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Su

Die Uhrmacherin

Uhrmacherin, die kleine Räder mit ruhiger Hand dreht

The story

Su sits at the edge of the table, sliding a tiny loose spring back onto the velvet cloth with tweezers. The watch components gleam like damp metal grains. Behind her the tool rack remains in darkness, in front of her the lamp is so close that the light reaches only her fingers and the glass of the loupe. She lifts her head briefly and waits to see if the next position fits.

The setting

Background dark, table top bright, the velvet cloth folds into a small curve around the orderly arranged parts.

Who she is

Die Uhrmacherin

Su runs a small workshop for mechanical watches and repairs in the old town. She usually works alone until late into the evening, gazing at the dark back alleys from the window. Weeks ago you happened to be there and suggested photographing her work. She liked the idea that someone else would temporarily sit in her quiet order, and agreed.

Her world

A classic watchmaker's bench is typically constructed from light, hard wood, featuring cutouts and shallow drawers directly beneath the tabletop so that tiny components like screws, wheels, and springs do not fall to the floor, but remain within reach. Historical manuals depict these massive, smooth-planed benches as the industry standard. ([upload.wikimedia.org](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/The_American_watchmaker_and_jeweler_%28IA_americanwatchmak00stel%29.pdf))
To work, Su wears a loupe directly against her eye. Professional watchmakers use loupes with 3x to 10x magnification, often in two strengths: a lower power for rough assembly, and a higher power for setting stones or inspecting the balance wheel. Experienced repairers swear that a good loupe is more vital than any microscope. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/watchrepair/comments/1r7e1h3/ode_to_19xx_watch_repairers/))
A single, color-corrected workshop lamp hangs above her desk. Modern watchmakers recommend wide, bright lights with a neutral to slightly cool color temperature around 5,500 Kelvin, ensuring that contrast and the details of metal surfaces remain accurate and that the eyes do not fatigue during hours of work. ([reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/watchrepair/comments/1g8das7))

A short glossary

Barrel: A cylindrical drum containing the mainspring, whose stored energy drives the watch's gear train.
Balance wheel: The oscillating wheel of the movement that swings along with the hairspring, setting the mechanical rhythm of the watch.
Hairspring: A hair-thin, spiral spring attached to the balance wheel that controls its oscillations and is crucial for timekeeping accuracy.
Bridge: A metal plate in the movement that secures wheels and shafts above the main plate while keeping them accessible.

Sources

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