AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-9064.00

Will AI replace Watch and Clock Repairers?

Watch and Clock Repairers: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 15 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 15 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Watch and Clock Repairers, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Disassemble timepieces and inspect them for defective, worn, misaligned, or rusty parts, using loupes. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Estimate repair costs and timepiece values. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Repair or replace broken, damaged, or worn parts on timepieces, using lathes, drill presses, and hand tools. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Record quantities and types of timepieces repaired, serial and model numbers of items, work performed, and charges for repairs. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Clean, rinse, and dry timepiece parts, using solutions and ultrasonic or mechanical watch-cleaning machines. 15 Estimated No tier 4.7
Adjust timing regulators, using truing calipers, watch-rate recorders, and tweezers. 15 Estimated No tier 4.7
Reassemble timepieces, replacing glass faces and batteries, before returning them to customers. 15 Estimated No tier 4.6
Oil moving parts of timepieces. 15 Estimated No tier 4.5
Test timepiece accuracy and performance, using meters and other electronic instruments. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Perform regular adjustment and maintenance on timepieces, watch cases, and watch bands. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Order supplies, including replacement parts, for timing instruments. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Gather information from customers about a timepiece's problems and its service history. 15 Estimated No tier 4.3
Test and replace batteries and other electronic components. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Demagnetize mechanisms, using demagnetizing machines. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8
Fabricate parts for watches and clocks, using small lathes and other machines. 15 Estimated No tier 3.8

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 15 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 15. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 27% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 27% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 73% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
1,310
Median annual wage
$67,230
Middle half of earners
$47,650 to $91,490
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
-1.1%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Watch and Clock Repairers and AI

Will AI replace Watch and Clock Repairers?

Not on current evidence. None of the 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 16 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.

What is the AI exposure of Watch and Clock Repairers?

16 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 15 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 15 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Watch and Clock Repairers tasks can AI already do?

None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Disassemble timepieces and inspect them for defective, worn, misaligned, or rusty parts, using loupes, at 20 out of 100.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 27% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 73% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Watch and Clock Repairers, and what do they earn?

1,310 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $67,230 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -1.1% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Watch and Clock Repairers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/watch-and-clock-repairers

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