+ Supervisors demonstrate lack of trust in employees – basic office supplies are locked in a closet that is only open for a 30 minute window; when performing a basic repair (especially if it involves a jewel-pushing tool), a supervisor might hover over your shoulder and ask for an explanation. The general assumption is the watchmaker should not have to perform any actual repairs during the repair process. The watch is there only for cleaning, fresh lubrication, and replacement of parts. If one watchmaker goes to another watchmaker for help, this is assumed to be non-work-related “chit chat,” and employees may be lectured on how they’re not supposed to be talking in the workshop. Occasionally, when one watchmaker makes a mistake, the team must endure a lecture on how to do a simple procedure (like removing or putting on hands). Employees are required to place parts on a template and tools in specific locations and to work in a specified order of operations regardless of how many years the watchmaker has been in the profession, how good their quality is, or how quickly they work.
+ Procedures change often, without advanced notice, usually to something a little more confusing than the procedure in place before it, with poor explanation as to why the procedures were changed. New hires are expected to know the procedures already or to know to ask for them. It’s a constant feeling of being thrown in the deep-end of a pool.
+ Tool requests are often denied. When tool requests aren’t denied, they can take an inordinate amount of time to arrive (frequently months). When tools do arrive, it’s often a free-for-all grab game for whoever gets the package of tools first (usually, tools don’t make it to the person who ordered them). The results of the grab game vary. In addition, the communication regarding tools is usually in group meetings where something is said along the lines of “I put in the order. I still haven’t heard when the tool will come in.”
+ Employees aren’t sure when they’ll see a supervisor, which is how they obtain their work.
+ When remediating a watchmaker who isn’t meeting production goals, the watchmaker is not given further training or productivity tips, but told to work faster. If they aren’t showing enough improvement, they may be placed in a brand where they will only perform movement exchanges.
+ Mistakes made my other departments often cause headaches at the end of the repair. The case preparation department frequently leaves excess epoxy around crown tubes or pusher sleeves which watchmakers must then remove themselves or take the case back to case preparation. Polishing may also make a mistake which the watchmaker has to rectify themselves or send back. The watchmaker must look carefully at everything before proceeding with the repair because if case preparation or polishing made a mistake and the watchmaker sends the watch to quality control without fixing the mistake, the watchmaker is penalized, not the individual who made the mistake.
+ There’s often a queue to use cleaning machines. Most employees are still waiting on proper cleaning baskets for new cleaning machines which were put in months ago.
+ Quality Control frequently uses high magnification to check work even though specifications say to check the watch without magnification.
+ Watchmakers are asked to work on pieces above their training level without compensation for that work. It can be difficult to land a spot in the trainings needed to advance levels.
+ Personal items are limited to one per bench.
+ All-hands meetings have little application to employees. The meetings are typically long. There isn’t enough seating for employees. Frequently, there are technological problems with the video feed.
+ Sometimes supervisors request re-use of non-consumable watch parts (i.e. main plates, hands) that are in poor condition.
+ Sometimes supervisors request watchmakers turn in a watch with a known problem because of a perceived likelihood the client won’t see the problem rather than fix it.
+ There’s no transparency with how production numbers are calculated. Almost every time employees are given production numbers, the numbers are prefaced with “these aren’t accurate.”
+ In some brands, if one gasket is ordered, the order is filled with 10. The 9 that aren’t used get thrown away.
+ Supervisors require overtime and work on Saturdays if we get too far behind. It may be specified how you are to use time off. For example, we were required to use a vacation or personal day for July 5 and December 31 this year.
