★★★★★
5.0 Average Rating
First Hand Watchmaking Workshop
Build Your Own Swiss Mechanical Watch in One Day
Six-hour, small-group workshop at Hampden HQ in Chicago. No experience required. Leave wearing the watch you built.
West Loop, Chicago • 6 hours • $2,100
"BEST WATCH CLASSES IN AMERICA"
"You Leave Wearing The Swiss Watch You Built With Your Own Hands"
"Tick, Tick, Boom! Students Flock to Hampden’s Watchmaking Workshop"
"Country's Oldest Watch Company Committed to Chicago"
The First Hand Experience: What You'll Leave With
A Swiss Mechanical Watch You Built
You’ll assemble and regulate a Swiss mechanical movement under magnification, guided step-by-step at the bench. You’ll understand it because you built it, and you’ll wear it because it’s yours.
Real Instruction in a Small Room
Each six-hour class is capped at six guests with a 2:1 instruction ratio, so you’re never stuck or left behind. It’s beginner-friendly, hands-on guidance the whole day, not a group demo.
An Engraving That Marks the Moment
Before you leave, we’ll engrave your movement with your initials and the year to make the day permanent. That’s when it shifts from “a watch” to your story.
Leave With the Watch You Built
You’ll walk out wearing the watch you built, finished and ready for real life. And every time you glance at it, you’ll remember the bench, the tools, and the moment it came to life.
Reserve your seat with a 25% deposit here.
Balance due 30 days prior.
Join First Hand, Hampden’s best-selling watchmaking workshop in Chicago, hosted at our historic West Loop headquarters.
Developed by third-generation CEO Joseph Wein, you’ll explore the mechanics of a Swiss Made 6498 movement — learning to disassemble, rebuild, and regulate it yourself. After a chef-catered lunch, you’ll add the dial and hands, case your watch, and take home our 42mm First Edition mechanical timepiece engraved with your initials.
Before You Book
Absolutely not. First Hand is designed for beginners. About 90% of our guests have never sat at a watchmaking bench before. We teach you step-by-step with a 2:1 instructor-to-student ratio, so you’re guided closely the entire time.
You’ll build a Hampden Model 1 in a 42mm case around a Swiss manual-wind 6498 movement, then leave wearing the finished watch. This isn’t a demo. It’s a real build, guided by Hampden’s watchmaking team, designed to become an heirloom you’ll actually wear.
Our flagship First Hand workshop centers on the 42mm Model 1. During the experience, you’ll select from several class-exclusive dials. We also engrave your initials on the movement, and the sapphire exhibition back lets you revisit the moment every time you look down.
Plan for a full day. We start at 9:00 AM and typically wrap around 4:00 PM. Lunch is included, along with a break for a private gallery tour of Hampden’s vintage watches.
Your seat includes:
- A full guided watchmaking workshop at Hampden HQ
- Your Swiss mechanical watch (the one you build)
- Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments
- All tools, materials, and instruction throughout the day
- A private tour of Hampden's corporate watch collection, featuring 150 years of watchmaking history
First Hand takes place at Hampden Watch HQ in Chicago at 1550 W Carroll Ave, on the edge of Fulton Market. Free parking is provided, and you’ll receive simple arrival instructions after booking.
Each session has only six seats and most sell out, so we keep this simple and fair:
- Seats are non-refundable but fully transferable. Send someone in your place any time, at no charge. This is the simplest option and keeps your full value, so we recommend it first.
- 14 or more days out: we’ll reschedule you once to any open session, no charge.
- Inside 14 days: if you can’t attend or transfer your seat, your payment converts to HampdenWatch.com credit at 50% toward a future session or watch.
- No-shows forfeit the seat. We may extend credit for a genuine emergency, at our discretion.
- CCamVerified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars29 minutes agoMust do bucket list item for any real watch enthuisist!
What an awesome experience! Incredibly knowledgeable crew that is ready to help out immediately makes this workshop accessible everyone.
Watches have always seemed like magic to me. I understood most of the concepts, but how it all fits together has always been a mystery for me. I walked away with a true understanding of how a watch movement works.
Looking forward to doing more of these in the future!
- TTTony T.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars18 hours agoSuch a wonderful experience!!!
I have been eyeing this class for a while, but the available classes just did not align with my work schedule. I finally saw a spot pop up for a day that I was free, and I jumped on it, and was I glad I did! Joe, Mark, and the team did an amazing job walking us through the history of the company, and teaching us how to disassemble and reassemble our watch! The class sounded long, but they moved at such a relaxing tempo that I did not feel overwhelmed. In fact, it is amazing how fast time flew by! We had some delicious (and piping hot Brazilian cheese bread?) for breakfast, and a delicious lunch with beautiful place setting! And at the end of the class, we all got to celebrate our creation with some scotch!
- JCJohn C.Rated 5 out of 5 stars1 week agoReview of Workshop (Chicago)
This workshop is a real life "Field of Dreams" for watch fans. Collectors can all read and talk about watches. But Daniel, Joe and Marc (and the team) provide something uniquely different with this experience. The watch collector (and horology fans) are offered a truly hands on experience.
To actually assemble and walk out with a very nice watch (ETA movement) is a chance for the participant to take their love of collecting and appreciation to a new level.
- KJKelly J.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars3 weeks agoAmazing experience
This exceeded my expectations in literally every way. The class was intentionally small, with two instructors, three technicians, and an incredible setup that made the experience feel personal and immersive. The group included hobbyists, collectors, and complete beginners like me, but the course was approachable and engaging for every skill level.
The technical information was presented exceptionally well through videos, step-by-step tablets, instructor demos with a projected microscope, and plenty of individual support. What I expected to be overwhelming was actually fascinating and easy to follow. Joe and his team were knowledgeable, engaging, and entertaining throughout.
The experience itself was thoughtfully considered from start to finish. The building is stunning, and the historical tour featuring hand-engraved pocket watches and Russian military-issued watches was one of my favorite parts. Even the food served was exceptional.
The class walks you through the entire watchmaking process, including setting the hands and water testing the watch. They laser engrave your initials on the movement, provide both a strap and bracelet, and let you choose the color combination.
This was one of the most enjoyable classes I’ve taken, and I’ve recommended it to anyone who will listen. I would sign up for another one in a heartbeat.
- SMSteven M.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 stars4 weeks agoAmazing Experience!
Every part of this experience is well designed and planned. Just like the detail that goes into assembling the watch itself, the same level of care goes into the experience itself. The facility, the equipment, the people teaching us, the tour of the history of Hampden, and the food — just a stellar experience for watch lovers!