Watchmaking 101 — Smiths School of Horology

Learn to read a mechanical watch. Watchmaking 101 is the foundation programme of the Smiths School of Horology — the teaching arm of Smiths Boutique. In about one hour and forty-five minutes, online and at your own pace, you will meet the mechanism on your wrist: the mainspring, the gear train, the lever escapement and the oscillating balance — and earn a certificate in your name.

This is our first virtual product. It is 100% online and bilingual — fully available in English and Arabic, each on its own page — and it resumes where you left off, on phone, iPad or laptop. No physical items, tools, kit or printed certificate are shipped; the hands-on practice uses a virtual bench, and your certificate is issued digitally for you to download and print.

What's inside

• 8 visual modules — animated escapements and gear trains, real photography and concise, accurate lessons.
• A hands-on virtual bench — take a movement apart and rebuild it, oil each contact and time it on a timegrapher, with a senior watchmaker guiding your hand.
• The Series of Time films — Smiths' own cinematic documentary, embedded where it fits.
• A gated final examination — twelve questions; 70% to pass; unlimited re-sits.
• A certificate in your name — a Smiths Boutique certificate of completion (for educational purposes; not an accredited or industry-recognised qualification). Shareable in any format.
• A PDF library — the full curriculum, the module-by-module syllabus and a certificate sample, in English and Arabic.

How access works (activation)

Access is linked to your Smiths customer account. To open the course:

1. Sign in (or create an account) at smiths.watch using the same email you used at checkout. If you checked out as a guest, simply create an account with that email to unlock access.
2. The full course then opens on its page — English at smiths.watch/pages/watchmaking-101, Arabic at smiths.watch/pages/watchmaking-101-ar.
3. You will also receive a “Welcome to the School” email with your access link and the PDF library.

Activation is usually instant. If the course still shows as locked after you have signed in with the correct email, email nawaf@narbash.co with your order number and we will enable it promptly.

Lifetime access

“Lifetime access” means access for as long as Smiths Boutique offers this course online — there is no recurring fee and no time limit on your enrolment, and you receive future updates to the course at no extra cost. Embedded films and the virtual bench are provided as they are and may change if a third-party platform changes. If we ever permanently retire the course, we will give enrolled learners reasonable notice and a way to download the certificate and PDF materials.

What you need

• Self-paced · about 1 hour 45 minutes · resume any time. Works on phone, tablet or computer with a recent browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox) and a stable internet connection.
• The course includes embedded video (YouTube) and an interactive bench; please allow these to load — some workplace networks or strict privacy settings may block them.
• Your progress is saved in your browser, so it resumes on the same device/browser; avoid private/incognito mode and clearing site data if you want it to continue.
• Languages: English and Arabic (right-to-left), switchable at any time.

About the certificate

The certificate is branded and certified by Smiths Boutique on successful completion of the examination. The course references the standards of WOSTEP, BHI and AWCI as points of reference only; it is not accredited by, or affiliated with, those bodies, and it is not a professional or vocational qualification. It is offered for educational and informational purposes.

Terms

• A digital, intangible product delivered electronically. Nothing is shipped; no delivery charges apply.
• Price: Free (0.000 KWD). Availability is unlimited.
• This is a free course, delivered instantly on enrolment. At checkout you provide your name and email so we can create your Smiths account, give you access, and issue your certificate.
• If you ever can't access the course after following the activation steps, email nawaf@narbash.co with your order number and we'll restore your access.
• We store your name, email and course-completion record to deliver the course, issue your certificate, and keep you informed about Smiths — see our Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from marketing at any time.
• Sold by Narbash & Partners Co. (Smiths Boutique), Kuwait. Questions or access problems: nawaf@narbash.co — we reply within 1–2 business days.