In the digital era, when most of us tell the time almost exclusively by glancing at our smartphones, the historic craft of analogue watchmaking may seem like a relic of times gone by.
But far from dying out, the profession of horology is actually "enjoying a resurgence" of interest, said CNN, and the new wave of appreciation for the artistry of watchmaking is being partly "triggered" by Gen-Z aficionados.
For decades the watchmaking industry had worried about an imminent "labour shortage" as older artisans retired, but even as the Baby Boomers continue to clock off, a new generation of enthusiasts have come to represent a "saving point" for the craft, said Johann Kunz-Fernandez, director of the Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Educational Program.
Connoisseurs have "heaped praise" on a "fresh generation" of "independent, artisanal watchmakers", all graduates of the Lycée Edgar Faure, a prestigious watchmaking school in eastern France, said the Financial Times last year.
The watchmaking industry has historically been heavily gendered. Although women have "long been present" in the business because their "smaller hands" were "seen as beneficial", female workers have primarily been "operators", with the more responsible position of "watchmaker" mostly held by men, said CNN. But the Finnish School of Watchmaking said women made up one-third of its applicants this year amid a rise in interest from female watch lovers.
"Horology is the perfect amalgamation of precision engineering, creativity and history," aspiring watchmaker Isra Arif told Pakistan's The News International. "The artistry and craftsmanship are things technology can't replace."
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