Collecting
By Laurent Martinez
ACCESS TO A
GOOD WATCHMAKER
IS VITAL
The team at Daniele
Watchmaker. From
left, Paul, Daniele
and Adil.
Daniele Del Vecchio
IF YOU ARE A PASSIONATE WATCH ENTHUSIAST, YOU WILL NO DOUBT
UNDERSTAND the importance of having an excellent watchmaker that requires an incredible amount of training and practice.
you can depend on. If you are somewhat new to watch collecting, the
value of knowing such a skilled technician may not be as apparent
yet. But just like a vintage car collector needs a knowledgeable and
trustworthy mechanic, a timepiece collector must have an experienced
watchmaker he or she can contact when needed.
I have always admired watchmakers. Not only do they have to be
properly trained in a trade that is becoming less and less prevalent
today, but they also have to be resourceful, organized, detail
oriented, precise, and above all else, patient.
As with any skilled craft, talent typically grows with hands-on
experience. Watchmakers have to learn how to deal with all types of
watches, movements, and complications to truly become a master.
It is not easy to find a great watchmaker because it is a profession LEARNING MORE
One of the things I love is visiting my watchmaker to learn more
about horology—whether it’s about how a watch works, how to fix
a watch, or discovering intricate mechanical details about complex
complications like tourbillons, minute repeaters, and perpetual
calendars. Oftentimes, I just pull up a chair and watch him work on
a watch because seeing it with my own eyes helps me learn and
appreciate watchmaking even more.
When I see my watchmaker working and repairing a watch, I see
him essentially tackling a highly complex puzzle. He disassembles a
mechanical movement into tiny parts—sometimes up to 400 piec-
es—to clean, lubricate, and reassemble back into its original form.
The attention to detail, the precision required, and the quality of
64 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2019