The watchmaking industry today
Few skilled, many hours — and an industry that demands new hands
Watchmaker is one of the smaller crafts in Denmark. Not many new watchmakers are trained each year and the entire education is concentrated in one place in the country. This makes the trade special—and it means that the individual skilled watchmaker is in demand.
§Where do watchmakers work?
As a fully trained watchmaker you can work in several places. Many are employed in watch shops and jewellery stores where they both repair and sell watches and advise customers. Others work at pure repair workshops and some get work from importers or companies that service certain brands. Finally some choose over time to become independent with their own shop or workshop.
- 01Watch shops and jewelry stores
- 02Independent repair workshops
- 03Importers and brand workshops
- 04Own business as self-employed watchmaker
§Mechanical watches have come back into fashion
Although most people carry watches on their phones mechanical wristwatches are far from dead. Quite the contrary there has been renewed interest in fine mechanical watches in recent years as a craft collectible and personal jewellery. This creates work — the watches must be serviced repaired and cared for by someone who understands them.
§A trade with a generational shift
Some of the watch makers who have carried the trade for many years are approaching retirement. This means there is a continuous need for new people to take over — both at the bench and in the shops. For you considering the trade, this can be an advantage: the experience and customer base an older watchmaker has built up must be passed on.
§What does the future require?
The watchmaker of the future must be able to do more than disassemble a timepiece. Modern watches often contain electronics, and customers expect good service and advice. At the same time, the renewed interest in classic craftsmanship means that the ability to restore and maintain older, mechanical watches is worth more than ever. The combination of tradition and technique is the trade's strength.
Simply put the watchmaking industry is small but healthy. If you choose the trade you choose a niche trade where your skills are hard to replace — and that is a good position to be in on a job market.