Chinese watchmakers won't stop ticking (3)

To fulfill market demand, watchmaking degrees were even offered at Tianjin University and Harbin Institute of Technology.

However, the entry of Swiss-made watches into China changed the market. The development of quartz-movement watches also affected Chinese watchmakers, who were manufacturing mechanical watches at the time.

Japanese watch factories industrialized quartz technology in the 1980s, heavily influencing the manufacture of mechanical watches, Miao said.

Subsequent sales declines forced the Beijing Watch Factory to sublet most of its plants to neighboring factories. The company could not even afford to pay its workers.

The watchmaking degree offered at Tianjin University was removed due to limited interest in the subject.

"Younger students couldn't see a future in the career, so why apply for the major?" said Su Wenbin, a 71-year-old technician at the Beijing Watch Factory.

Although he is about to retire, Su will work for the factory, explaining that there are few people who can take his place.

"We can't expect an uncompetitive monthly salary of 2,000 yuan to attract young people," he said.

Chinese watchmakers are still doing their best to get by, however. Sea-Gull remains a state-owned company and is working to narrow down its product range and tailor it to a new audience.

Many Swiss and Japanese brands have celebrity spokesmen, Lu said. But Sea-Gull expects each Chinese to represent the brand.

The Beijing Watch Factory, which was purchased by a local real estate developer, has taken a different route, choosing to develop high-end watches that they hope will take off among China's moneyed elite.

Although China has more than 100 watchmakers of varying size, none of them has built a brand culture that is as well-recognized among Chinese consumers as the Swiss and Japanese brands they compete with.

Chang Wei, a watch collector, said that Switzerland has a watchmaking history much longer than China, a fact that has stunted the industry's growth.

However, Chang said he believes that Chinese watchmakers should work to create their own value and maintain their traditions, as well as boost their promotional efforts in order to win greater numbers of customers.

"This can help consumers understand the additional value of the watch and build their sense of identity," Chang said.