Week 8

Equipment and the industry

In watchmaking tools and equipment are expensive…… like, really expensive. This wouldn’t be a problem if you only had to get a dozen or so tools but in watchmaking there is a tool for everything. A lot of my tools only do one thing, that’s it: one thing. They can’t be used in any other way or for any other job. A lot of them aren’t necessary but they do make life a lot easier and in a lot of instances the customer gets a better job.

Purchasing tools and equipment is an ongoing activity. It never ends! In some cases it can become addictive and some watchmakers will hoard equipment and take it with them to the grave only for it to be used it once, maybe, when it could have come in handy to some young and upcoming watch or clock maker.

Watchmakers are traditionally hoarders. We hoard everything from watches, parts, tools and equipment. As I have been told: “you never know when it will come in handy!”. I have been fortunate enough that an incredibly nice watchmaker recently passed a great deal of his tools, parts and equipment onto me. He has given me a lot of parts including the boxed sets of stems and staffs and although there is a chance that most of the time they might sit around collecting dust, I have no doubt that one of them will inevitably save my ass one day. These parts that he has given me aren’t made anymore, so they will allow me to repair someone else’s watch that they care deeply about because of his generosity. How do you value parts that are new old stock or second hand from an old watch?

Watchmaking has a lot of barriers to entry, including: education, money, time, tools and experience. I think the least we can do is help the next generation coming up. I know when I get old and can’t do it anymore I’ll return that favor by passing on what tools, parts and experience I have on to someone else. There isn’t an abundance of old tools available, with watchmaking being the new craft beer everyone seems to be dipping their toes in. As a lot of young watchmakers have probably seen, the demand for second hand tools is really high. Second hand tools have traditionally allowed young watchmakers to get their own tools and work towards establishing themselves, as new tools/ equipment are often out of reach for most starting out.

This is where old watchmakers dabbling around the edges of the trade could provide assistance. As I have a tendency to visit heaps of workshops I see tools and equipment sitting in corners never being used. There exists a great opportunity for older watchmakers to sell or give their tools away. In saying this it is not just the equipment that is valuable but their knowledge is too. Mentoring or succession planning are not often discussed in the watchmaking industry. There exists a huge untapped opportunity here to ensure the survival of the trade. With so few watchmakers starting out in the trade and with a good amount of young Australian watchmakers opting to work for the major brands (LVMH, Richemont, Rolex and Swatch group), the availability and choice for the end consumer is drying up. Watchmakers are reluctant to take a step back and see what someone else can do, ask for help or seek assistance.

With advancements in technology and systems a generation of watchmakers have been left behind. Things like customer databases, customer service standards, accounting, emailing, job management, social media/ marketing, and administrative procedures have moved forward at a rate of knots. But with the average age of a watchmaker in Australia sitting in the 60’s, it’s no wonder they might have been left behind. Couple this with a massive backlog of work and excessive demand it’s hard to be in a position where some of these changes can take place… a lot of them simply don’t have time, and when you’re busy then why change what is working. But there is being busy because you are great at what you do and there is being busy because of next to no competition. Back in 2016 I surveyed most of the watchmakers for South Australia bar three I believe. With approximately 20 watchmakers left in the state, and an average age around 57 - which is lower than the national average - this leaves very few people to provide quality watch and clock repair work. With no new watchmakers apprenticed in South Australia numbers will only drop in years to come, especially in the next 5 to 10 years as a large group of watchmakers in their 60’s and 70’s are on the cusp of retiring. This trend is common across Australia and will lead to a higher demand for watch and clock repair work. I can only speculate on how this will affect this industry and the end consumer (more to come in a later blog) but it does not bode well for the industry.

With the only Australian watchmaking school located in Sydney, which takes in apprentices across all states, it is not a surprise that only 4 - 10 apprentices are admitted each year. With many of them working for or joining the major brands, the end consumer is slowly and unwittingly losing options. If you combine this with industry politics and significant supply changes, the industry will be taking on a different look compared to the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s. While this may not bother you and in the grand scheme of things it’s not heart surgery, it is the slow chipping away at a value us 25 million Australians hold dear to our hearts: choice.

For those holding on in my industry, I say this: don’t wait until it’s to late. Take a punt, what do you have to lose? Jump in and join a young watchmaker on the journey. Mentor them, work with them, we have the energy to create change, drive ideas forward and the time to make mistakes. Why not sit back, try something different and join in for the ride.

My name is Oliver, I own and operate an independent watch and clock repair business called OBR Horology and am fortunate to have had help in this industry like what I mentioned above. If you have any questions please ask.

In the mean time there are plenty of watches to repair and lots of things to learn. If you would like a watch or clock repaired in Adelaide please reach out and contact me. If you live in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or anywhere around Australia I have just set up my DHL account so watches can be couriered around the country and picked up from your house! Easy as that.