Fantastic. Wearing my grandfather's 1960's Omega Constellation...not cleaned since the late 1980s and it keeps far better time than my 15-year old Breguet. If I adjust the time by a minute or 2 a couple times a year, that is a lot.Well, my father was a watchmaker. So I grew up observing most all facets of the trade. He had a full shop at home and also managed a jewelry counter in a major department store of the day. He also could create custom replacement parts that could no longer be ordered. In the early days of his career he met my mom while working around jewelry stores in Detroit city. And ah Motown, what a great time to be a kid.
I truly loved quietly watching him disassemble, clean, oil, and rebuild all sorts of timepieces as I grew up. There was a zen to it and he loved the complexity, beautiful jeweled movement, pulsating and spinning. My dad was a very quiet, resourceful, gentle man like his father who was a furniture carpenter, both enjoyed the craft, and enjoyed the quiet time. So no doubt, my DNA lead me to be an industrial designer. I also love the quiet crafting time and creating things.
So I’ve been around mechanical timepieces and owned quite a few. Regretfully watching the collapse of the industry as cheap electric watches became popular. It’s the evolution of things. Fortunately my family made a very good livelihood back when a watch was more than a fashion statement, but a necessity.
Though I own many, many excellent but modest timepieces, alas, they collect dust as I wear an Apple Watch daily because of its appreciable Dick Tracy aspects. Welcome to the modern world.
“Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?”
But I have to put it out there… WHEN will we get flying cars!
That is a testament to your father's and grandfather's generation of timepiece making.
