Lititz Watch Technicum

Lititz, Pa.—Having risen from the ashes of the quartz watch boom, the mechanical watch industry is hotter than ever. Sales for the major companies are accelerating, seeing growth like never before.

There is one downside to this watch boom, however. Mechanical watches are complicated mechanisms and need periodic service. Due to the overwhelming popularity of quartz watches during the 70s and 80s, today there is a lack of qualified watchmakers to perform after-sales service, warranty work and repair.

Trying to relieve this shortage in a small way, Rolex Watch USA is funding the Lititz Watch Technicum, the newest watch school in the United States.

Designed by architect Michael Graves, the Technicum is housed in a beautiful building just outside the limits of Lititz, Pa., a traditional Lancaster County town known for its chocolate, its Amish and its pretzels. Rolex has had a repair and service facility in Lancaster County for many years, but when the company realized it was outgrowing its leased space in the Greenfield Industrial Park, it decided to build a separate facility and include accommodations for the new school.

The Need for Watchmakers

The watch industry is fast approaching a crisis point in the United States.

"Watchmaking is seen as a dying art in this country," said Rolex Watch USA Executive Vice President Jean-Claude Vollenweider. "We are working and lobbying in Washington, D.C., to change that perception. We have a booming industry—the mechanical watch industry is going through banner years. That growth means that all of these watches need to be serviced, and the average age of a watchmaker in this country is about 50. We need a couple of thousand watchmakers to replace the existing workforce."

New talent has to be attracted to watchmaking because, when the current watchmakers retire, there will be no one to take their place.

"Today there is a shortage of qualified watchmakers, and our goal is to help provide a new generation of craftsmen for the watch industry," said Charles Berthiaume, senior vice president of technical operations for Rolex Watch USA and head of the new watchmaking school. "We can attribute this shortage to the change in watch technology. When electronic watches came out in the 1970s, the thought was that mechanical watches were finished. Quartz watches are here to stay, obviously, but there has been a renewed interest in the mechanical timepiece as consumers are more willing to invest in a luxury product containing traditional Swiss craftsmanship. There has been almost a renaissance in interest in traditional watchmaking.

"There was a generation of young people who thought, 'Why go into a profession that's on its way out?' So we are missing almost a generation of watchmakers," Berthiaume continued. "Here we are, 25 years later, and we are feeling the effects. The watch industry has enjoyed strong sales in the last 10 years, particularly in mechanical watches, all of which will need to be supported with qualified service to maintain consumer confidence. With the average age of today's watchmaker in the United States being in the mid-to-late 50s, the need to train and educate new technicians has become critical."

The Technicum

The Lititz Watch Technicum is fully funded by Rolex, although the school operates independently.

"The school will be housed in the Lititz building because we designed room for it and it was convenient," said Vollenweider. "The school might be just the first step in our education process. We may have brother and sister schools later on. The school will use the premises, the equipment, all supplied by Rolex, and the faculty will be on the Rolex payroll."

The school plans to adopt the Watch of Switzerland Technical and Educational Program (WOSTEP), which will give students a strong foundation to work on mechanical and quartz watches.

"The Technicum offers a tuition-free, two-year [3,000 hour] program, with an enrollment of 12 students per year, who will be expected to provide for their personal tools," explained Berthiaume. "The response has been positive. Successful graduates will earn a WOSTEP certificate. This training will provide the students with the fundamentals needed to service the majority of watches on the market today, both quartz and mechanical. Graduates will not have any employment commitments to Rolex, and we plan to assist with job placement within the industry, including retail jewelers.

"The students are not guaranteed a job with Rolex," emphasized Vollenweider. "This is not a self-serving school, and it's not just a breeding ground for Rolex watchmakers. We would like to hire all of these future watchmakers and attract them to our network, but it doesn't mean that you will automatically get a job at Rolex. The certification is a WOSTEP certification, not a Rolex certification. The students who graduate from the program will find jobs easily because it's the law of supply-and-demand. Today we are lacking watchmakers—there is more demand than supply."

The Students

To start, the Lititz Watch Technicum is trying to draw from the local area to fill its roster for the first term.

"We are primarily recruiting from the local area because it's the first year, and we felt that if we could attract from the local area, where they would be day students, lodging wouldn't be a concern right away," said Berthiaume. "Our objective is to go nationwide in recruiting but not right at first. To date, we've had a total of approximately 50 potential students who actually filled out applications and many more who have shown an interest."

Watchmaking is not for everyone, so the Lititz Watch Technicum can't really market with abandon because the school is looking for a particular type of person: A person who can succeed at the school and at watchmaking. The excellent introductory materials created by the Lititz Watch Technicum, including a well-produced video, state very clearly what watchmaking is and what is expected from prospective watchmakers-in-training.

"Watchmaking is a profession that is not truly known, and that's why we put the video together," said Vollenweider. "We need someone with dexterity, patience, good eye-hand coordination, someone who can be very focused. Our first tests for prospective students are dexterity tests. We need someone dedicated and interested because watchmaking is a demanding profession, but it's an interesting one. The sky is the limit. You have 100 percent job opportunity. I don't know of any good, quality watchmakers who are unemployed.

"Watchmaking is not a hobby, and it's not just sitting at a bench and changing batteries," Vollenweider continued. "It goes beyond that. A mechanical watch is an intricate timepiece with more than 200 tiny components, and it needs regular maintenance, oiling and cleaning. True watchmaking is an art."

The Future of Watchmaking

Rolex and the Lititz Watch Technicum won't save the watchmaking world with its 12 students a year, but it's a step in the right direction, and every little bit helps. If they can light the fire of watchmaking in a new generation, it can spread out and attract other young people to keep the art and craft alive.

The Lititz Watch Technicum is scheduled to open its doors to its first students in September of 2001.