Today you can find the time almost anywhere. Mobile phones, laptops, mp3 players, microwaves and a whole host of other electronic gadgets display the time digitally, so arguably there isn’t as much need for a wristwatch today as there once was. It’s certainly true that less people are wearing watches due to the prevalence of the time being displayed digitally on the numerous devices we carry around with us on a daily basis.
The watch repair trade is alive and well
There is some speculation that the prevalence of people turning to their phone or iPod to get the time could eventually see the long established watch repair trade fade into obscurity. It certainly seems logical to make this assumption, but the story is quite the contrary. In the USA the watch repair trade is booming, and many of these skilled watch repairman are utterly overwhelmed with work to the point they’re turning people away. Skilled engineers capable of repairing Rolex watches and models from other leading brands are in high demand.
It’s seems that one of the main reasons that the swell of modern technology has not been able to render the trade in watch repair obsolete is thanks to the dwindling numbers of people who have the necessary skills. The records of  The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute show that in 2000 there were approximately 6,500 watchmakers trading throughout America compared to over 45,000 fifty years prior.
So, the lack of people with the appropriate training could account for the fact that the wathchmaking trade has managed to survive so well, in fact some long established watchmakers are reporting great difficulties in finding the staff they require.
So, although the rise of modern technology has seen a number of other trades become obsolete it seems that American watchmakers won’t be short of work just yet.