Ad / Affiliate disclosure: The product featured in this article was supplied for review. This article contains affiliate links. If you make a qualifying purchase through these links, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions are my own.
Nicely packaged kit from DIY Watch Club
Everything you need to start your very own build
Building my own mechanical watch was an exciting prospect. I'd spent plenty of time looking at watches and enjoying the details, but putting one together myself would give me a chance to get a little closer to how it all worked.
DIY Watch Club supplied me with a DWC-D01 diver kit, complete with tools and video instructions. With its blue bezel and steel case, it was a watch I was looking forward to seeing finished. First, though, I had to get from a case full of components to something I could actually wear.
This was my first build, so there was a lot to take in. Having everything together was a welcome start, and I soon found there was plenty to enjoy about the process itself.
What do you actually build?
The DWC-D01 comes with its movement already assembled. The work is in fitting the dial and hands, working with the stem and crown, positioning the chapter ring and bringing everything together inside the case.
You aren't starting with individual gears and springs, which makes this a much more approachable place to begin. There's still some delicate work to do, but you've got a complete project in front of you and someone showing you how to tackle it.
That suited me well. Choosing all the components for a watch has its own appeal, but I was happy to leave compatibility to the kit and get on with learning how the parts fitted together.
If you're curious about choosing your own parts later, my beginner's guide to Seiko watch modding covers that side of things, along with the tools you'll need.
Case, stem, crown and chapter ring to get a view before assembling
The kit, tools and instructions
I was impressed with how neatly everything arrived. The zip-up case kept the tools and components organised, and made the kit feel like a project that had been properly thought through.
Inside were the watch parts, tweezers, screwdrivers, a caseback opener and hand-setting tools. There was even a little stand for my phone so I could follow the videos while working. I liked that touch. It's a simple addition, but it makes sense when both hands are going to be occupied.
The videos were a big help. They guided me through changing the stem and crown, fitting the dial and hands, positioning the chapter ring and putting everything into the case. Being able to see what I was aiming for made the unfamiliar work much easier to approach.
It's one of the things I appreciated most about the kit. The tools and components got me started, but the instructions helped me make sense of what I was doing with them.
DIY Watch Club's instruction library has separate guides for its different watch families, so make sure you're following the one for your kit.
Dial with the crown and stem attached
Building it: fitting the hands was the challenge
I really enjoyed watching the DWC-D01 come together. Parts I'd normally admire through a crystal were now in front of me, and I was the one fitting them. It gave me a much greater appreciation for the work involved, especially once I reached the hands.
That was the fiddly bit. They needed a delicate touch, and getting them fitted took a significant share of my build time. The videos could show me how, but I still had to take my time and concentrate on those tiny parts.
For anyone wondering whether a beginner can do this, my experience was encouraging. I completed it as my first build, but I wouldn't describe every stage as easy. Give yourself a clear, well-lit place to work and enough time to follow the instructions without rushing.
The checks before closing the case matter too. Follow the kit's guidance on alignment and clearance, making sure the hands can move without catching one another or touching the dial or crystal.
DIY Watch Club suggests around two to three hours for an average build. I didn't record a precise time for mine, so that's the company's estimate rather than my own. Allowing yourself time to enjoy it seems a better approach than trying to beat the clock.
When I finally closed the case and saw the seconds hand moving, I was delighted. There was some relief in there too, but mostly I was proud. The parts I'd unpacked had become a working watch, and I'd put them together myself.
Assembled by hand !
The finished DWC-D01
The finished watch exceeded my expectations. I liked the blue bezel, the luminous dial markings and the polished hands, and the steel case was nicely finished. After all the concentration of the build, it was lovely to step back and enjoy how it had turned out.
The dark dial has a straightforward layout, with the date at three o'clock and the blue timing bezel around it. There's plenty of familiar diver styling here, and I was really pleased with the result. I later put mine on a fabric NATO strap, which is another simple way to make the watch your own.
I like being able to see the movement through the display back too. The “Assembled by hand” engraving on the caseback feels particularly appropriate on this one.
The completed DWC-D01 Diver
Inside is a TMI NH35 automatic movement. It winds as you wear it, can also be wound by hand, and has a stop-seconds function so you can halt the seconds hand when setting the time. It's a useful, straightforward set of functions for a watch like this.
TMI's technical information gives a running time of more than 41 hours when fully wound under its test conditions. I haven't carried out a power-reserve test on mine, so that figure is the movement specification.
Specifications and details
| Detail | Specification / source |
|---|---|
| Model | DIY Watch Club DWC-D01 diver |
| Original published dimensions | 40mm diameter, 13mm thickness and 20mm lug width (as listed in my original review) |
| Movement | TMI NH35 automatic, with hand-winding and stop-seconds |
| Display | Hours, minutes, seconds and date |
| Movement frequency | 21,600 vibrations per hour; 24 jewels |
| Running time | Manufacturer specifies more than 41 hours when fully wound |
| Case | Stainless steel with display caseback |
| Appearance | Dark dial, luminous markings, polished hands and blue bezel |
| Straps photographed | Blue fabric straps |
The caseback carries a 200m marking, although that doesn't tell you whether your own assembly is watertight. Have the finished watch pressure-tested before relying on it in water.
Mine is the original 2020 kit. Specifications and contents can change, so check the dimensions, crystal, strap and tools included with whichever version you're considering now.
Is a DIY Watch Club kit worth it?
I thoroughly enjoyed this first build. Having the parts, tools and videos together gave me a way into something I'd been keen to try, and I came away with a watch I was proud of.
That's a big part of the appeal for me. You're paying for the project as well as the finished watch, so it helps if the thought of sitting down and assembling it is something you're looking forward to. If you'd rather just put a watch on and enjoy it, the kit may hold less appeal.
It certainly encouraged me to carry on. My later Expedition build and DIY Watch Club GMT review cover the projects that followed.
If you fancy having a go, you can browse DIY Watch Club's current kits.
Use code MTRWATCHES for 5% off eligible purchases.
Check the selected kit's contents and the discount shown at checkout before ordering.
I'm glad I started with this blue-bezel diver. I've enjoyed plenty of watches, but there's something particularly satisfying about looking down at one you've put together yourself. The DWC-D01 will always be my first, and that's why it has such a special place in my collection.
