EXCLUSIVE: Burdeen’s bemoans lack of watchmakers
The CEO of Burdeen’s Jewelry of Chicago, Matthew Burdeen, is the latest industry leader to flag up the increasing danger of insufficient numbers of qualified watchmakers to cope with demand.
As part of an in-depth interview which will be published in the August edition of Watch Insider, Burdeen said that the rate of newcomers into the trade is barely covering the numbers that are retiring or close to retirement.
“It is probably one of the biggest structural problems in the watch industry,” he said. “There are simply not enough qualified watchmakers coming into the profession to replace the people retiring from it.
“And, as watch sales have grown, the installed base of watches requiring service has grown along with it. You cannot fix that overnight,” he continued.
“We have invested heavily in our service operation and in creating an environment where talented watchmakers want to work. We will be building out a new 7000 sq ft facility to house watchmaking, service, and operations in 2027.
“Long-term, though, the industry has to create more watchmakers. Retailers and brands need to support training programs and create a career path that makes young people excited about becoming a watchmaker. It is an incredible profession, but we need to do a better job of exposing people to it.”
The full wide-ranging interview will be published in the August edition of Watch Insider.
