American watchmaking & repair statistics.
Six useful facts about the American watches people still collect, and the specialist work that keeps mechanical timepieces going.
The figures behind the old movements.
Vintage watches reward close reading. The same is true of their history. These numbers are selected because they offer a solid, quotable starting point, not because they turn any individual watch into a verdict. Condition, originality, provenance, and service history still belong to the specific piece in hand.
watches, clocks, and instruments
The Waltham Watch Company produced more than 35 million pieces before it closed in 1957. The company opened its Waltham factory in 1854.
Source: City of Waltham historical overviewHamilton military timepieces
During World War II, Hamilton stopped consumer-watch production to provide the U.S. armed forces with one million timepieces.
Source: Smithsonian National Museum of American Historyfirst Illinois stem-wind watch
The Illinois Springfield Watch Company made its first stem-wind watch in 1875, six years after the company was created.
Source: Smithsonian National Museum of American HistoryU.S. watch and clock repairers
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 1,300 watch and clock repairers in May 2024. The occupation includes watchmakers, watch technicians, and mechanical timepiece repairers.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsmean annual pay for repairers
The national mean annual wage for U.S. watch and clock repairers was $62,450 in May 2024. The reported median hourly wage was $29.18.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsprojected job growth, 2025–2035
Federal occupational projections list 1,400 watch and clock repairers in 2025 and little or no employment change through 2035.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsA production number is history, not a shortcut.
A large production total can explain why a maker turns up often. It cannot establish rarity, originality, value, or the condition of a particular watch. The worth of an older timepiece is still in the details: its movement, dial, case, known repairs, and the honesty of the description.
Built for a closer look.
This page uses public records from the City of Waltham, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each fact is linked to the supporting source and dated according to the historical period, survey, or projection it reports. It is updated when a primary source changes or a newer federal series becomes available.
Historical production figures describe a company or period, not the supply or value of surviving watches. Employment and wage figures describe the U.S. occupation as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the availability or quality of service for a particular watch.
Cite this page
Timepiecesbutvintage. “American Watchmaking & Repair Statistics, 2026.” Updated September 29, 2026.
Use a direct link to the fact you are citing, such as Waltham production or repair employment.