Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters
Perform precision assembling or adjusting, within narrow tolerances, of timing devices such as digital clocks or timing devices with electrical or electronic components.
Most important skills
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Quality Control Analysis
- Operations Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
Key knowledge
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- Assemble and install components of timepieces to complete mechanisms, using watchmakers' tools and loupes.
- Observe operation of timepiece parts and subassemblies to determine accuracy of movement, and to diagnose causes of defects.
- Test operation and fit of timepiece parts and subassemblies, using electronic testing equipment, tweezers, watchmakers' tools, and loupes.
- Replace specified parts to repair malfunctioning timepieces, using watchmakers' tools, loupes, and holding fixtures.
- Disassemble timepieces such as watches, clocks, and chronometers so that repairs can be made.
- Clean and lubricate timepiece parts and assemblies, using solvents, buff sticks, and oil.
- Examine components of timepieces such as watches, clocks, or chronometers for defects, using loupes or microscopes.
- Bend parts, such as hairsprings, pallets, barrel covers, and bridges, to correct deficiencies in truing or endshake, using tweezers.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (91.4% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years (31.7%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (34.8%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 65% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 98% of occupations compared | 88% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 87% of occupations compared | — |
| Freedom to make decisions | High | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 67% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | Very low | Lower on time pressure than 96% of occupations compared | — |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 97% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 73% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 97% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very low
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: very low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Occasional contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Contact with others about half the time: 7.05%
- Contact with others most of the time: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Constant contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 87.77%
- Fairly important: 1.36%
- Important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Extremely important: 10.87%
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0.44%
- Fairly important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Important: 1.37%
- Very important: 9.13%
- Extremely important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very little freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Limited freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Some freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- A lot of freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Time pressure
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: 1.37%
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Conflict situations
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: 8.42%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 0.44%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: 2.72%
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a month or more but not every week: 7.05%
- Once a week or more but not every day: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Every day: 1.36%
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Fairly serious: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Serious: 0.44%
- Very serious: 7.05%
- Extremely serious: 1.99%
n = 13, Incumbent 06/2008
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
Closeness 92/100
- Analyze
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
Closeness 92/100
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 51-2061.00 · SOC 51-2061 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8