The good folks at the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, for you non-Canadians) have aired a short audio documentary chronicling Canada’s last watchmakers school – The École Nationale de L’horlogerie. This Québec-based school is quite small, only three teachers and no more than 15 students, but it represents Canada’s last watchmaking stand and its graduates are still in high demand.

The segment, titled “You Can Put Time in Your Hands” was produced by David Gutnick and looks to highlight the slowly disappearing discipline of craft watchmaking, especially within the Canadian context. The school’s future is in jeopardy as it is supported by the Quebec government and may soon lose its funding. The piece mixes history, human interest and current market information into a story about the people and conditions surrounding the creation of hand-built watches. At a little over sixteen minutes, this is a worthwhile listen for any watchnerd and a great way to kick off your weekend.

(photo: Cbc.ca)