The
reality of watchmaking at the level that I aspire to reach is
the constant push to continue to improve what I am doing today; to make
it better tomorrow and the day after. The moment one hurdle is overcome,
either another presents itself on its own, or I create it. The constant
need to improve and to raise the bar higher is one of those characteristics
of watchmaking that makes me love what I do more and more each passing
day. I see others in my world of independent watchmaking scaling the same
heights at different points and in different ways, but we are all trying
to achieve the same thing: to make what we make better, and where possible,
easier.
Recently,
I found myself in a specialized independent brewery in the Neuchâteloise
Jura. I was with a young man, a prototypist, who had become a friend,
and due to the first snow in the region I had time to kill as even in
Switzerland roads can grind to a halt when they turn white for the first
time in the year. We sat down around an old kitchen table to the side
of the brewery and were offered one of the beers made there, from a choice
of 11 types - including vintage varieties which I never knew existed -
of unfiltered dark and light beers of different strengths and flavors.
Distinctive enough to leave a memory of each variation, the bottles were
expensive by mass-produced standards, but the brewery is growing in popularity
in and outside of Europe, and is run by a young entrepreneur who has made
his passion into an art form.
There
were probably about eight of us in all, and during the next hour it transpired
that apart from all being friends in the business of watchmaking, from
constructors of cases, movements, and deployment buckles, they all shared
the same love for what they do. They were all highly animated while describing
their work, the challenges they have experienced, and the companies they
work for. What struck me the most was the genuine enthusiasm and passion
each person expressed for their individual work. I am a foreigner in Switzerland,
though I have lived here for more than ten years now, and have a command
of French which misleads no native speaker as to the nature of my origins,
yet in my world I break bread with people for whom I have an ever-growing
affection and respect for, who reciprocate with an acceptance of what
I do with enthusiasm and respect for who I am.
The
more I look around, I see a growing appreciation for genuine quality,
whether it is found in an artisan in the business of watchmaking, or in
the specialized production of beer. That which is different, those items
and services which are out of the ordinary, and above all, made by passionate
individuals as opposed to faceless empires, appears to be growing in popularity
every day. The result is a growing sense of opportunity for small independent
companies to establish themselves, to exist, and - hopefully - to thrive.
If
there is one lesson to be learned from this column, it would be to never
stop pushing the boat out in what ever we do in life, for when you do
push you might find that you will meet people who share the same philosophy,
the same passion; you may even realize a dream.
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