The Hampden name has been on American watches since 1877. One of its pocket watches was in Orville Wright's pocket at Kitty Hawk in 1903. The Wein family has built watches in Chicago since 1922, acquired the Hampden name in 1958, and is now in its fourth generation.

First Hand is run out of the same building the family has worked in for years, and Joe Wein, the third generation, developed the class himself.

No. First Hand is designed for beginners. About 90% of our guests have never sat at a watchmaking bench before. We teach step-by-step with two guests per instructor, so you are guided closely the entire time.

You'll build the First Edition, Hampden's 42mm workshop watch, 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.

Yes. The First Hand workshop centers on the 42mm First Edition. During the experience, you'll choose from eight workshop-exclusive dials, each named for Chicago's materials and landmarks. We 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 tour of the Hampden Gallery.

Your seat includes:

• A full guided watchmaking workshop at Hampden HQ
• Your Swiss mechanical watch, the one you build
• A metal bracelet and an Italian leather strap for it
• A leather travel case
• A signed certificate of completion
• Breakfast, lunch and refreshments
• All tools, materials and instruction throughout the day
• A private tour of the Hampden Gallery

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.