PDF Version - The American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute

TODAY’S TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK
LIFE FOR THE NEW WATCHMAKER
By Herman Mayer
The following is a speech by Herman Mayer to recent graduates
of the Lititz Watch Technicum. This well-known two-year program
combines centuries-old watchmaking techniques with the
latest diagnostic applications. As head (Principal) of the school,
Mr. Mayer gives his insights on the fascinating and challenging
aspects new watchmakers will face as they enter the professional
community.
You have been knocking on the door of the professional
watchmaking community for the last two
years and today, this door formally opens to let you
in. I want to welcome you on behalf of Rolex and of
SAWTA, the Swiss American Watchmakers Training
Alliance.
Watchmakers are typically a strange and eccentric
group. I am sure you are aware of this already
from your formative years here at the LWT. This is
exactly the topic of my message today. “INAPPRO-
PRIATE,” the more conservative members of the audience
are thinking now. “NECESSARY,” I counter.
Let me explain: The character of a collective is defined
by its individual constituents. In our context,
that means the state of the watchmaking profession
is directly dependent on the actions and dispositions
of its members.
“Why,” you may ask, “does the state of the profession
matter to me” The answer is simple: It matters
to you directly in the form of workplace quality,
income and social status, to name a few examples.
If you are a member of a profession that does not
enjoy a solid reputation and status, you notice the
resulting consequences instantaneously and directly.
It determines your day-to-day existence.
For example, it affects the size of your savings account,
the size of your retirement account, the car
you drive, the neighborhood in which you live, the
school your children attend, and…the overall quality
of life you can provide for you and your family.
Some of the effects are long term. For example, the
quality of education you can make possible for your
children will have an effect on their lives far in the
future; you must not ignore your obvious obligations
towards the next generation. We are all social
beings and need to accept our responsibilities.
Our Western culture has a solid trend toward an
egocentric attitude, and there may be nothing
wrong with that. However, the recent history of
our beloved profession demonstrates with endless
examples how a lack of vision beyond the tip of the
nose of our professional community… has compromised
its status to the detriment of its individual
members. For our work at the bench, a vision much
beyond the tip of your nose is hardly necessary…
and it’s only when a watchmaker removes the loupe
and steps away from the workbench that the big
picture becomes apparent: The world does not revolve
around us!
There is today a tremendous demand for qualified
watchmaking professionals, which offers a
unique opportunity. The timing is right for building
a solid and rewarding career. However, you need
to combine your watchmaking skills you acquired
here with social competence, strategic thinking,
authenticity, and performance orientation in order
to qualify for this opportunity. Working on a watch
movement is by far no longer enough—it’s the overall
package you have to offer as a professional that
will make all the difference going forward.
Let me explain:
Social Competence
Until recently, members of the watchmaking community
have typically shown serious deficits in this
area, especially the older generation. They found
nothing wrong with being tucked away in the
basement or behind a curtain at a messy and disorganized
bench avoiding contact with the outside
world. This seems to have worked in the past,
where the watch service culture was more utilitarian,
but this clearly cannot support the high end
watch culture of today. Today’s watchmakers need,
in addition to the technical skills, the ability and
willingness to communicate with customers, brands,
colleagues and actively live the watchmaking culture.
Remember to take the loupe off and start a
meaningful, positive dialogue with the members of
your professional environment. The watchmaker of
today needs to be compatible and in sync with the
spirit of the high end watch culture.
Strategic Thinking
There have been serious shortcomings in this area,
too. Strategic thinking needs foresight, and when
you view the world through a loupe, you don’t see
very far. Here is a good example of the limited
vision of the watchmaking community as a collective.
In a time when the sales of new mechanical
high-end timepieces was higher than ever, watchmakers,
instead of getting ready for the challenge
by furthering their education, decided to take legal
action against the manufacturers to force them
to freely sell components and tools. If they would
have looked without the loupe at the situation, they
would have realized that free access to parts and
tools is useless when the necessary skills and knowledge
are not present.
Horological Times November 2010 36