Ferdinand Berthoud, was a scientist and watchmaker. He became master watchmaker in Paris in 1753. Berthoud, who held the position of Horologist-Mechanic by appointment to the King and the Navy, left behind him an exceptionally broad body of work, in particular in the field of marine chronometers.
Ferdinand Berthoud
Ferdinand Berthoud
Portrait of Ferdinand Berthoud, 18th c.
The motto Invenit et Fecit on Berthoud's Marine clock no 2, now on display at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris.
A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand. Modern watchmakers, when required to repair older watches, for which replacement parts may not be available, must have fabrication skills, and can typically manufacture replacements for many of the parts found in a watch. The term clockmaker refers to an equivalent occupation specializing in clocks.
A modern watchmaker at his workstation; he wears a magnifying loupe to more easily see the small parts of a watch
A watchmaker's lathe in use to prepare a decorative watch component cut from copper
A watchmaker working on a Railroad watch
A client and the watchmaker at work. Havana, Cuba, 2017
