The watchmaking industry, previously considered a 'dead profession', is experiencing a revival among Generation Z and middle-aged individuals. This renaissance is fueled by the growing transaction of second-hand watches and the sharing of watchmaking techniques through online communities.
CNN reported on the 29th of last month (local time) that watches are no longer simply tools for telling time, and in this trend, the traditional profession of 'watchmaker' is gaining new prominence. Those born between 1997 and 2012, known as Generation Z, desire to create something with their hands rather than spending all their time in front of computers, wishing to make durable items themselves.
The watchmaking school 'Kellosepulkku' in Espoo, Finland, has opened an English course for the first time since its founding. Applicants from Korea, Canada, the United States, Turkey, and Iran flocked to the program. Hanna Harlainen, principal of Kellosepulkku, noted, "There is a growing interest in micro-brands," adding that "the younger generation wants to create durable products." Among the school's graduates, there is a creator who live-streams watchmaking on the internet personal broadcasting platform Twitch.
The demand for watchmakers is also increasing. Johan Kunz-Fernandez, director of the Swiss watchmaker training program WOSTEP, said, "As the second-hand watch market expands, the demand for maintenance and restoration has also risen," noting that there was a student who left a 40-year career as a banker to learn watchmaking.
Many have even made a complete transfer of careers. Tina Virtanen, a student set to graduate from the Finnish watch school, worked as a civil engineer for 18 years. He said, "I wanted to create something with my hands rather than sit in front of a computer all day." His classmate Jatta Berggren also mentioned, "The joy of handcrafting is immense," describing how he quit his previous job to become a watchmaker.
There is also a growing number of female watchmakers. Shona Thain, a 27-year-old Swiss watch artisan originally from France, became the first woman to join the Association of Independent Horologists (AHCI) this year. She began her watch training at 15 and became independent at 22. Her first watch model, 'Kemea', took three years to create. The watch features an inscription that requires interpretation and a display indicating the position of the moon in the sky. The price is 89,000 Swiss francs (approximately 120 million won).
Thain said, "Watches are no longer just tools for measuring time; they are a form of art." He added, "Now there is more freedom, more luxury, and more self-expression," noting that "the world is increasingly recognizing that women, like Namsung, have talents in precision engineering."
There are also those challenging traditional methods of watchmaking. Johannes Kalinich (32) and Thibo Clayse (28), who created the watch brand 'Kalinich Clays' in 2022, placed the power reserve indicator on the side of the case instead of the watch dial to create a streamlined design. They produce 10 to 12 watches annually. They remarked, "There is emotion and craftsmanship in machines that cannot be replicated."