I don't know where to put this, so I'm putting it here.
I know this dude. He wrote this. I think a lot of the effbuilders here can relate. I'm working on getting him to write a piece for us about whatever the hell he wants to write about. Show him some love. He needs a little e-kick in the ass to put e-pen to e-paper.
"Iʼm 32 years old. For a watchmaker, Iʼm a baby. When I meet people my own age and tell them what I do, I tend to get one of three reactions:
1. “Huh, thatʼs cool.”
2. “I have never met a watchmaker before.”
3. “Why are you doing that?”
My answers, in order:
1. “Yes. Yes it is. Thanks.”
2. “Well, there arenʼt many of us around.”
3. This is the one I need to address at length:
My personal reasons for pursuing a career as a watchmaker are exactly that: personal. Itʼs just something thatʼs always interested me, and if I poured all my reasons into a crucible and burned off all the excess theyʼd probably distill down to “watches are neato.” Simple as that.
But when people ask me why I became a watchmaker what they are really asking is “Why would anyone make their living in such a way?” The implication of course is that such a choice is antiquated and highly niche and not a viable career path in this digital age. Who even wears a watch anymore?
In a way, theyʼre right. All conventional wisdom steers young people away from the trades, the crafts and handiwork. Weʼre living in a ʻcreative economyʼ these days, doncha know? Working with your hands is the past, the future is digital. I will not argue that, but the idea that all American workers could or should possess the same skill set is silly. Yet the world seems to be headed that way.
The result is that skilled trades are vanishing at a frightening rate and young workers are not being trained to fill the void. When I was in training there were eight other watchmaking students. That was the entire school. And I was the second youngest. Based on that one could assume that watchmaking is a trade that is dying out.
But it isnʼt: It may be true that fewer people wear watches these days, but a hell of a lot of people still do. And the technicians left to service these watches are exponentially fewer. Consider Memphis, where I work. Memphis metro is a city of a million people, and I am one 6 working watchmakers in town. Six technicians, for a population of 1 million.
Needless to say I found out that what my mentor Arthur Brown told me was true: “You donʼt never get caught up.” From the day I opened Iʼve had as much work as I can handle and itʼs only getting brisker. I would encourage anyone to try their hand at this trade, or any other. Because as we train more creatives, we train fewer craftsmen. And there is always a value in being rarified. For more thoughts like this I would encourage you to check out this book, Shop Class as Soul Craft by Mathew B. Crawford. Which is kind of my work bible."
-Colin Britton
Britton's Watch Repair
http://brittonvintagewatches.com/
Got some cash
Bought some wheels
Took it out
'Cross the fields
Lost Control
Hit a wall
But we're alright
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Originally Posted by chasea
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