Despite the growing ubiquity of smartwatches, with their romanticism and craftsmanship, the desire for a fine timepiece is undeniable.

However, while owning a quality watch is readily available to those who can afford it, the opportunity of becoming a watchmaker has been a distant dream for Cambodians – until now, that is.

That’s where the Prince Horology Vocational Training Centre comes in.

This June, eight hand-picked students will become the first batch of Cambodian watchmakers to undertake a two-year, 3,400-hour educational journey to becoming skilled artisans.

Walking into the training facility is akin to entering Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory for a watch lover.

The three-storey school in Chroy Changvar is laden with state-of-the-art tools and infrastructure all shipped in from Switzerland, from fully stocked specially designed workbenches to Leica microscopes, Schaublin and Horia lathes, milling and boring machines, and specialised ovens for heat treatment.

Due to the level of investment committed to providing the highest quality watchmaking education in Cambodia, many of the tools available at the school surpass those available at most watchmaking schools worldwide, according to Jessica Thakur, technical advisor for the centre.

“Everyone who visits our training centre finds themselves amazed to find a true watchmaking oasis here in Phnom Penh. This is a very unique and very special watchmaking school,” Thakur says.

Graduates of the programme – which is modelled on the Swiss watchmaking educational curriculum – will not only learn how to repair and service timepieces, they will also have made a watch of their own and, crucially, have earned a watchmaking certificate.

Students will undergo extensive training, beginning with the theoretical concepts of time to basic micromechanics, before they begin crafting delicate and precise components.

They will then learn how to adjust watches and study chronometry under the tutelage of an experienced instructor and technical team, before finally completing their very own watch, among other projects.

They will also be eligible to continue their journey through a two-year paid apprenticeship, should they wish to do so.

“We are excited to take these students from a white sheet of paper and sculpt them into skilled watchmakers,” adds Thakur, who instructed at the Richemont Group’s watchmaking school in the US – which certifies watchmakers for prestigious brands including Jaeger-LeCoultre, A Lange & Sohne, IWC and Vacheron Constantin – before becoming manager of the Worldwide Partnership at the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Programme (Wostep).

She stresses that the students will not only undergo the same extensive training as her former pupils at Richemont and Wostep, but that the team is motivated to reach new heights and provide real opportunities for talented Cambodians.

Next to Thakur is Maarten Pieters, also a technical advisor for the Prince Horology Vocational Training Centre, and Anthony McGonigle, the watchmaking instructor who will lead the first classes and the many to follow.

At an administrative level, the team is well supported by Penh Song Chhun from Phnom Penh.

Leading the team is Xu Zhou, a mechanical engineer and self-taught watchmaker, and Sack-Man Loui, who is executive principal for the centre, and a first class timepiece aficionado and experienced watchmaker.

During a visit by The Post, the pair were found on the top floor of the facilities with a pair of Patek Philippe wrist watches in front of them – hinting that perhaps students who enrol on the programme will get to craft similar quality timepieces for their final projects.

Pieters, who helped refine the legendary Omega Central Tourbillon and is a former Wostep director, explains that he was spurred to join the venture as it allows him to build a culture of watchmaking from the ground up.

“Learning watchmaking is a beautiful thing because it helps us to progress and create even more beautiful things.

“With the right passion and motivation, a human is able to achieve anything that they can dream of – no one can limit that,” he says.

The Prince Horology Vocational Centre is currently accepting applications. It is also offering full and partial scholarships up to 100 per cent of the tuition fee, with a stipend and accommodation.