A Watchmaker Training Program for War Veterans

Mission Statement

This program is under the auspices of The American Watch Guild. The focus of this program is to teach our war veterans, especially disabled veterans, the craft of watch repair. We offer training either at a retailer or service center with the opportunity to enroll in one of the 11 watchmaking schools in the United States .

The inspiration for this program is taken from the success of the Bulova Corporation which set up its watchmaking school at the end of WWII. The Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking graduated over 800 watchmakers all of whom found employment in the watch industry. Unfortunately, it closed in 2000.

We hope to increase and replenish the number of people employed in this profession since there is a severe shortage of watchmakers. This shortage is a result of the resurgence of the mechanical watch causing record-breaking sales, coupled with an aging watchmaker population. Once thought of as a dying craft with the advent of the mass-produced quartz watch in 1969, the watchmaking field now suffers from low awareness.

By starting this initiative we hope to repay the sacrifice and service of our veterans by teaching them a vocation (using state-of the-art equipment) that is in high demand and well-paying.