In the Strumenti del Tempo workshop there is an invisible thread that starts from a book: Nozioni di Orologeria by Mario Pozzoli (Loescher, Turin, 1957). The manual that trained our Master, and the method that still guides every intervention.
Who was Mario Pozzoli
Mario Pozzoli was a teacher and the author of one of the most important texts in Italian watchmaking education of the twentieth century. His manual Nozioni di Orologeria, published by Loescher in 1957, accompanied entire generations of technicians and enthusiasts: even today, though out of print for decades, it is sought after in antiquarian bookshops, specialist markets and among collectors.
It was not a popularisation book: it was a school in book form. Theory of the mechanism, geometry of escapements, kinematics of gear trains, adjustment and timing: the foundation on which a watchmaker’s hand is built.
Watchmaking techniques according to Pozzoli
The manual’s approach is rigorously progressive: from theory to practice, from the physical principle to the gesture at the bench. Its central themes:
- Measured time: principles of isochronism, balance and hairspring as the regulating organ
- The gear train: transmission ratios, tooth profiles, involute geometry
- The escapement: geometry of the lever and cylinder escapements, lift angles, drops and safeties
- Adjustment: timing, positions, temperature influence, fine regulation
- Maintenance: cleaning, correct lubrication, recognising wear
From the manual to the bench: the inherited method
Marco Spoldi trained in the school of Mario Pozzoli, his professor. From that training comes the method we apply every day:
- The theory of the mechanism first: understand how it should work before looking for what does not
- Then the hand: the technical gesture comes after understanding, never in place of it
- Respect for the piece: conservative, documented interventions, reversible where possible
- The explanation: the client must understand what was done and why, as in a lesson
Why it still matters today
Mechanical watchmaking is a discipline where fundamentals do not age: the lever escapement studied by Pozzoli in 1957 is the same we find today in the calibres we service. The difference lies in tools, diagnostics, materials; not in the principle.
That is why in our workshop every intervention, from a 1950s vintage piece to a modern automatic, starts from the same question: what is happening inside the mechanism?
The theory of the mechanism first, then the hand. It is the method the Master handed down to us, and the one we hand down to every watch that enters the workshop.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I find Nozioni di Orologeria by Mario Pozzoli?
The manual has been out of print for decades. It can be found through antiquarian bookshops, specialist markets and collectors. Its sought-after status testifies to the quality of its technical content.
What is the link between Pozzoli and Strumenti del Tempo?
Mario Pozzoli was the professor and master of Marco Spoldi. The manual’s training method still guides the workshop’s interventions: theory of the mechanism first, technical gesture after.
Is the Pozzoli method still current?
Yes. Escapement kinematics, positional adjustment and mechanism care remain the foundations of mechanical watchmaking, on vintage and modern calibres alike.
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