Tag: leather crafting

I Paid $400 To Make My Own Watch From Scratch – And It Was Totally Worth The Price Tag

In an era where we grew up with technology, having a timepiece on your wrist is a pretty outdated idea.

Think about it. Why do we need watches when we all have smart phones with very accurate clocks on them? Heck, even our computers/laptops have the time right there in the corner. It’s pretty easy to find out what time it is.

Yet. I like watches. I have over the past couple of years acquired several. From Timex to Seiko, my mom used to love buying watches for my birthday.

However, I’ve realised that I never knew how to repair any of my watches when they died so I end up spending so much money just because the seller tells me, “You need to do a complete overhaul.”

So the lovely folks at Watch Wonderland invited me down to their Academy to learn how to assemble my own watch and leather strap, so I’m better prepared the next time someone tells me my watch needs a complete overhaul.

The Academy

Located in Suntec City, Watch Wonderland is more than just a watch shop. It’s also an academy and a concierge. This retail space carries big names such as Seiko as well as micro-indie brands from the US, France and more. In addition to that, they also carry a total of 6 brands that are made with love by our very own Singaporean watchmakers.

At Watch Wonderland, they place a strong focus on their selection of watches. You can purchase your watches with an ease of mind because their selection process is one that covers everything from aesthetics to mechanical testing before they allow a brand into their portfolio.

Apart from buying watches, Watch Wonderland is also a place for watch enthusiasts to convene with other likeminded people to learn more about this fascinating universe.

I was honestly scared shitless at this moment because 1. I’m terrible at fixing things and 2. I’ve never attended a single leather making class in my entire life. However, the course instructor, Mr Vincent Goh, assured me that I’ll do just fine.

Have you seen me in D&T class, Mr Goh?

Nonetheless, we dove right in and learned how to assemble the basic parts, oil and regulate the timing of the watch.

They first opened The Academy in November 2017 and have since been consistently hosting classes through The Academy to broaden the knowledge and perspective of their audience.

“I’ve had participants flying in from all over the world JUST to attend this workshop. In fact, my youngest participant was only 12 years old and she managed to complete the workshop,” Vincent exclaimed.

So I calmed down, rolled up my sleeves, put on my finger gloves and got to work. Vincent started off with a video explaining how a mechanical watch works. He printed out a step-by-step guide for us so we always knew what to do next.

I was lost and struggling half the time but Vincent was patient and kind enough to guide me on where to place the different parts and constantly checked on my work to ensure that I didn’t miss a step.

To be honest, if I never knew who he was, I’d mistake him for some random uncle who loves to lepak at the kopitiam with his friends but I was completely wrong. Vincent is an extremely talented and experienced watchmaker who has worked on restoring 500 vintage watches in the US back in the 90s.

Being posted to China for 11 years also saw him having more opportunities to learn from highly experienced watchmakers and veterans, giving him an advanced knowledge of watch repair that no book has ever documented.

So I knew, I was in very safe hands.

“Eh Farhanah, come come I take your photo. You wayang a bit lah, pretend you fixing, don’t look at camera ah! 1…2…3…!” he shouted.

After 2 hours of putting the watch together and using the TimeGrapher to regulate the watch timing, I was extremely satisfied with my final product. Vincent gave me a little pat on my back and told me I did a pretty great job for a first timer.

You’re too kind sir.

Leather Crafting

No watch is complete without a strap. Especially one that further tells your audience about your personality.

We were guided by our leather craft instructor, Mr Jeremiah Ang who established J.Myers Co six years ago, and has since grew from a one-man show, to creating numerous products in collaboration with brands such as Bentley, Vertu, Red Army Watches and Bang & Olufsen.

He first introduced to us the different types of leather and finally gave us two colours to pick from.

After a brief introduction as to how to use the tools, we got to marking and cutting out our leather strap using a template that he prepared for us. We crafted our very own leather NATO strap for the watch that we assembled earlier on.

Once that was all done, we used a “burning” tool to help us create the pattern which makes the entire watch look a lot more polished and refined.

The process to making your own leather strap was not easy at all. The last step, which was to stitch the holes we created was definitely the toughest part of it all. After an hour of poking my thumb and messing up my stitches, there were tiny beads of sweat formed on my forehead and I was pretty much ready to get it all over and done with.

Leather crafting is an amazing art form and I’m glad that I finally have a deeper appreciation for artisans and designers who are dedicated to creating quality leather products, with the sole objective to bring about a deeper appreciation of craftsmanship. One stitch at a time.

After 5 gruelling hours, my face glowed (or maybe it was the sweat) when I finally assembled my watch together. Wearing it for the first time felt so satisfying because I knew I put in all my effort into making this watch.

Watch Wonderland has changed my expectations of a brick-and-mortar store forever. This chic space doesn’t just sell watches but it also doubles up as an Academy with a workshop space right in the middle of the store.

Welcoming their customers with a giant neon logo emblazoned across a wall, it’s the opposite of typical luxury watch boutiques with intimidating grand entrances and snooty judgey salesmen clad in suit and tie.

So if you’re ever looking at doing something out of the ordinary in Singapore, then Watch Wonderland is a great place for watch enthusiasts to come together and learn about leather crafting or watchmaking from the masters themselves.

The Academy at Watch Wonderland
Address: 3 Temasek Boulevard, #01-470/472 Suntec City Mall
Price: $400 (Watchmaking Workshop), $100 (Leather Crafting Workshop)
Hours: 10am – 6pm (Watchmaking Workshop), 10am – 3pm (Leather Crafting Workshop)
Day: Every Fortnight, Weekends (Check their FB page for sign ups)
Website | Facebook | Instagram

Also Read Singapore Night Festival Returns On Aug 17 With Luminous Horses, Lightning Duels And More

(Header Image Source: Watch Wonderland)

[GIVEAWAY] Maketh Project – It’s Time To Get Crafty!

What maketh a man? Manners or leather? Sure, manners are crucial, but what’s more impressive? Spending three hours handcrafting and stitching your own leather product or pulling out a chair for the lady?

Okay seriously, if you’re as much a fan of leather products or into crafts as we are, you’ll love what we’re bringing you today. With the recent swing towards handcrafted artisanal goods, we’ve had the privilege of getting our hands dirty with Maketh Project by attending one of its leather crafting workshops.

Maketh Project is the brain child of three friends Adlina Adil, Addynna Azlinor and Rozeryna Rothma, who share the love of leather crafting. Located on the second level of a shophouse, the unmistakable whiff of leather and hammering sounds echoing throughout the studio will have you feeling like a craftsman in no time.

For this workshop, we’ve chosen to craft a key holder and have informed Maketh of the chosen design in advance. For potential leather crafters, your first task after confirming your design will be to choose the type of leather. If you’re as anal particular as we are, expect to spend a fair amount of time going through the selection. We recommend taking your time to make the decision because well, it is your product!

After a quick introduction, we were shown a short demonstration on leather cutting and were just a teeny bit terrified after knowing how we could cause irreparable damage to our products. Funny story, almost immediately after the demonstration, we’d accidentally sliced through the leather meant for the key holder’s strap. Heh.

But worry not, because the friendly leather crafters of Maketh will be there to guide and assist you! We swear cutting in a straight line is tougher than it looks. Much kudos to Addynna who stuck with us throughout our mini panic-attacks!

Following this, we were told to glue the two leather pieces together before punching holes in the almost finished product. After meticulously marking out the holes, we proceeded to preform the task with our hearts in our mouths. One uneven punch is all it takes to ruin all your previous work so y’know, no pressure here.

The stitching was up next and after choosing the color of thread we wanted, we were all set to complete our key holder! After completing the stitch, we had Addynna put on some finishing touches and we were done! We think it looks great so it doesn’t matter if you think the button is slightly off center. It’s not.

We must say, despite the self-imposed pressure to perfect our product, the experience of crafting a leather good we can call our own is nothing less than fun. The level of satisfaction is pretty insane and we can’t help showing our handcrafted key holder to our friends. We cut and sew one hor.

Itching to craft a product of your own? Here’s some good news; Discover SG, together with Maketh Project, are delighted to offer one lucky reader a

COMPLIMENTARY LEATHER-CRAFTING WORKSHOP AT MAKETH

That’s right, here’s your chance to experience the joy of crafting your own product. You get to choose from a range of small leather crafts – a cardholder, key pouch, coin pouch, or a braided bracelet!

How to win:

Simply comment on our facebook post with which leather product above you’d like to craft – card holder, key holder, coin pouch or braided bracelet (not pictured). Proceed to LIKE and SHARE the post and you’ll be good to go! The reader with the craftiest answer will walk away with a free pass to Maketh’s leather-crafting workshop. Winner will informed through Facebook.

The giveaway will end on 2359 26th April 2016. So what are you waiting for? Comment and stand a chance to win the opportunity to be a craftsman for a day now!

Brought to you by Discover SG x Maketh Project

Maketh Project
Address: 751 North Bridge Rd #02-02
Contact: [email protected]

Also read: A Festival You Won’t Want To Miss – Super Japan Matsuri!

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Jalan Besar’s Hidden Secret – The Intricate Art Of Leather Crafting

Take a minute to think: When was the last time you made something?

In a day and age where most goods are mass produced, creating something with your own hands is truly memorable and worthwhile.

Hence, we were delighted to spend a Saturday afternoon attending a 2-hour long basic Leather Craft workshop at Lucky Apron Studio.

Photo Credits: Lucky Apron Studio

The cosy studio is tucked away on the 2nd floor of a shophouse along Jalan Besar. The unmistakable whiff of leather is the first thing you notice, followed by the neatly arranged tools on the table for students.

The tools you will be using: A metal ruler, a silver pen, a pen knife and a paper cutting board

Alongside with the tools, all the materials and hardware you need will be provided. And do not worry – no prior experience whatsoever is required!

During the workshop, you will make 3 functional and stylish items:

• Envelope Cardholder – for name cards or credit cards.
• Key Chain Strap – for hanging quick access keys off your belt.
• Smartphone Wristlet – for use as a smartphone stand for movie playback or taking photos.

All of these will be made from premium quality leather – full-grain buffalo hide in vegetable tan or cow hide in crazy horse tan to be exact.

After a quick introduction to leather, enjoy a live demonstration by your facilitator on how to make each item that is interspersed with fundamental leather crafting techniques.

As we watched the demonstration, we realised the high level of conscientiousness required for an activity like this. Small mistakes like not holding your penknife straight or shifting your ruler whilst cutting will cause you to make an untidy cut. Making a cut in the wrong direction could cause an irreparable damage to your product. So attentiveness is a must during the demonstration!

Lawrence, our instructor and founder of Lucky Apron studios, demonstrating how to cut leather

If all this sounds too intimidating for you, fear not – your friendly facilitator will be there to guide and correct you if you are on the wrong track.

After the demonstration, it was our turn to start on our envelope cardholder and we were beyond excited to get our hands dirty.

A steady hand and precision is required for the perfect cut

The first few cuts were slightly awkward, but we quickly learned the amount of pressure and number of repetitions required to make a clean cut.

The product of a tedious yet oddly satisfying session of cutting

Before we knew it, our envelope cardholder template was ready for folding and hole-punching. There are bound to be some minor imperfections along the way, but take them as a testament of your handicraft and don’t get too caught up in it.

Do bring a packet of tissues along, as the leather dust can be slightly irritating to the nose. (You don’t want to be sneezing all over your precious leather goods!)

The finished product in all its handmade glory!

Next on the agenda was a smartphone wristlet, a functional yet stylish piece created by Lucky Apron Studio’s founder Lawrence himself.

Photo Credits: Lucky Apron Studio

After tracing the template out for the wristlet

More cutting ensued, but the simple template made for a much easier ride.

However, the cutout in the center of the wristlet was rather tricky to manoeuvre and required a certain level of delicacy.

Be sure to choose the correct size when punching any hole!

Bring a friend, sibling, significant other, etc.. – they will come in handy! 😉

The final item was a simple keychain strap, which was a breeze to make after more than an hour of experience with handling and cutting leather. Both the length of the strap and the colour of the keyring can be customised

Photo Credits: Lucky Apron Studio

Voila!

After 2 hours of hard work, our 3 products were finished – all that was left was a good ol’ slab of leather conditioner. Free initial embossing (pictured above on the envelope cardholder) is also provided – say, any birthdays coming up?

Needless to say, the feeling of creating handmade and functional goods with your own hands from a single piece of leather is simply euphoric.

So if you are interested in creating some useful products to take home, are obsessed with leather goods or simply want to try something unique and memorable, why not head down to Lucky Apron Studio for a fun-filled afternoon?

In addition, Discover SG is delighted to offer you a..

 15% DISCOUNT on ALL of Lucky Apron Studio’s Classes!

Simply use the discount code “DSCVRSG2016EVENTS” before purchase.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to to check out their classes today!

ADDRESS:

Lucky Apron Studio
#02-01
141 Jalan Besar
Singapore 208859

CONTACT:

+65 9863 2724