BA in Horology

Discover the evolution of designs and materials behind clocks and watches, alongside exploring the specialist skills required to design, make and repair these fascinating mechanisms yourself using fine hand and machining skills.

Our Horology degree, one of the only courses of its kind, will enable you to develop the practical and analytical skills to identify and resolve complex faults and utilise our traditional and cutting-edge facilities to explore a range of techniques.

You will benefit from the experience of practising professional horologists and colleagues in a shared learning environment, and have the opportunity to build a series of portfolios of clock/watch repairs and restorations as proof of your professional capabilities.

We will develop your digital design and communication skills using a range of industry-standard software, using Computer Aided Design and Manufacture (CAD/CAM) and explore rapid prototyping to experience different methods and designs. The Course will embed transferrable skills such as initiative, adaptability and time and project management during your three years with us on the degree.

Our many connections with the major brands allow opportunities for working on Live Projects and exploring employment experience in a professional setting, alongside the chance to develop lifelong connections throughout the industry.

We have a strong employability record with graduates recently taking up places with employers such as Cartier, Rolex, Tag Heuer, and Xupes. Other Alumni work with Roger Smith, look after significant collections such as at the British Museum, work in major Auction Houses like Bonhams and Fellows, and have even and have restored the Great Clock of Westminster ( AKA Big Ben!) There may well be any number of similar opportunities ahead for you.

What's covered in this course?

Our unique undergraduate Horology course will enable you to study clocks and watches, both mechanical and electronic, as well as explore the art and science of time measurement.

Combining traditional craftsmanship with the latest technology, this course looks at the theory of horology, as well as provides you with valuable practical skills. You’ll examine the history of timekeeping, how clocks and watches work, and how they are designed, providing you with the restoration skills that are in demand within the industry.

The course uses industry-standard software, such as the Solidworks CAD package, to teach design and technical drawing skills, as well as both traditional and modern niche skills of repair, conservation and restoration. Our workshops give you access to timing and testing equipment, as well as machine tools, including laser welding machines, 3D printing and engine turning equipment.

Our reputation and staff connections mean that our professional links are outstanding. We have unique industry partnerships with luxury goods brands, such as Richemont (UK), (who own the brands Cartier, IWC, Panerai, Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Baume et Mercier and Montblanc) and with Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH – Tag Heuer, Zenith, Bulgari, Hublot,), and have recently joined forces with established UK brand Christopher Ward. All these offer work placements, one-to-one mentoring and the chance to develop technical skills in a commercial environment.

You’ll study at our internationally-renowned School of Jewellery, in the heart of Birmingham’s famous working Jewellery Quarter. Our Vittoria Street building mixes the modern with the classical and includes workshops, a specialist library, an atrium gallery and exhibition space.

Professional placement year

This course offers a professional placement year. This allows you to spend a whole year with an employer, between the second and third years of your degree and is a great way to find out more about your chosen career. Some students even return to the same employers after completing their studies.

The University will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study. If you do not find a suitable placement, you will be automatically transferred back to the standard, non-placement version of the course.

Please note that fees are payable during your placement year, equivalent to 20% of the total full-time course fee for that year (£1,850 for UK students).

Why choose us?

Our outstanding employability record with graduates working for brands such as Bremont, Cartier, Rolex, Swatch, Tag Heuer, and Christopher Ward; or with unique makers/restorers such as Roger Smith and Richard Higgins Conservation; and for others such as Bonhams and the British Museum. You will be supported by experienced staff and visiting tutors, who inspire through example and share their expertise in practice, research and design techniques. Our partnerships with industry give you the chance to undertake placements, receive mentoring and develop technical expertise in a commercial setting. You will have the opportunity to gain professional accreditation from the British Horological Institute. We have a strong employability record, with all of our students getting offers of work often within days of graduating. Founded in 1890, our internationally-renowned School of Jewellery is the largest in Europe, located in the heart of Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter.

With around 29,000 students from 100 countries, (HESA Student Record 2020/21 © Higher Education Statistics Agency Limited) Birmingham City University is a large and diverse place to study. We put students at the heart of everything we do, giving them the best opportunities for future success.

The University for Birmingham

We put £270 million into the regional economy and support thousands of jobs in the area. We're investing £340 million in our estate, including a major expansion of our city-centre campus at Eastside, providing students with an enviable range of facilities.

Social responsibility

At Birmingham City University we are committed to transforming students’ lives and enhancing opportunity through education and advancement. We play a key role in supporting the economy and public sector in Birmingham and the West Midlands, as the University for the city of Birmingham.

Whether developing research to enable people to lead healthier lives, decrease bullying in schools or help talented children in South Africa reach their musical potential, Birmingham City University undertakes a wide variety of work to ensure that we operate as a socially responsible University.

On Monday 17 September 2018, we announced that staff had voted for Acorn’s Children’s Hospice and Birmingham and Solihull Women’s Aid to be the University’s Chosen Charities.