Fame
The most famous horologists have a few things in common: they were incredible inventors, skilled mechanics, and have all been dead for quite a while. Since those early contributors, no one's really made a name for themselves by working with clocks, at least according to our traditional, red carpet-style ideas of fame.
These days, when people think about watches, the only thing that really impresses them is if the watch will also search the internet, make phone calls, and occasionally shout reminders at us. As a horologist, though, you're working with analog in a digital world. The best you can hope for is just to build a quiet life for yourself; fame is not likely in your future.
Of course, time travel devices still haven't been invented, and that's still technically part of a horologist's job description. So if you can pull off that invention, you might be able to reach Doc Brown levels of renown.