Author Ma Jinjiang
Speaking of watchmakers, we must first understand the concept of "clocks and watches". Clocks and watches are not the same thing, clocks are hung on the wall or on the table, and watches are smaller than clocks and can be carried around. The watchmaker mentioned in this article refers to the craftsman who repairs the watch.
A watch, also known as a watch, is a chronograph instrument worn on the wrist.
Speaking of the origin of watches, it is very interesting. In 1904, the French jeweler Cartier received a request from a pilot how to see the time without having to take a pocket watch from his pocket during the flight. Cartier came up with the idea of fastening with a belt and tying a pocket watch to his wrist, which was the original watch. Later, this was commercialized and soon spread all over the world.
Mainland China produced China's first watch in 1955 by Tianjin Warwick Watch Factory (the predecessor of the watch factory), which was named "Five Star" at the time. Now when it comes to watches, it seems to be outdated, but in the 1970s, it was a symbol of fashion, wealth, and status, and it was the dream of every young cadre and worker. Who wants to be able to wear an all-steel shockproof 17-diamond "Dongfeng" or "Shanghai" brand watch, more magnificent than the current "BMW".
Not only the grandeur of wearing a watch, but also the repair of watches at that time was also particularly beautiful. In people's minds, watchmakers are not only highly skilled, but also have a high career, and their income is also different.
In fact, it is not easy to be a good watchmaker. First of all, we must understand the principle of construction, secondly, we must remember hundreds of parts, and again we must be skilled in disassembling and assembling. Without two or three years of kung fu hundreds of times of experience, I dare not call it a "craftsman". Especially for the watch into the water, time error, surface scratches, violent bumps, throwing folding belts and other common problems, it is not easy to know at a glance, hand to get rid of the disease is not easy. Not to mention the level of craftsmanship, just wear a watch magnifying glass, hold a special tool, in front of a small table, under the lamp, calm and not irritable, a sitting is a few hours, can practice this work is not ordinary.
Some people say: "The development of the times is amazing, and there is not even time for people to think." That's what the watch repair industry is.
After the 1980s, with the deepening of reform and opening up, thousands of joint venture watch factories were built across the country, assembled by movements, with countless brands, and watches were popularized, and everyone wore them. This has brought prosperity to the watch repair industry and hope to the watchmakers. However, the good times did not last long, with the crazy influx of cheap electronic watches, quartz watches and mechanical automatic watches, especially after the 1990s, the emergence of mobile phones gradually replaced watches, and the business of watchmakers was getting bleaker. No one repaired the mechanical watch, and he lived by selling batteries all day.
People are accustomed to using mobile phones to see time, and watches as timekeeping tools have lost their original meaning and become a decoration, gift and investment. A small number of people who wear famous gold watches are only the means of local tycoons to show their wealth.
In the face of the rapid development of society, watches, which have only been born for more than a hundred years, have left us and are gradually drifting away; and the watchmakers who have been in the scenery for a while, the change of industry, the change of career, have long withdrawn from people's sight.