![]() A precious metals program was launched in the 1980s, offering students an opportunity to work with gold and platinum. The department received a large grant from the Texas Education Agency leading to the gemology program in the 1970s. By 1946, the department’s chief function was training World War II veterans under the GI Bill. It was the college’s first workforce program. The watchmaking program at PJC started in 1942 as a vocational rehabilitation center for people with disabilities. That helps us work a little bit cleaner,” McMahan says. In-person sessions started in the summer with social distancing. Watchmaking is one of the hands-on programs that is challenging to do remotely, McMahan says, although there were some Zoom sessions this spring on watchmaking theory. Students in PJC’s watchmaking program wait for instructor Stan McMahan (left) to inspect their work and give critiques. Currently, eight students are in the program, McMahan says, down from the average of 14, which he attributes to the pandemic. ![]() Most students are recent high school graduates, although sometimes older career changers enroll. ![]() The watchmaking courses cover astronomy (because some watches have astronomical computations), chemistry, physics, metallurgy, math, computer skills (for recordkeeping) and tribology (the study of friction). PJC offers a certificate and associate of applied science degree in horology, a certificate of fine mechanical watch repair, and a degree in jewelry technology, as well as several related certificates. Starting salaries vary by region but average about $50,000 in the U.S., although jobs in New York City pay more. Most of the jobs are at factory service centers, luxury jewelry stores and independent service centers, McMahan says. Graduates of the program work all over the world, including Switzerland, Australia, Tokyo and Hong Kong. “For the most part, the profession of watchmaking is centered around the luxury watch market,” and that “demands the highest level of craftsmanship,” McMahan says.Ībout 95% of his students are hired immediately, often by such companies as Rolex, Richemont, Swatch, TAG Heuer and Patek Phillippe. Today, the program is part of the Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology at PJC.ĭespite iPhones, iWatches and cheap, mass-produced wristwatches, there’s still a demand for people with watchmaking skills, says instructor Stan McMahan. Paris Junior College in Texas offers courses in horology that in the 1940s mainly trained returning World War II veterans to help them find jobs making and repairing watches. ![]() It’s a program that has withstood the test of time. ![]()
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