Independent Watchmaker Simon Brette On His Journey To Watches | House Of Craft

I must say that when I see all the faces I know now why I didn't retire because how can anybody retire from a passion I don't know our economy and the gender inequality will catch up as a brand we better be prepared for that last time I saw you you were actually talking about watches that belong to your father yeah this is all your fault yeah you guys I said it in the video and in my intro thanks for bringing it up but this is all your fault I didn't care about Watchers until you guys put all these videos gaming the algorithm pretty much yeah this is the highlight of the week because we've been talking so much about craft we've seen some amazing watches up on the screen all week There's a nice one there uh but to have one of the uh leading and all embarrass from several times so I'll just warn you that now um one of the leading Young Voices in in high-end watchmaking here in New York with us I think it's it's such a treat um so this will be a journey into Simone's past his present maybe his future that's up to him um and you know a little bit about the idea behind your career behind the the watch for which you're you're so well known today uh but first and foremost uh where do you come from and how did you get into watches yeah so hi everyone uh it's a pleasure to be here to be here uh thank you so much for having me and I'm so sorry for my English so I try to improve uh so yeah um I'm French uh I'm coming from um CL which is in the middle of France and um the biggest industry there is for the tires and the the company there is Misha tires yeah tires sorry and uh and this is uh what I was supposed to do so working for this company uh as an engineer so developing new machine to just craft or to make tires so this is not what happen this is the reason why I'm here thank good for thank God for us yeah and so so how did you go from this path of working in kind of your local uh company to to where you are today um it was the the the biggest question for me so um what do I have to do do I have to stay here with the family and friends but don't enjoy my job uh or um I I was in love with watchmaking since very young age and um let's try to do something so I just text to many company in Switzerland to say I uh I would love to be an engineer and devel developing mechanical watches uh what do I have to do uh which school and and um it was surprising because most of the company replied to me did they really yeah it's just pek uh they replied to you yeah yeah yeah yeah so it was very surprising for me uh and this is what happened so I they all explained me okay if you want to be an engineer you have to go in that school and and this is what happened so you you just cold emailed Rolex and Patek and they they replied yeah yeah okay that's like I almost can't believe that I can't believe that actually but yeah there's must yeah a long time ago exactly um and so what what school did you go to or what what training did you do um it's uh the engineer School so you learn the way to develop design uh a watch and there is uh something very special so we just go once to the workbench to do the Assembly of a watch but only once and it was a shame for me but uh yeah this is the the way it works so you are an engineer so you don't have to go to the workbench so that's kind of yeah so if you could could you explain the difference between an engineer and a watch maker so yeah so the the engineer is of course um have to care about different things so you have engineer who care about the design you have engineer who develop the movement you have engineer who develop the case and after that you draw the watch uh draw you have drawings of every single component and after that you have um people who will do the Machining of every single component there is other people who will do the finishing uh and at the end there is the watch maker who will do the Assembly of the watch right so at some point and it depends on which brand and the size of the company but the watch maker for a big brand is only here to do the assembly the final assembly and the ENC casing uh and in very small company independent watchmaking there are for some of them doing the all things so drawing uh doing the doing the finishing doing the assembly so depends on yeah I think the the term watchmaker is one that that's often kind of misunderstood uh by many because as you said it could be somebody who's literally just assembling which I don't want to say is easy it's I certainly could not do it uh but it's very different than conceiving a a new new caliber engineering a new caliber and then man obviously manufacturing and and assembling yeah this is uh something very interesting because when you are of course engineer um you will Design something and you will just put in trouble a lot of people after that because if you don't know um their problems if you don't know their constraints you will Design something which is not so easy to achieve so it will be a Miss for them to to do uh what you design so it was part of the the journey so um few engineer they design and they don't really care about what will happen after for the production uh Mia was very concerned in in this way so when I design something I really want to be close to all the people who will uh have to do the assembly or stuff after to understand their problems their their constraint to be sure that when I design something I will care about the the way to to to produce it to make their work easier so and it's the best way to just meet people um build a relationship and and you will have in return lot of yeah acknowledge so that's the the the interesting thing uh from my point of view as an engineer is to meet every single person um and understand uh learn from them so that's the the beauty beautiful things for for what I'm enjoying today and where where was your first job out out out of school um I start working with Jean FR Mo uh KRON M and we developed many different movements so I was first engineer and I design develop movement first that was my first job so yeah and what what what kind of movement was it uh I developed many different things so uh simple one uh jumping how um ultimator on the watch um on yeah to um different things yeah and where can you can you share where did some of those movements end up uh yeah sure the tbon jumping hour minute retrograde was for schwartzan MH I developed three different um movement for Ari Winston um I work on the urban yurgenson detent escapement wow um Ash YT for the first movement so this is something very special with this kind of company so they are supplier and you're involved in many project and for a supplier you have very short time to develop things so as an engineer one year you you will work on many things and that's the best way to to learn uh to improve your skills because I have uh few people who that I graduate with they work for big company and during four years they work on the same project and at the end uh they both say okay this is not something that we still care uh nothing will happen with that so you have to work on another project and this is big a lot of frustration for them so sure I was enough lucky to work for a small company to develop many things to learn a lot and to just yeah improve uh by just asking to all the the people around um they yeah oh I can improve myself to make your life better yeah so your job better so yeah it was uh the interesting things yeah and what was it from there that you that you jumped into working with with Max booster at mbn um after M after KRON I work for MCT manufactur contempor with denig uh it was very short time so I worked there during two years and a half uh they contact me uh because I know uh Deni uh because I work for him with krod and he asked me um I have a challenge for you uh you will have to develop a new watch for us for the 10th anniversary and uh the challenge is we were in 2015 uh beginning of the year and and you will have to design so think about the concept design it and uh introduce the first prototype the year after um to um to an event which is which was sure yeah the year after so it was very big challenge but uh when you work in with supplier the challenge are always here you have to yeah do your stuff in very short time and and yeah the deal was uh I was working in Noel and he explained me okay if you want to have this challenge uh my my wife was working in in Geneva so we can open you um um yeah um a desk or I don't know satellite office an an office in Geneva uh if you are successful in this first Challenge and this is what happened so I start working on this project it was a jumping hour um a digital display uh the name of the watch was doel uh and I just introduced the watch the year after uh the first prototype it was a very nice project and few months after I moved to Geneva they explain me okay um uh the the the company goes bankrupt so you will have to find another job and this is since uh uh jully 2017 that I just uh lose my job and I just uh called um Max and uh he opened um yeah a post for me there's a Max watch on the wall right there there's an MB andf uh by by pure coincidence and so what was your time like with with with Max and working with you know if I may say three years and half with uh with him yeah yeah and it was just uh crazy because uh you know this man is uh he have crazy idea and nothing can stop him so every time he come to the um yeah to to our place he say oh I have an idea I think about this and and it it was just amazing to yeah you no limits with him so it was just amazing as an engineer to be challenged by this kind of person and and to say if if you have idea just propose and and go ahead we are here to support you so it was beautiful experience of course and I I think and you you tell me if this is accurate but you know Max was one of the first people so the m B and F the f is and friends so max is was was famous and we've covered this a lot over the years on hinki for being very transparent in a very opaque industry of saying here's who made our case here's who made our strap our Buckle Etc and if you go on the mbf website for over 10 years you can see exactly who who did that and that is something that in many ways you've embraced with with your own your own watch yeah and and the feeling that I had was when you are working as a supplier so I was engineer working for krod and every single time that you develop a watch you never appear and it's it's the big the biggest frustration because when you take uh one years two years three years of your life working on something and your name do doesn't happier anywhere it's a lot of frustration so um my point of view is uh we have to give the light of all the people who work on a project so um this is something that I really appreciate when I was working for mbf because he cares about people who uh we work with and and it's always a good things to expect expect the best to people who work on your projects um if you just put the light on them um are recognizance about their work uh it's always better because they will be concerned in in your project and they will give their best and that's the beauty of this kind of uh communication uh you are proud I'm proud to to be able to work with all the craftmen that I am working with so uh I'm very happy to be able to just communicate and talk about them so um that's the nicest approach um it don't my point of view is it's not good um for me to talk about them uh I suppose it's the normal way everybody have to do that because if you just to your strap with strap maker because you choose this guy you're happy to working with so you have to just promote him so that's in a way my point of view is I'm not a good person because I do that I think the normal way is to be able to just being happy to work with every single person and and yeah I don't deserve anything Max don't deserve anything I think the normal way is I hope in the future if you work with someone you will be happy you are happy to do that so you have to be transparent that you work with so yeah yeah and so I think that's a nice segue into to obviously you launching your your own brand with with with your own watch which is on your wrist and it's also on display done by the swimming pool so the watch that you've created the winner of the Grand Prix uh award last year in Geneva um which was I know a big moment um tell us about the foundation of that watch and then the development of it because it's a slightly different route than than most independent watch makers take yeah so uh it this trans yeah the the the thing which is not normal uh is I was not expected to to make my own watch brand and and the things come to me very easily and and yeah so the story start uh when I was working for Max uh in 2020 during the covid uh I was working on the lmix and I have to find a um a Craftsman with Incredible skills to make a very special component so I called to my friend Luke money which is in in France and I said okay um I'm can you help me for this component and he explained me okay I'm working for for something else uh but please contact this guy which is Anon Peterson uh he's in Switzerland and he don't have work and he's a bit in trouble so if you can just give him some work that can be very good things and okay let's do that so I met this guy it was in November 2020 and um I just go in this in his Workshop in the entrance uh there is few mchine I was okay maybe he's moving uh to another shop and uh when I metet him it was very intense for me because I see this guy and I see the yeah I was not in a good situation and he explained me okay I was working for only one uh brand which is a very big brand Big Brand uh independent watch brand and he tells me okay uh since January I don't have any work so I start to sell my machine and I'm I will be in trouble once all the machine will just uh leave the the workshop and if you can help me that that will be very appreciate because you have a daughter and and and it was yeah bad situation for him so I was okay the only thing that I can do not the boss I will ask if I can just give you some work and and let's go like that so yeah and it was something very the feeling was very strong for me because uh my parents are independent so my my my dad is Cap Hunter so he's a um working for his own my mom is farmer so the same and and when you are childr you have this feeling when the things goes wrong for the job you directly feel the Ambiance at home which is not good situation so I remember this period with my dad dad because at some point they have a problem but when you are children you really feel that and I was just feeling the same for this young his young daughter so I was okay I will do my best to help him so a few days after I go back so to to I go back to mbn and Max was just coming from Dubai and he explained this is incredible so we are we sell so many watches we are in very good position and I was just yeah it was very special for me because I was okay if we are in good position as a brand uh we have a lot of craftsmen who are the best Craftsmen in Switzerland but they are in trouble so we have to do something for them so and of course this guy just um we order a few different things from him and and this is the beginning of this idea to say how can we help this very small ecosystem with all those craftsmen who have incredible skills we really need to keep them alive uh because without them U the Swiss industry can just have big problems and and this is the very beginning of the story and and during the covid we had the the the we can work at home uh with mnf and my first thing was when I arrived in Switzerland I was okay I will work maybe 10 years uh to just get some skills and once I will be able to work for my own I will start my own company as a supplier that that was my idea when I ared supper as a supplier and and when I was working for Max uh during the covid I work at home and my biggest uh concern was if I work for my own and I work I have to work at home I will I be enough um consistent in my works or will I work well at home it was my my the things that I was afraid of and after I I start working at home for during the covid uh I was very surprised because my job was very well done I was very strict with myself so the work goes very well I was maybe it's a sin for me to start uh something and I go back to to Max um and I say okay I think that it's time for me to to make my own company and I will just uh leave and and start working as a supplier and uh this is what happened so in April 202 2021 I I start my own company and I have few contact so I start to develop uh movement uh for few independent uh few movement for biggest company in swi Switzerland and um in in um June 2021 uh my daughter was born so I explained to my uh customer okay I will stay two months off because I really want to take this time to enjoy with my family to to be here to support and during those two months I I was okay what can I do because of course baby you can be here but you have uh kind of free time time and I was what can I do and and and the thing is what can I do to keep this very special moment this special feeling to became a dad and I was okay the only thing that I do know is doing designing a watch and let's start like this so I worked during those two months um just designing this watch uh with this very special feeling and just say Okay design the watch that you would love to wear one day with uh no compromise uh with the yeah at some point when you design watch you have a budget you cannot do crazy finishing because it's the most expensive um you design something easily uh with radius instead of interior angle so yeah no compromise and at some point at the end of those two months I I talked with this guy the loop and I said uh look um uh I was talking with him on Instagram I never metet you you before and uh we talked a lot about watchmaking and I just explained him okay I have to show you something because I don't know what I will do with these things and I show him the watch and he said um there is something very interesting with that and we can I can help you I don't know oh but um I will try to find a way to to help you and I was help you for what and it was if you want to make your own watch your own company your own wge brand I can help you in in a way and he come back to me with the idea of the subscription and uh my side I just go in different bank to to explain my project and and and other way with um investors and and I was there is nonsense when you make your own company is to be free if you work with um people who in invest in you you won't have the the freedom that you need so okay not the good solution after with the bank not the good solution too for a different reason and I go back to to Christian and and he explained me okay I will bring you few friend of mine so uh some are here so you have gems you have do and and few others and I just bring all guys in this uh 12 uh subscription and this is the way that we start so I just show them the watch and um they were invest in the the final design of the dial um and uh and after that we just go ahead and I explain them okay so the schedule will be like this so you will have to pay this first amount of money uh 6 months after you will have the first prototype of the movement without finishing that will be the second step second payment and you will have uh at some point the delivery will will be at the um we will make an event in Geneva and we will celebrate all the people who are involved in the in this project so um when when they were okay and enough crazy to say Yes um I have the money uh and I have two option do I have to work with big supplier or do I have to just work with very small company and help the um yeah this small uh people um so it was the two option and I was we can do something very special and work with all those small Craftsmen and help them in a waight and promote them and and yeah that will be a nice story yeah so um at this point I I just go back to Anon Peterson the guy who were in trouble and I say okay uh um my idea is I design a watch and I know every single person that I will involve so every single Craftsman you will be on board but you will have one things to figure out so you will have a big challenge so onon I just go to him to with a drawing of the screw and say okay you will take care of this spot and this is yeah this is very a special part because of the incur surface and and it just say but it's not possible uh it tells me this is not um yeah this is not realistic to think about making a screw like this because that would be a shame to polish we know the way to polish flat surfaces but the in curve don't really make sense to just spend so much so many time to make this kind of detail and I was I don't care you have to to think about that and find a way to to make this do screw there is other every single Craftsman who are here I was okay I will promote you but I really want to challenge you to show to people your level of skills right that's the the deal and and for every single person all those 12 Craftsmen they have very specific uh detail that they have to figure out right so let's talk about the screws because we're talking about screws and I I think it's worth just just for for the audience to understand what what that actually means yeah so we're talking about extreme fine finishing of a screw head effectively and by screw I literally mean screw the watch so if you look at the screw of of most iron watches including the one on my wrist they're they're polished flat effectively and and yours are polished concave so really like a bowl correct but but mirror Polished in a in a bowl shape yeah and which has never been done before or has has been done H it has been probably done before uh during the past because it's not a big revolution it's instead of being flat they are in curved and and the reason why um the reason about those screw is um during the past when I was working as a supplier when you design a movement first you have to care about it have to be efficient it have to work perfectly so that's the first thing that you have to care as an engineer when you work for a supplier after that when I work for uh brand you have the DNA of the brand so you have to to care about the design because they teach you first the final customer won't probably know about mechanics but it have to be pleasant for him to just just have a look on of this piece and it can be it can be a strong argument for them to buy a watch so when you design movement it have to be pleasant so um it was something that I learned with MCT with mbn uh not a small uh not a small things and and and when I design movement it's always a shame when you put screw because it's not really sexy because of the slots and I my feeling was okay if I make I design my water I really want to make disappear those slot I cannot um make a movement without screw I will have to do wi but I will have to find a solution to make disappear those the slot and the thing is if you make an incurved surface the light will will just reflect on it because it's a radius it will focus on one point and this white point will make disappear the slot and and to have the biggest white white light you need to have mirror polish so this is the reason why we go with incurve surface with perfect miral polish and this is the reason why now if you look at the watch you have this big white point in the middle and it will it make disappear the slot so that's the the the little small small detail about the screw but my point of view it it have to look like as a pin and it have to be pleasant to to look so that was the issue for me and and the biggest challenge was not to have an idea but to make this thing happen so yeah so there are two tenants it seems to to to your watch one is no compromise right the extreme fine finishing I mean really the the highest level of finishing and then supporting the the the little people so to speak that that really do the work for the industry that that in many cases don't get the attention that that they deserve and I think for for greater context we're talking about Artisans that that do work for pect Philip and uh I see that because they're up there pect Philip and fpj and langa and you know the AP the great brands that we know you don't know their names but they're behind the scenes doing the actual hand workor so here you're challenging them to to do things at at the highest level so supporting the people that are the the the the unknowns but behind the greatest products in the world and seemingly with without compromise so the screw I think is uh is an amazing kind of analogy for for who you are and what the watch stands for by comparison how long would it take to to finish one of your screws versus that's actually those screws up there are perfect so I mean that's that's a very famous screw uh on the on the bezel of a Royal Oak can you compare those two screws and we love AP I want to be very clear but just curious there is the yeah we talked about no compromise and and it don't really make sense to go in that direction because uh to polish one screw is 1 hour and one hour for from a Craftsman is around 80 to 100 SS Frank and and for a screw uh for example the screw that we buy uh flat surfaces with black polish is between four to six Swiss frank okay so uh um it don't really make sense to go in that direction but um at some point yeah you have to this is the the only challenge that I give to myself is um if you have to come with a watch it have to be totally different uh instead of that don't do anything stay where you are do your stuff for others and that's it so the very strong thing was if I want to do something it have to be different and in different way way so um and it have to talk to people it have to have a strong DNA so it was the only only reason I'm here today if I come to this industry with my own watch bur it have to be meaningful so that's the the biggest challenge that I give to myself yeah I I think one of the other most striking things about your watches is the dial could you talk about the dial yeah yeah so it's um I meet yasmina so yasmina is a Craftsman so she is an amazing person an amazing yeah engraver she work for Philip du K Roman goer so she work with the the the best in Switzerland and she is this kind of lady that you can challenge her she will never say no and and and the thing was okay I would love to bring you in this adventure but please come with something um strong who will show who you are and and if you have already something in mind that you never have time to develop or or make please take the time and do something special and we will that will be something very strong because it's the front of the watch and that will be something very important for for the brand and she come back to me with this beautiful dragon scale um and with all different things but this one was just crazy and I was blown away and okay this is the things that we will uh just put on on this dial so so so how exactly is she doing the engraving uh engraving is like like a sculpture so she have a tool and she will not remove but um I don't know the way to explain it but um yeah so she P the gold and it will do this pattern which is very yeah which is very unique and this is the the the spirit for for the brand just to come with something a bit different than what we all know and and yeah so it's super super interesting thing for us to have this person with this very strong personality strong skills so that's that's beautiful things too and so that's representative of of all the Artisans that that that work on the watch I they're really Specialists everything is done by hand and without compromise I know cannot say everything is done by hand so the Machining is is um is doing with CNC machine but the finishing is doing by by hand of course so the reason why is um the cost of the watch I I come I don't come from poor family but I come from um yeah normal family but uh um I really would love to come with a watch which is Affordable but with an an incredible level of skills so it was the deal to say okay I can do this watch and made very few pieces with very high price but it was not the the idea um of course it's high price but I really want to come with something affordable for the level of finishing that you can find in right so it was another deal that I really want to to make happen so and the the the world I would say changed for you the the night that you won the the Grand Prix would you say of course of course so every single day we received an order on our um uh website since the launch in April 2023 mhm and since the November when we win the prize so it was 30 order per days 30 orders per day yeah yeah okay and how many watches are you making per year uh 12 a year right you're getting 30 per day yeah okay so how do you handle that it's it's one of the biggest question that I have to big things that I have to solve so it's honestly I don't know how to manage it I try to to stay uh kind with the people who care about what we are doing uh that's the most important but uh it's odd to to say yes to yeah to all those people but uh yeah that's the biggest problem that I have which is a good problem when you are it is that's a very good problem situation but yeah of course that's the the biggest thing so you we we purush so instead of making very few we will do um four different versions so the Ste the the titanium was 50 pieces the rose gold 50 the steel 50 who will be launched next year uh and the Platinum 50 so the idea was we will make uh two 100 pieces and we will try to to make people happy with that so it's a lot of Peace for a very small company like mine sure but we will have yeah two 200 people happy uh with their watch hopefully yeah and I I think the in in the greater watch Community you know the the success of your watch is is obviously well deserved and I think we're all curious to to see where you go next I mean I think that's kind of the defining trait of the great watch makers is not just one great watch but a great watches of course and and and we have so many things so I have so many things to enjoy so uh of course I'm engineer and I really want to take care of every single complication so I really want to enjoy myself by designing new new complications so uh the future I will have so many things to to do so I know exactly so every single year we will produce the the chronometer Artis uh and in 2027 we will start and launch the first complication for the for the brand yeah so that will be exactly the same way so we'll have um the first one very small version small quantity um maybe zonum um to um just um be here for uh our first customer uh that will be just booked for for them uh after that we will do the same thing so titanium rose gold steel and platinum but instead of 50 that will be uh less pieces and I think every three or four years we will come with um a new complication new things so that's the plan and and I'm still working on a new um um a new line of product um in a different way because I'm engineer and I love to to design and work on the product that I'm working on but I would love to have something a bit more crazy and and with where I can just enjoy with more new technology new materials stuff like that so that will be another way to enjoy uh with the this brand yeah and I I think what's so amazing I I visited Simon a few times in Geneva so you're if I may say a very small little office in in Geneva and across the street you have another small neighbor and who's across the street from you um it's a company who make the um I know the across the other Street the okay uh sorry Rolex Rolex yeah small company yeah so it's so on one side of the street is is him uh in you know a little little small office with you know a few people and then on across the street literally is the like Rolex HQ the Big Green Building so to speak with the big Crown how how is that I mean so you make 12 watches per year roughly they make a few million we'll say at least a million what's it like having Rolex as a neighbor can you borrow eggs from them and things like that or is it are friendly neighbors it's it's very funny to see that because you know it's a very big building and at the top you have the restaurant of the of Rolex yeah and they see you from the you know the sky yeah like this so it's exactly my feeling um they for most of them they don't really know that other brand exist so that's defin things with them I mean it's it's the watch industry encapsulated in one little street but have you on one side and Rolex on the other um I want to open it up to questions uh for Simone uh about past present uh future um we appreciate you you doing this obviously any questions for for Simone after you finished the 200 watches um do you see different case shapes do you see of different future for the visual language of the brand or is this the case and will the be the change that is made or the material um yeah so future question but yeah thank you so much the the qu if of course it's always this U Vision that I have for the brand so I don't want to only stay with those 12 Craftsmen so every single new complication I will bring uh a new team so that's the the idea to promote because we have so many uh Inc incredible Craftsmen and and the idea is to be able to promote all of them so I don't know if I will have enough time to do for everybody but of course that will be very interesting for me and for the team just to be able to meet different person uh they have their own skills own Vision all own techniques own um different stuff so um that will be for me um a way to explore different design different uh material so Stones we can talk about we talked about GS so that that will be something very interesting for me to think about different things so yeah the idea is of course to be able to bring new people new Craftsmen uh in the adventure yeah thank you uh what is your opinion on manual wound versus automatic H that's a good question uh um it really depends for me um it's um the the Simplicity is something very important for me um if you had complication um of course you will lose the charm of something very simple very pure so first the aesthetic I really love manual winding because I love to enjoy the movement much more than the automatic because you have this big uh things who just hidden every single uh component under that uh you have the um yeah so aesthetically I really prefer the manual winding and and of course for the people who wear the watch it's always a pleasure to be able won't be won't have to always one your watch every single day uh so yeah both uh so I know a lot of the focus is on the the Craftsmen and the people on the supplier side you work with but what does your internal team look like now what are their roles and uh do you do you plan to grow that team over time yeah so that's a very important question because it's the next step for for the brand and and this is what I explained to to my customer uh when someone come to me and say okay I would love to have an location uh you have we have to we have an engagement with those U people first is the price we will just ensure that we will keep this price the first day that they come to us uh second is the delay with which is very important not for everybody but me I really want to respect my engagement about the delay and and the the three is the the quality so if someone come to me because he cares about the quality that I'm doing now it have to be the same for when he will receive his and of course maybe M better and at some point um of course few of the of your supplier will disappear or yeah won't be able to work with you and it's always a problem uh so at some point uh I have to find a solution for this kind of problem and and now the the team is is growing because we have more um knowledge in house so the idea to is still to work with those craftmen uh so half of the production is where is uh with them and Al is in house so the idea is not to be uh able to make all in house because it's always good to have a supplier to challenge yourself challenge your team uh and of course um it's in a way for the business because if you have too many people you lot of charge and it will have an impact of the price for for the watch so that's the things that I have to care today is to just grow a bit have all the knowledge in house uh to be sure that if some supplier cannot work on on my component I can just find a way now to to to make it and respect my delay and quality and and price yeah a question I have I mean the the the rise of the independence has been so precipitous I mean really at the Forefront I mean we're here talking about independence greatly who uh out there do you really uh admire and really love the the work that they do past or present um it's it's always um difficult to reply because every single Watch there is a watch maker behind it and and of course for most of most of them I really appreciate the person saw the watch is easy to say I love this watch too so um of course there is one guy which is um who who did an incredible job and and is since him I suppose that the the the independent watch industry just go crazy so of course is this guy would just um make me want to to to became one day independent so and and I know I understand much more uh all the different problem that you have to to figure out so I have much more respect uh to him right now than during the past because yeah of course you have to to face different problematic that I know have and and I understand that he he managed it in very good way so yeah I think re is is very good example but there is so many others who have incredible product um incredible skills um very good personality uh were just amazing person so mostly independent watchmaking I think I love them because I have this in the blood but uh yeah yeah it it's it's one big family so to speak yeah yeah very big family but um yeah is so there is so many others so um we talked about uh um Roger SMI which is doing this things far from this industry from the the Swiss industry so it's other problems or big respect to him um yeah all the Josh Shapiro so different brand here um because they are far from Switzerland they have to manage it uh by themselves so it's lot of big respect uh we talked about flaming too so it's it's always impressive to see all those people who try to manage it but far and and that's big big Pro problematic for them of course yeah any other questions hi Simon um is there now that you've been building these watches for the last year and a half two years or so is there one step within either the production of individual parts or the assembly line where now that you've done a couple dozen of them that you guys either know there's a a more fragile part or a more important piece or a speed bump where you guys are like oh like the storing of parts once they're made until they're assembled what is sort of the biggest hurdle when you're producing a watch that you've now learned after doing it for a little bit uh for the technical aspect is um is of course um because of your Workshop so there is different problem go up uh because there is the oxidation so if you not in a workshop where you control the humidity temperature stuff like that you are always in trouble with the oxidation and of course we are not in the white um room uh without any dust so we have to be very careful when we do the final assembly uh to clean everything uh nobody can go in the workshop when we do the encasing so and it's a very long process to just check with big magnification to find to find every single dust to remove so I think the biggest problem that we have now is to um with the the steel component the oxidation uh with the environment uh the dust um so there is few different things so um yeah very different very a lot of problem that you cannot expect uh especially the magnetism too uh the electromagnetism so all those those problem we have to just yeah do wiiz but it's always a lot of care that you have to to do so every single component we receive we have to keep it uh under vacuum uh to clean it um to be sure that it won't uh have any problem with the oxidation so yeah it's lot of care that we have to so it's a lot of process that we have to to manage and and care about so of course very small things but yeah it make the difference at the end so so the the last question will come from me and I and I overheard a few uh people asked us last night at at the the cocktail party is if somebody did want to watch how do you do it so you you if somebody wanted to place an order and you said you're getting 30 orders a day how do you decide who actually gets the watch uh it's uh it's of course very difficult but the first is to meet the people um trying to meet him many times and and to yeah know a bit more about who is building a relationship um and that's the most important today yeah to be sure that because when you are a guy who care about watchmaking independent watchmaking you come to me and and and there is very strong relationship that have to to we have to create because the guy who will wear my watch will be first a very big Ambassador for the brand so uh and he will be the guy who will wear the watch and he will have a Bigg responsibility to just get give a feedback to improve myself uh for the future um the same way uh about the reliability the guy have to you just uh every single time you have a problem they have to call me and say this is something or can we manage it so we we have to make very strong relationship and of course when you have people who are your customer uh you have to be friend with them and appreciate those those people so because you will have a lot of discussion with so yeah that's the the biggest things today is to meet them many times I try to have yeah a good relationship appreciate them and and once you think that he is the right person you can allocate him a piece so it takes more than an Instagram DM to go exactly um amazing Simon thank you so much for coming thank you guys for having us