If you are commenting on an existing craft, please select it here and skip the next two questions
Please enter the name of the craft you would like us to add here.
If this is a new craft type please select the most suitable category
Please identify country, region, county or town
Please identify an era/century/approximate historic period.
Heritage Crafts uses a system of four categories of risk to assess the viability of heritage crafts. A heritage craft is considered to be viable if there are sufficient craftspeople to transmit the craft skills to the next generation. For more information on definitions see http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/
People earning their main craft income from this craft (selling, commissions, conservation/ restoration and/or teaching).
People practicing this craft commercially (selling, commissions, conservation/restoration and/or teaching) but as less than half of their income.
People acquiring skills in order to become a professional in this craft, they probably have to work under supervision even if they are earning money while training.
People whose knowledge and ability is at a level of the most skilled practitioners of this craft.
People who do not intend to practice this craft professionally or at the highest level.
Lack of awareness: Lack of general public awareness in career opportunities in the craft.
Training issues: Lack of opportunities for watch and clock making apprenticeships past a technician level. Due to the low number of master watch and clock makers in the UK and the amount of time it takes to train apprentices there are limited opportunities for those wishing to further their skills to find a master to train with.
Training issues: There is a higher industry demand for watchmakers than clockmakers and, as a result, there are more training opportunities for watchmakers. However, there are more higher level training opportunities for clock makers who want to progress past technician level, there is no current equivalent for watch making.
Financial issues: Lack of funding available for watch and clock making apprenticeships past a technician level. There are limited current schemes that offer support to trainees past an introductory level. Qualified technicians will already be earning the national living wage, however, will require a great deal of additional training typically taking a further 3-5 years to reach the skill level of a master clockmaker. This is extremely financially draining for small workshops who must cover the additional wages and the loss of earnings of the master clockmakers carrying out the training.
Health and safety challenges: particularly in relation to those working on turret clocks and public timekeepers. For example, glass work requires impact testing and water ingress checks. These additional checks are often costly and not economical which deters owners from having them restored.
Lack of access to allied crafts supporting the trade: It is now virtually impossible to create every component of a watch or clock in the UK due to a shortage of allied craft businesses, the most extreme examples being spring making (hair and mainspring) and jewel making (synthetic corundum train jewels and watch crystal), neither of which still exist in the UK on a commercial level. Rebuilding these networks of allied craftspeople takes time and is very expensive meaning watches and clocks completely fabricated in the UK are considerably more expensive to produce than those made in countries with better trade support.
Aging population: particularly effecting conservation and restoration, there are more specialists with the skills required retiring than there are entering the trade.
Set up costs: It is incredibly expensive to setup a workshop. Lathes are very expensive as are many other tools.
e.g. lack of qualifications, funding for training etc.
If yes, please describe the issues below
e.g. lack of demand for products/skills etc.
Tick the box if there are difficulties with the supply of raw materials, allied materials or tools
i.e. issues around running any small business, not just crafts
Is the main workforce made up of people who are approaching retirement age?
e.g. legal restrictions on materials, health and safety etc.
e.g. Brexit, Covid-19, conflict
Please describe any other issues
Please describe any UK projects or schemes
Please list any known practitioners of this craft — add a row item for each person or business and complete the fields to the best of your knowledge. To get started click the `Add practitioner` button below.
It may include when and where the craft developed, how it has changed over time, etc.
e.g. festivals, religious celebrations, agricultural practices, music, dance etc.
e.g. religious, ethnic, social class. Please give an overview of the techniques involved in the craft.
This may involve different materials, techniques, styles or finished products.
e.g. books, websites etc.
Enter the destination URL
Or link to existing content
