Horologist

Our Kieninger wall clock, three train spring wound, full chimes. Far better than the radio clocks around the house. Brought new around forty years ago, as a birthday present for my wife. Well built, inspired by early Victorian clocks.

My Omega stopwatch, brought new, about fifty years ago, to time dark-room exposures. Solid, accurate, one fifth of a second resolution.

A modern hunter pocket watch, given to me by my wife for a major birthday. Stainless steel, 17 rubies, special because of its purpose.

When our long case clock is running fully, the next job may be a small 'mantle' or table clock. Partly glass mechanism and all glass case. Timed by dual or possibly triple pendulums. This latter choice depends on my theory, regarding triples, being proved correct or otherwise.

The two pendulums are tentatively planned to be one second stroke. Using a 'compound' overhead design for compactness. Again this depends on the measured accuracy of such an arrangement.

This interview question seems forward (not to mention intimidating!), but if you're asked it, you're in luck: There's no better setup for you to sell yourself and your skills to the hiring manager. Your job here is to craft an answer that covers three things: that you can not only do the work, you can deliver great results; that you'll really fit in with the team and culture; and that you'd be a better hire than any of the other candidates.

Along similar lines, the interviewer wants to uncover whether this position is really in line with your ultimate career goals. While “an NBA star” might get you a few laughs, a better bet is to talk about your goals and ambitions—and why this job will get you closer to them.

Hint: Ideally the same things that this position has to offer. Be specific.

Don't be thrown off by this question—just take a deep breath and explain to the hiring manager why you've made the career decisions you have. More importantly, give a few examples of how your past experience is transferrable to the new role. This doesn't have to be a direct connection; in fact, it's often more impressive when a candidate can make seemingly irrelevant experience seem very relevant to the role.

Interviewers ask personal questions in an interview to “see if candidates will fit in with the culture [and] give them the opportunity to open up and display their personality, too,” says longtime hiring manager Mitch Fortner. “In other words, if someone asks about your hobbies outside of work, it’s totally OK to open up and share what really makes you tick. (Do keep it semi-professional, though: Saying you like to have a few beers at the local hot spot on Saturday night is fine. Telling them that Monday is usually a rough day for you because you’re always hungover is not.)”

In astronomy, an analemma is a curve representing the angular offset of a celestial body (usually the Sun) from its mean position on the celestial sphere as viewed from another celestial body (usually the Earth). For instance, knowing that Earth's average solar day is exactly 24 hours (by definition), an analemma can be traced by plotting the position of the Sun as viewed from a fixed position on Earth at 24-hour intervals for an entire year. The resulting curve resembles a figure 8. This curve is commonly printed on globes. See also "Equation of Time."

If you were unemployed for a period of time, be direct and to the point about what you’ve been up to (and hopefully, that’s a litany of impressive volunteer and other mind-enriching activities, like blogging or taking classes). Then, steer the conversation toward how you will do the job and contribute to the organization: “I decided to take a break at the time, but today I’m ready to contribute to this organization in the following ways.”

The spring-governed oscillating wheel that governs the timekeeping accuracy of the watch. This is the part of the watch that oscillates at a steady rate to measure the time.

Two discs mounted on the balance staff: a larger disc which holds the roller jewel, and beneath it a smaller crescented disc which, along with the guard pin on the pallet, provides the roller safety function.

Provided by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Time and Frequency Division, Boulder, Colorado. Atomic time is measured through vibrations of atoms in a metal isotope. The result is extremely accurate time that can be measured on instruments. A radio signal transmits this exact time throughout North America and some 'atomic' watches and clocks can receive them and correct to the exact time.

This question seems simple, so many people fail to prepare for it, but it's crucial. Here's the deal: Don't give your complete employment (or personal) history. Instead give a pitch—one that’s concise and compelling and that shows exactly why you’re the right fit for the job. Start off with the 2-3 specific accomplishments or experiences that you most want the interviewer to know about, then wrap up talking about how that prior experience has positioned you for this specific role.

I have two workshops, on an industrial estate at the back of our house. The newer one is a commemorative building, originally a medical facility. Very well built, looks like a small church.

Horological work is done at home.

What your interviewer is really trying to do with this question—beyond identifying any major red flags—is to gauge your self-awareness and honesty. So, “I can't meet a deadline to save my life” is not an option—but neither is “Nothing! I'm perfect!” Strike a balance by thinking of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. For example, maybe you’ve never been strong at public speaking, but you've recently volunteered to run meetings to help you be more comfortable when addressing a crowd.

First of all, be honest (remember, if you get this job, the hiring manager will be calling your former bosses and co-workers!). Then, try to pull out strengths and traits you haven't discussed in other aspects of the interview, such as your strong work ethic or your willingness to pitch in on other projects when needed.

1,000? 10,000? 100,000? Seriously?

Well, seriously, you might get asked brainteaser questions like these, especially in quantitative jobs. But remember that the interviewer doesn’t necessarily want an exact number—he wants to make sure that you understand what’s being asked of you, and that you can set into motion a systematic and logical way to respond. So, just take a deep breath, and start thinking through the math. (Yes, it’s OK to ask for a pen and paper!)

The metal housing that contains the internal parts of a watch. Can be made of almost any metal. Many vintage pocket watch cases are brass or base-metal plated with gold. There were also many alloys of nickel used for pocket watch cases. For wristwatches, stainless steel is the most typical metal used, but titanium, gold, silver and platinum can also be used.

A bimetallic balance often constructed from brass and steel, and split near the balance arms and constructed so that its effective diameter will contract or expand with changes in temperature.