Since the moment watches started organizing the fleeting flow of time, they also began to do something else: malfunctioning.
Acquire a device for an extended period and issues are likely to arise. It may operate slowly. Or rapidly. Or cease functioning entirely.
Many years ago, watch repair shops throughout the country employed technicians capable of fixing nearly any mechanical timepiece when its complex internal components — small gears, wheels, and springs — malfunctioned. However, as the U.S. watchmaking industry declined in the mid-20th century, the number of skilled individuals able to repair or create timepieces also started to decrease.
There were 1,880 American watch and clock technicians in 2023, down from 2,430only three years prior, as per information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That 23% drop, combined with earlier losses, has caused some within this specialized sector torefer to the scenario as a labor shortage.It occurs during a renewed fascination with mechanical watches and a small revival of the American watchmaking sector — even with the widespread use of cellphones and their convenient timekeeping. Rolex, the Swiss giant, alone produces more thanOne million watches per year.
Who will be capable of maintaining all of them as they grow older? Or developing the new ones that are being envisioned?
A lack of new watchmaking schools—where students study repairs, manufacturing, or both—is at the heart of the issue. After theclosure of several programsIn the last few decades, just four full-time, independent watchmaking institutions are still operational in the United States.
A watch company based in Torrance, J.N. Shapiro Watches — producer of the$70,000 Resurgence model— is one of the few U.S.-based companies that has faced challenges in recruiting watchmakers.
Rolex offers a remedy for repair-related issues.
In September, a company based in Geneva launched a new watchmaking academy at the Rolex Watch Training Center in Dallas. The 18-month program is designed to teach students how to maintain watches produced by the brand. The final six months of the course involve an immersive phase where students fix Rolex timepieces under the guidance of experienced trainers.
After completing their studies, participants have the option to work for a Rolex-connected jeweler or directly with the company. According to a Rolex representative, the majority of the school's initial cohort, set to graduate in February, have already found employment. They can anticipate annual salaries beginning between $75,000 and $85,000, depending on the location.
The school offers free education. A company representative stated in a release that the Dallas program, which enrolls only 27 students per class, reflects the company's "commitment on a broader level to address industry needs."
Rolex's emphasis on training watchmakers to exclusively handle its products sets its program apart from independent institutions, which generally instruct students in working on a wide range of watches, producing graduates skilled in areas such as micro-mechanics and repairs.
"I believe we require a mix of technicians along with more comprehensive watchmakers," stated Tony Traina, who publishesUnpolished Watches, an industry newsletter. "The manner in which the profession is changing at present — it appears we are moving in that direction. There are individuals like the Shapiros, as well as the Rolexes. I believe we will achieve a balance."
In 2001, Rolex established a more conventional watchmaking institution in the U.S., known as the Lititz Watch Technicum in Pennsylvania, but it has now closed following the graduation of its last cohort this month. Meanwhile, the Rolex school in Dallas remains highly sought after, with 400 applicants for its first class and 560 more for the upcoming second session in September.
Among the candidates, the representative stated, were individuals from Texas who had initially been taken aback to learn that repairing timepieces could be "a legitimate profession with a recognized training pathway."
The typical age of students in the first two classes is 28; some entered directly after high school while others hold a college degree. Participants come from various fields including engineering and accounting, and have worked as musicians, educators, and communication specialists.
As the leader of a standalone watchmaking company, Joshua Shapiro mentioned that it was very challenging to locate the six watchmakers who currently work for him in Torrance.
"It required significant networking," said Shapiro, who mentioned that his team was formed over multiple years, and that three of his watchmakers were from the Lititz school.
One of the watchmakers is Spencer Torok, 25, who completed his studies at Lititz three years ago. Following high school, the resident of Hilliard, Ohio, went to Ohio Dominican University, where he studied accounting. However, Torok came to realize during the COVID-19 pandemic that he wanted to pursue a different path. He had always been fascinated by watches, he mentioned, and decided to enroll at Lititz.
Torok mentioned that the education only intensified his enthusiasm — and that he wouldn't have been employed by Shapiro without the training he obtained in Lititz. "No chance," he said with a laugh. "It requires significant resources to train someone."
Some U.S. watch manufacturers have been forced to move overseas to recruit employees.
Cameron Weiss, whose brand of timepieces bears his namewas founded in L.A.In 2013, he relocated to Nashville and mentioned that he had to seek out Switzerland to find a watchmaker. "I had been searching for someone with that level of expertise for the past 12 years," Weiss stated.
This month, Weiss once more went to Switzerland to search for employees. He believes the Rolex initiative in Dallas will boost watch education in the United States.
One of the few remaining comprehensive watchmaking institutions in the United States is located atParis Junior College located in Texas.Program coordinator Garrin Fraze, 24, earned his degree from the institution in 2019. He was lured back last year by a former teacher, who requested him to assume the role.
"Since we are independent, there's a slight degree of openness in the curriculum," noted Fraze, who also acts as the program's lead instructor.
Similar to the Rolex school in Dallas, the Paris program is compact, serving approximately 20 students. However, Fraze aims to grow it— he is aware of the high demand for watchmakers, including those capable of repairing Rolexes.
Following his completion of the Paris program, he secured a position as the in-house watchmaker for a jeweler based in Fort Worth.
It was a certified Rolex retailer.
This narrative first saw publication inLos Angeles Times.