About Me

Why would anyone love watches?

My dear old dad was a watchmaker and he took me on as an apprentice when I couldn’t find work in several other careers that I aspired to.

I didn’t particularly like the trade but it gave me an income.

Some 10 years after starting, I entered a retail jewellery business because I was tired of sitting at  a bench all day concentrating and focusing on tiny components with an eyeglass screwed into my eye socket.  Watchmaking is very intense, there is little social contact, tucked away in a back room, you can’t smell the roses and the skill required is rarely appreciated.

One day a fast talking consultant convinced me that he could analyse our business and double the turnover in a year. One of the first things he said, after just looking around, was “I see that you’re a watchmaker because you are way overstocked with watches”. He went on to say “First thing you need to do is to get more into diamonds and gold,  where the money is.”

Well, his advise didn’t cause the business to double  and 30 years on, I’m still overstocked with watches…..especially in my private collection!

I  have become a horological “petrol head”! I love classical mechanical watches,  not because they tell me the time, I can get the time from cheap quartz watches, a cheap appliance or just about anywhere. I’m interested in the movements of watches, the aesthetics of case design and their construction, the history and the simple thrill of watching tiny, beautifully finished wheels, pinions and other parts turning and oscillating and my never-ending marveling at the craftsmanship that created it.

This blog is about my private collection and it will give me pleasure if you enjoy it.