In 2023, Rolex established the Rolex Watchmaking Training Center to prepare and educate the next generation of American watchmakers. The program’s goal is both to create new educational and career opportunities for people interested in becoming Rolex Certified Watchmakers and to ensure there is a pool of skilled watchmakers to support our retail and service partners long term.
For generations, watchmakers were plentiful worldwide and watchmaking was a not-uncommon career path for those with technical and artistic ambitions. However, when the quartz watch emerged in the 1970s and grew in popularity through the 1980s, the demand for watchmakers plummeted. The number of watchmaking schools in the United States alone dropped by more than 75% over just a few decades.
However, mechanical watches experienced a revival in the 1990s and the dire shortage of skilled watchmakers quickly became apparent. Mechanical watches need regular servicing to keep them clean and lubricated and to recalibrate their timekeeping mechanisms. Rolex established the Lititz Watch Technicum in Pennsylvania in 2001 to address the shortage, training new watchmakers and evolving its curriculum to adapt to the changing landscape.
Today, the Rolex Watchmaking Training Center, located in Dallas, Texas, is honoring that legacy with a new 18-month educational program that trains students as Rolex Certified Watchmakers and helps them pursue careers working in Rolex’s service network across North America.
Be a part of the future of American watchmaking at the Rolex Watchmaking Training Center.
To make RWTC an option for as many applicants as possible, our program is completely tuition-free for all students.
In just a year and a half, students graduate as Rolex Certified Watchmakers, ready to begin a career at the bench.
Students begin to work on watches immediately; our program is the only one in the United States to focus a full six months on Rolex watches.
Our after-sales service watchmaking curriculum equips students with micromechanics, watch repair, and refinishing skills with an emphasis on exceptional customer service.
Students will learn and apply basic principles of manufacturing by working with hand tools and raw metal.
Students will learn how watches function and understand how to repair and maintain them.
Students will recognize the watchmaker's role in the Rolex service network and will learn to provide exceptional customer experiences.
Students will apply their knowledge and skills by repairing and servicing Rolex watches.
The Rolex Watchmaking Training Center is a tuition-free program, and all tools and learning materials needed to complete the course are provided. Additionally, students receive a monthly stipend of $1,800 to help offset cost-of-living expenses and to allow students to be engaged in the program full-time.
The course's final exam is administered in Geneva, Switzerland, and all expenses for this trip are covered by the RWTC as well.
No prior watchmaking knowledge or experience is required.
When applications are open, you can complete the application on our website.
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