Watches for Dummies

After nearly a year of working in the UK watch industry, it is becoming ever more clear that actually, I still don’t know all that much about watches (don’t tell my boss). Obviously I’ve mastered the basics: dials, bezels, buckles etc. And unlike that incident when I took my Dad’s ‘broken’ 1970’s automatic Swatch to the jewelers for a new battery* (yes, I really did), I’ve finally managed to differentiate between quartz, automatic and tourbillon movements and the many other tiny power houses that make time telling happen.

Even after these months of tinkering with parts, researching brands and managing my own ranges, I know there is still a long way to go. My visit to this year’s Basel World in April opened my eyes to the vast variety of brands that fight for space on the dance floor of the global timepiece party. The sheer scale of the event brought home just how much money and influence runs through the core of the industry, highlighting the horological heritage, engineering and innovation that continues today. 

                                                        Me, lost at Basel World, 2013

I’m lucky enough to work for some very exciting global fashion brands, steeped in the history and grandeur of their own houses so interpreting that handwriting, mixing in some innovation of my own to bring to the party is a real pleasure and an exciting challenge.

A challenge that sometimes leaves me banging my head against the desk (what do you MEAN you want a triple layer skeleton dial with 4000 Swarovski stones in luminescent green and fireworks?), but it’s a preferable sensation to boredom I’ll tell you. It sure beats working in an industry that seems to be consistently regurgitating out the same old tired thing.  High street fashion retailers I’m looking at YOU here.

I digress.

SO, in order to make myself a better product developer and all round watch queen this blog is going to be my return to school, my fresh clean exercise book to fill. Horology 101. Watch Studies for Dummies. Maybe in another year’s time I’ll be able to correctly pronounce Baume and Mercier, correctly change a strap without boring out a chunk of thumb and understand the mechanics behind the minute repeater.

Aim high.