J. Michael Grady
THE SEEDS OF J. MICHAEL GRADY’S INTEREST IN WATCHES
WERE PLANTED AT A YOUNG AGE THANKS TO HIS
GRANDFATHER’S OWN PENCHANT FOR MECHANICAL
WATCHES. THIS EARLY INTEREST DID NOT TAKE GRADY
DIRECTLY INTO THE WORLD OF WATCHES. HE HAD BECOME
AN ENGINEER AND OWNED HIS OWN MACHINING AND
COMPONENT MANUFACTURER SPECIALIZING IN OPTICAL
COMPONENTS WITH INFINITESIMAL TOLERANCES – NOT
UNLIKE THE TOLERANCES NEEDED FOR WATCH
COMPONENTS. HIS OWN TIMEPIECE COLLECTION WOULD
NOT COME TO LIFE UNTIL HE STARTED DELIVERING
CUSTOM COMMISSIONS FOR FRIENDS.
But in 2006 Grady made a soft launch into watches by supplying friends
and family with bespoke watches powered by traditional mechanical
movements supplied by various Swiss manufacturers.
Fast-forward a few years. Grady decided to launch AVeritas during 2009-
2010. He started making his own cases using the machines he already owned
in his manufacturing business. Starting with two designs, these early offerings,
the Aurora and Primus, were powered by a nicely finished manual- wind
Swiss movement held within what has become a signature coin-edge case that
reaches 44mm across the bezel with a waist line of 42mm at the middle.
While the Primus shows a simpler façade with traditional cathedral hands
over a sober dial with small touches of color, the Aurora uses what may be
best described as a “snow-cone” hour hand with a baton minute hand over
a three-dimensional dial with a wave pattern that can harmonize with the
background or create a stark contrast, depending on the model. These two
original designs show just how different the same case can look when framing
different dials.
Expanding beyond the original cast, Grady has since added another six
variations that explore traditional watchmaking tenets. These include the
Aperio Skeletonized chronograph, the Regulator, and more modern and
original types like the 4-Ten, where applied overlays are machined and
decorated to accent a quadrant on the dial.
In all cases the crystals are sapphire, both front and back, and the straps
are superbly crafted in the United States by David Lane Designs. Each watch
is individually tested water resistant to 50 meters and all AVeritas watches
are made to order and arrive with a five-year warranty. Made in Rochester,
New York, prices for AVeritas watches range from an amazingly affordable
$1,489 for the Primus, up to $7,995 for the exquisite Aperio skeletonized
chronograph. Learn more at www.averitas.com
WINTER 2019 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 83