Selling Repairs

From Horology magazine, October 1939

Selling Repairs

Editor Horology, Dear Sir:
For the past several years, I have been reading various articles in your publication urging the watchmakers of America to increase their skill. I think you are all wrong about this. There is practically no demand for skilled watchmakers today.  There is a demand for those who c;n clean watches fast, the faster the better.


Many times I have heard it remarked among those of the retail jewelry trade that no watchmaker could possibly earn a dollar an hour. I understand that electricians here get two dollars an hour on a house wiring job and nobody seems to think that they can't earn that pay. But, no watchmaker can earn one dollar an hour, according to the retail jewelers.

Some time ago it became necessary for me to have five teeth extracted. I went to a specialist who spent less than one hour on the job. My bill was $50.00. A little later I needed to have three more teeth extracted and this time I went to a cheaper dentist in the residential section of the town who has his office in his home. He also spent less than an hour on the job and my bill was $15.00. But, I myself can't possibly earn a dollar per hour according to the retail jewelers.


N ow here is another thing. Suppose I applied for a position as a watchmaker, do you suppose I would be asked by my prospective employer if I could make a staff for a Patek Philippe or vibrate and overcoil a hairspring for the same watch?  Do you suppose I would be asked if I could do a close position rating or do you think he would say, "We need a good fast man. How many watches per day can you clean?" What the watchmaker needs today is not more skill. It is not the skilled men today who are in demand. This is the day of the fast worker and if the customer is not pleased with the results, sell him a new watch.

Our most desperate need today is for more retail jewelers who take pride in the quality of watch repair work being turned out by their establishments.


I venture the guess that not one fine watch in a dozen in use today is in shape to keep anything like the time its makers intended it to keep. Why should this be so?


If the retail jewelers would try to sell fine watch repairing as hard as they do to sell fine merchandise, we would all be better off. And we would also gain the respect of the public, providing, of course, that we actually delivered the goods.


It would be just as reasonable for the retail jewelers to take the attitude that they can't possibly sell fine merchandise because the five and ten has trash for sale as to claim that they can't sell fine watch repairing in competition with the cheap hot-shot tinkers.

Very truly yours, 

Edgar Wilton, 

Houston, Texas.