People often tell me that I have one of the coolest jobs on the planet and I think they may be right. Just these last couple of weeks alone, I have had the pleasure of joining Blancpain for an eight-course meal cooked by not one, but three Michelin-starred chefs; I have had an exclusive tour of an eagle sanctuary with Chopard, where I got to hold a real eagle; and I have spoken to a meteorite hunter at a Guinness Book of Records award ceremony with Louis Moinet, just to mention a few of the things that I get paid for!
But I didn’t always write about watches, I used to work at the United Nations, and before that, I was in finance, so you too could fall into the magical world of watches if the idea takes your fancy. People often share with me the fact that they would love to work in watches, but short of becoming an actual watchmaker, they aren’t quite sure how to proceed. So, after a little research, here are some of the coolest jobs in our wonderful industry to give you some food for thought.
Let’s start with the obvious one – watchmaker. If you want to train to be a watchmaker, there are schools all over the world to learn this fascinating craft. Watchmakers are in extremely short demand right now. In the US alone, for every 10 watchmakers who retire, only one new watchmaker enters the workforce. So, it doesn’t matter what age you are, there is going to be work for you when you graduate, so what are you waiting for?
There are different ways to get into watch journalism. Some people (like me) were journalists first before they got into watches, while others loved watches first and then turned their hand to writing. Tips for getting started: Just start writing. The more you write, the better you will get – keep a diary, write letters, start a blog, whatever it takes to practice. And read as much as you can, preferably WorldTempus, GMT Magazine and the Millenium Watch Book! There are also online writing courses that can be helpful to improve your style. Before you know it, you will be able to reach out to watch media or brands to propose your writing services.
This is a new career that has started popping up on job websites over the last few years as watch brands are looking for ways to put more sustainable practices in place and improve their corporate social responsibility. It is a new field where everything needs to be researched and created, making it an exciting career choice for those who take this path.
If you pride yourself on your watch knowledge and love staying up to date with the latest watch brands, models, and technologies, why not share this passion with others looking to purchase new timepieces? Helping others find their perfect watch is the next best thing to buying a new watch yourself, and a whole lot cheaper!
If you are looking for some excitement, police forces all over Europe have been putting together brigades and flying squads specialized in stopping watch theft. This new field of crime has been steadily growing of late and could be a real problem for the watch industry if people don’t dare wear their watches in public. So, what better way to save the world and its watches than fighting crime?
If you love watches, I bet you have often spotted an interesting watch on the wrist of a TV or movie character. Well, there are people who manage this kind of thing, finding the right products for the right characters. There are also people on the brand side who work on placing their watches in upcoming films for what is called “embedded marketing”. This kind of promotion works really well. Just ask the people at the Omega boutique who are always being asked for the James Bond watch!
Crash testing is not only for cars and dummies, watches go through a battery of crash tests too. They are dropped on the floor, smashed with hammers, boiled, frozen, subjected to extreme magnetic forces and more. Whenever I have visited these kind of watchmaking laboratories, you get a sense that the people who carry out these tests have a huge amount of fun!
For those who have a flair for the arts, watchmaking has a multitude of specialized crafts, from enamel to miniature painting, engraving to gem setting, miniature mosaic, and feather work to name a few. Check out the likes of Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels or Chanel to see some of the most incredible decorative arts that are reserved for watch dials.
If you like taking pictures of your watches for social media and love playing with the decor and finding angles to avoid the glare from the sapphire crystal, watch photography could be the job for you. All the brands need photos and videos of their watches and they are willing to pay handsomely for it.
The booming vintage watch scene has created a whole new world in the watch industry. So, if you enjoy the historic side of things, the auctioneers could be a good direction to go in. There are the big names, such as Christie’s, Phillipe’s, and Sotheby’s, but also smaller auctioneers such as Chronext, Iconeek and Ineichen, along with vintage watch sellers including Watchfinder & Co. and Watch Box.
These are just a few of the professions associated with watchmaking, there are hundreds more, so keep researching and let us know when you find something in our wonderful industry, and who knows, we may see you around!
