Will AI replace Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters?

AI can do 4% of the work Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters do at least twice as fast. People already use it for 1 of their 17 tasks. Robots can technically handle 11 physical tasks. 5 still need a person.

AI is already doing this1 · 4% of time

People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.

  • Review blueprints, sketches, or work orders to gather information about tasks to be completed.Mostly automated4% of time

AI could do this next0 · 0% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • No other tasks in this job can be sped up by AI today.

Robots can technically do this11 · 78% of time

Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.

  • Assemble and install components of timepieces to complete mechanisms, using watchmakers' tools and loupes.Robots: purpose built settings27% of time
  • Test operation and fit of timepiece parts and subassemblies, using electronic testing equipment, tweezers, watchmakers' tools, and loupes.Robots: purpose built settings12% of time
  • Observe operation of timepiece parts and subassemblies to determine accuracy of movement, and to diagnose causes of defects.Robots: purpose built settings8% of time
  • Examine components of timepieces such as watches, clocks, or chronometers for defects, using loupes or microscopes.Robots: purpose built settings8% of time
  • Clean and lubricate timepiece parts and assemblies, using solvents, buff sticks, and oil.Robots: purpose built settings7% of time
  • Adjust sizes or positioning of timepiece parts to achieve specified fit or function, using calipers, fixtures, and loupes.Robots: purpose built settings7% of time
  • Bend parts, such as hairsprings, pallets, barrel covers, and bridges, to correct deficiencies in truing or endshake, using tweezers.Robots: purpose built settings3% of time
  • Change timing weights on balance wheels to correct deficient timing.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Estimate spaces between collets and first inner coils to determine if spaces are within acceptable limits.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Turn wheels of calipers and examine springs, using loupes, to determine if center coils appear as perfect circles.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time
  • Tighten or replace loose jewels, using watchmakers' tools.Robots: purpose built settings1% of time

Still needs a person5 · 18% of time

No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.

  • Replace specified parts to repair malfunctioning timepieces, using watchmakers' tools, loupes, and holding fixtures.8% of time
  • Disassemble timepieces such as watches, clocks, and chronometers so that repairs can be made.4% of time
  • Examine and adjust hairspring assemblies to ensure horizontal and circular alignment of hairsprings, using calipers, loupes, and watchmakers' tools.3% of time
  • Mount hairsprings and balance wheel assemblies between jaws of truing calipers.1% of time
  • Bend inner coils of springs away from or toward collets, using tweezers, to locate centers of collets in centers of springs, and to correct errors resulting from faulty colleting of coils.1% of time

Your week is not the average

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What this means

Little of this work suits AI. The bigger change here is robots: today's robots can technically do 78% of the working time, though they are rarely cheap enough to replace people yet.

What to do next

  • Do the 1 task AI is already handling with AI yourself. Your peers already are, and it is quickly becoming the baseline.
  • Keep an eye on the 11 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
  • Build on the 5 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators5%Team Assemblers5%Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers7%Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters1%Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers0%Engine and Other Machine Assemblers0%

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