1881, Claudius Saunier, The Watchmakers’ Hand-Book, translated, revised and augmented by Julien Tripplin and Edward Rigg, London: J. Tripplin, Preface, p. vi, In recent years the work of the ordinary watch-jobber and repairer has undergone considerable change. The apprenticeship he serves, if indeed it can be called a real apprenticeship, is shorter than formerly.
Source: wiktionary