practical, hands on training. I came away feeling confident about authenticating watches." H.D
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