What is the First Hand workshop?

First Hand is Hampden Watch's full-day, hands-on watchmaking experience, hosted at our Chicago headquarters. The day starts at 9:00 AM and usually finishes around 4:00 PM. Guided by third-generation CEO Joseph Wein, each participant assembles their own mechanical watch around a Swiss movement, learning the fundamentals of traditional movement design and fine assembly.

What you'll do

• Set the dial and hands
• Regulate timing
• Case and test your engraved movement
• Celebrate your first tick with a toast
• Take home your finished Hampden mechanical watch

What's included

Every First Hand session includes:

• Hands-on instruction in Hampden's Chicago workshop
• Your own 6498 Swiss movement
• Two dial options, chosen at the class
• A dual-strap set: premium leather plus a steel bracelet
• Personal engraving of your initials and assembly date
• Chef-catered lunch, beverages, and all tools
• A certificate of completion and a custom travel case

Your engraved movement

Your movement is engraved with your initials and assembly date, visible through the sapphire exhibition caseback. It's a personal signature of craftsmanship and memory.

Every detail, from the handcrafted tools to the engraved caseback, is meant to show guests how a Hampden watch is put together. Four generations of the Wein family have made watches in Chicago since 1922, and the session is built around the same fundamentals: hands-on assembly, the story behind the parts, and a watch you finish yourself.

Learn more and reserve your seat: First Hand: A Watchmaking Workshop by Hampden

Updated on: 21/08/2026