Mégane

Apprendista Artigiana Orologiaia

apprenticeship workshops

Para garantizar el futuro de la profesión relojera, Chopard ofrece a los jóvenes la formación de cuatro años más completa que existe: la de relojero con un CFC (Certificado Federal de Capacidad). Más allá de los requisitos básicos, el programa de la Escuela de Relojería de Ginebra incluye el estudio de un movimiento que impulsa el "reloj escuela", desarrollado por la Manufactura en 2010. Una vez obtenido el diploma, algunos graduados tienen la suerte de ser contratados por la Maison. Eso es, en efecto, lo que desea Mégane, una relojera de 19 años.

[Sustained note] 


(On-screen text: Chopard presents) 


(Close-up of a watch movement, Mégane delicately puts a spring in place.) 


My greatest memory at Chopard was the tour when I arrived. We went to see all the departments and professions, it was so interesting. 


(Mégane sits down in her workshop, wearing a lab coat and eyepiece.) 


What I really loved was the Chopard museum with all the pieces that have played a part in Chopard's history. 

[Soft piano music plays] 


(On-screen text: The word ART becomes ARTISAN.) 


(On-screen text: From expertise to emotion. Chopard) 


(A black and white graphite sketch of the palm of a hand, surrounded by the words EXPERTISE, CREATIVITY, EMOTION.) 


So we always use both hands, one to keep the movement in place and the other to assemble. 


(A portrait of Mégane.) 


(On-screen text: Mégane, Apprentice Watchmaker) 


One holds and the other works. 


(On-screen text: Pinning up to the collet) 


(Mégane uses tiny tools to work on a balance spring.) 


But for the balance-spring, it's one tool in each hand, and you use both of them. When you start out, you're not ready to do that. You need to be ambidextrous, it's impossible. 


(On-screen text: Bevelling) 


As a child, I knew what I wanted to do, I wanted to be an art teacher or something similar. I wanted to do something with my hands, I looked into all kinds of trades, I saw watchmaking and I went for an introductory course at Chopard. 


(A woman oversees Mégane working in the workshop.) 


That is when I said: "That's what I want to do". There isn't a typical day, it always changes because we all do different things. 


(On-screen text: Turning) 


We start by working on the study timepiece first, on the micro-mechanics, and that is really our piece, our work, we spend many hours working on it. Polishing is a step I like a lot because it really enhances a piece, it takes a lot of time. 


(On-screen text: Mirror-polishing) 


You don't realize how long it takes, how far you can go to achieve perfection, which I love. 


(On-screen text: Pivoting) 


Pivoting, a technique that isn't used much any more, fascinates me, because you can do it all by hand, which is what I love. We then make the balance-spring, which is very complicated to make, it takes months to master it. Something else I love is at the end when you see the mechanism moving and working. You can very quickly upset something and it won't work any more. Actually yesterday it was the first time that I mounted a bridge that I made myself onto my piece. It was so beautiful, fully finished, I put it into place and saw that it worked, that's what is beautiful. You feel proud because it takes so long and the slightest thing can stop it from working, it's amazing to be able to say: "I made that". 


(Mégane turns her balance-spring gently with a brush.) 


Maybe one of the watches we've assembled and cased up will be worn somewhere across the world and it's us who finished the piece. 


(On-screen text: Assembly) 


(Close-up of a watch movement.) 


It's amazing. I think this job suits me as I am a very shy person. I think this job is a good fit for me. 

(Mégane puts parts in place on the movement.) 


I love that the House of Chopard is like a big family. In every department, you can find former Chopard apprentices. It's a job I would like to do forever. It's the only thing I like. 


(Mégane holds up the finished timepiece, studies it.) 


(On-screen text: Chopard - The artisan of emotions - Since 1860)

In materia di formazione, Chopard si spinge ben oltre quanto generalmente richiesto ed è senz’altro per questo motivo che gli apprendisti artigiani mirano a proseguire la loro carriera nella Maison. Solo così si può garantire la continuità dell’orologeria e della gioielleria.

Karl-Friedrich Scheufele

Mégane, Apprendista Artigiana Orologiaia

Del resto, questo impegno nei confronti del futuro non è una novità per la Maison, che ha cominciato a formare i gioiellieri negli anni 1980 e gli orologiai, a Ginevra, nel 1988. Dopo uno stage di scoperta dell’orologeria da Chopard, Mégane ha iniziato il suo apprendistato nel 2018, all’età di quindici anni, subito dopo l’undicesimo anno di scuola media professionale. Durante i quattro anni di apprendistato, gli studenti imparano ad assemblare i movimenti, a ripararli, a lubrificarli e a controllarli e costruiscono alcuni degli strumenti che utilizzeranno durante la formazione e nel corso della loro carriera.

abilità pratica

Gli apprendisti cominciano sin dal primo anno a realizzare l’orologio che rappresenterà la loro “tesi” di diploma e che potranno tenere al termine del corso. Questo modello speciale con quadrante bianco rappresenta il capolavoro di ogni apprendista e reca inciso il suo nome e l’anno in cui lo ha completato. Tutti gli esemplari sono sottoposti ai test del COSC per ottenere la certificazione di Cronometro. Poi, Karl Friedrich Scheufele lo presenta personalmente a ogni singolo studente.È un momento molto speciale non solo per gli apprendisti ma anche per il Co-Presidente di Chopard, cui la trasmissione delle competenze sta molto a cuore.

Dall'expertise all'emozione

LE NOSTRE "MAINS D'ART"