Tick, Tick, Boom! Students Flock to Hampden’s Watchmaking Workshops

By Karen Dybis | February 27, 2026

When Hampden Watch debuted its watchmaking workshop in December, CEO Joseph Wein was expecting it to resonate with watch lovers in an “edutainment” way.

Now the First Hand classes held at Hampden’s Chicago headquarters are sold out through late summer. Participants have come from not only Chicago and the Midwest but other states, too, and Wein says he is having a ball being a host and educator for families, collectors, and watch aficionados looking for a one-of-a-kind experience.

“The best thing about a class like this is when you’re done, you’ve gone through an experience together,” says the third-generation watchmaker. “I had one man take the class who has a substantial watch collection, including some very special watches. A few days later, he texted me how often he was wearing his Hampden watch. He almost never wears the same watch two days in a row—but he never had a watch he had made himself.”

Joe Marc Hampden class — *Hampden CEO Joseph Wein (right) and co-instructor Marc Cain show the Swiss mechanical movement watch components used in the First Hand workshop.*

Every First Hand class is open to up to six people. During the six-hour workshop, they assemble a Swiss mechanical movement under a microscope, case it in a Hampden watch, and walk out wearing their work. Breakfast and a chef-catered lunch as well as a tour of Hampden’s offices and historical displays are included in the $2,100 fee.

Wein says he spent a year developing First Hand, with the goal of creating a seamless, enjoyable watchmaking experience from start to finish. He shared the curriculum with friends and family, and sought to address concerns like where in the watchmaking process people might feel stuck and how they could avoid losing track of watch parts. Wein decided to have students use a microscope rather than a loupe to make it the work easier for them.

“Today, no one needs to wear a watch,” he says. “We’ve gone, over the past 150 years, from wearing pocket watches to having a watch in your pocket at all times with your smartphone. The real question is why people wear a watch. Is it fashion? Or for an emotional reason?

“Watches are things of beauty. A lot of people make beautiful watches. We’re trying to make precious watches—watches that are precious to the wearer. We’re trying to make this special.”

Hampden First Hand guest — *In each six-hour First Hand class, people put together their own Hampden watches.*

First Hand students have included individuals, couples, fathers with their sons or daughters, and other multigenerational groups. Some take the class to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, or other milestone event.

Wein says his next challenge is developing a class in Swiss automatic calendar movement, which he hopes to introduce in late 2026. And he’d like to start taking the First Hand workshop on the road to retail partners and independent jewelry stores, much like the Horological Society of New York classes that inspired the Hampden workshop.

“What’s beautiful about this first class is the movement. There’s nothing extraneous. Once you understand this watch, you understand how every watch works,” Wein says. “It’s not just to get the watch movement together—it’s to help people feel they’ve learned something substantial and now understand.”

Top: Hampden Watch CEO Joseph Wein (right) guides a student at a recent First Hand watchmaking workshop at the company’s Chicago headquarters. (Photos courtesy of Hampden Watch)