Canada's Only Watchmaking School Ticks On After 80 Years

Canada's only watchmaking school still ticking after 80 years

I explore the École national d'horlogerie in Trois-Rivières, Canada's sole watchmaking school, which has survived 80 years since its post-WWII founding to help veterans. Today, it trains professionals for global giants like Rolex and TAG Heuer. Despite a looming move due to space constraints, students like Emma Boudet and Louis-Philippe Grondin master the patience required to repair intricate timepieces, finding deep meaning in preserving objects that last a lifetime.

"Sometimes the materials we used would be good for a lifetime, but in five to seven years, it would all be going into the trash can because it was out of fashion, and I wasn't at ease with that."