The CAP Horlogerie (Certificat d'Aptitude Professionnelle, France's entry-level vocational watchmaking diploma) remains the official gateway into the trade in France: two years to learn how to disassemble, reassemble, regulate and diagnose a mechanical movement. This guide covers the curriculum in detail, the EP1/EP2/EP3 exams, the reference schools (Morteau, Diderot, Thann), the independent-candidate route (candidat libre), and the real career paths — from manufacture assembly to brand after-sales service, including cross-border work in Switzerland.

If the CAP route is not geographically or financially possible, compare it with the self-taught path described in how to learn watchmaking online and with the modules of our online watchmaking course.