The Breitling Watch Source Forums

Does anyone know what the average Breitling watchmaker salary is?

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Kevin

I would say they are well compensated. These are precision watches and not ordinary watches that anyone can toy with.

There is a big difference between a watchmaker at a local jewlery story and a horologist. The people at Breitling or any other luxury brand for that matter are horologist and it takes a few years to become one; therefore, they command a premium.


Best Regards.

Enezdez

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IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015

I totally agree but does anyone have a number for the salary?

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Kevin

I remember a recruitment ad at least a couple of years ago for BUSA in CT. IIRC they were offering about $80,000, but I could be wrong. That's not a lot for a high cost of living area like CT. I don't remember whether or not they required WOSTEP training. I never looked into to it because I have no desire to live in CT. Also, you're independence is gone when you are just another bench.

I know several watchmakers who make a decent living, but they also sell watches and related items. They are in business for themselves, so the actual salary is not as important as the total profit. It is all about reputation, something difficult to establish and easily destroyed.

The investment required to become Rolex certified can easily run into six figures. One friend of mine gave up his Breitling certification because they demanded he stock and sell a certain number of watches. He couldn't afford to keep that many 'lings on display. He's a watch & clock repair shop, not a jewelry store.

More and more storefronts are sending out repairs because it is less expensive than keeping a watchmaker on premises. There are shops that specialize in trade work and take only repair work from storefront retailers. I have no clue what they pay, what training requirements they have, or if they need more staff. There are also people who work from home and take in trade work. They have low overhead, so most of their repair fees are profit.

Personally, I have a day job and only take in enough work to keep my skills sharp. When I retire (soon, I hope), I will take in more work to supplement my income. Again, only enough to allow me to do other things as well.

Don't know why you are asking, but that's my thoughts on the trade.

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1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger

Thanks for the in depth explanation. I was asking just out of curiosity. I knew there must be a high level of education and training.

Kevin

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Kevin

WOSTEP training in Switzerland takes at least two years. That is the best training in the world for swiss watch repair. You get exposure to all the new materials, tools and techniques. Of course, you still need to work in the trade to hone your skills after the training.

There are other training courses in the USA that also teach the skills and techniques of watch repair.

However, there is nothing like experience to teach you how to analyze the problem before attempting to fix it. THe actual repair is usually not difficult if you have diagnosed the problem correctly. If not, you can easily go off in the wrong direction making things worse as you go.

It is not something easily mastered. It takes time to develop skills with small tools before you can work on a watch without leaving a trail of tool marks behind.

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1809 Cosmonaute
1903 Navi
Navi Olympus
Super Avenger