Since its first class in 2017, the Veterans Watchmaker Initiative has provided free training to almost 80 former servicemen and women. By Janelle Conaway Photographs by Maansi Srivastava Reporting ...

Jason Adams likes the feel of the small, intricate tools he uses to repair watches. The watchmaking tools are a far cry from the weapon the U.S. Army veteran carried during his deployment in Iraq.

Because mechanical watches these days are enthusiast interests, and big Swiss brands generally want to handle their own repairs, the independent watch repair shop is increasingly a rarity. The US ...