A
watchmaker is an
artisan who makes and repairs
watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were
master craftsmen who built watches, including all their parts, by hand. Modern watchmakers, when required to repair older watches, for which replacement parts may not be available, must have
fabrication skills, and can typically manufacture replacements for many of the parts found in a watch. The term
clockmaker refers to an equivalent occupation specializing in
clocks.