What Do Watch Repairers Do (including Their Typical Day At Work)

Job Description

Watch Repairers repair, clean, and adjust mechanisms of timing instruments, such as watches and clocks. Includes watchmakers, watch technicians, and mechanical timepiece repairers. They also clean, rinse, and dry timepiece parts, using solutions and ultrasonic or mechanical watch-cleaning machines.

Other tasks include:

• Adjust timing regulators, using truing calipers, watch-rate recorders, and tweezers.
• Reassemble timepieces, replacing glass faces and batteries, before returning them to customers.
• Disassemble timepieces and inspect them for defective, worn, misaligned, or rusty parts, using loupes.
• Oil moving parts of timepieces.
• Estimate repair costs and timepiece values.
• Repair or replace broken, damaged, or worn parts on timepieces, using lathes, drill presses, and hand tools.

We asked Watch Repairers how satisfied they are with their job. Here is what they said.

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67% of them said they were satisfied with their job and 52% said they find that their job makes the world a better place or helps to make someone else’s life better.

Typical Day At Work

On a daily basis, Watch Repairers reassemble timepieces, replacing glass faces and batteries, before returning them to customers. They record quantities and types of timepieces repaired, serial and model numbers of items, work performed, and charges for repairs.

A typical day for a Watch Repairer will also include:

• Disassemble timepieces and inspect them for defective, worn, misaligned, or rusty parts, using loupes.
• Test timepiece accuracy and performance, using meters and other electronic instruments.
• Perform regular adjustment and maintenance on timepieces, watch cases, and watch bands.
• Estimate repair costs and timepiece values.
• Gather information from customers about a timepiece’s problems and its service history.

We asked some Watch Repairers a few questions to find out what else does their work day look like. Here is what we found.

	Do you have telephone conversations everyday in this job?	74% said yes
	How important is it to work in a team in this job?	1% said very important
	Do you have group discussions everyday in this job?	49% said yes
	Do you talk or work with customers everyday in this job?	61% said yes
	Do you have to deal with angry customers everyday in this job?	0% said yes
	Do you have to make decisions everyday in this job?	63% said yes

Other responsibilities

Besides their typical day, Watch Repairers also fabricate parts for watches and clocks, using small lathes and other machines. They may also order supplies, including replacement parts, for timing instruments.

On a weekly to monthly basis, Watch Repairers Clean, rinse, and dry timepiece parts, using solutions and ultrasonic or mechanical watch-cleaning machines. They might also Demagnetize mechanisms, using demagnetizing machines.

In addition, they Repair or replace broken, damaged, or worn parts on timepieces, using lathes, drill presses, and hand tools.

Although specific duties may vary, many of them Adjust timing regulators, using truing calipers, watch-rate recorders, and tweezers.

To some Watch Repairers, it is also their responsibility to Test and replace batteries and other electronic components.

Working life

More than 40 hours per week

Regular schedule like a 9 to 5

In a typical work week as a Watch Repairer, you can expect to work more than 40 hours per week.

Is this right for me

People who are suitable for this job tends to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery..

They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.

You can read more about these career personality types here.

Explore other careers

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499064.htm