My Answer
Hello friends,
It’s been some time I’ve written in my Journal. Of course, apologetically so, as I find immense joy from writing on our industry muses and discussing with the community I take pride in being part of. There’s an excerpt from Cicero’s “De Oratore” I’d like to share as a preface to this edition of the Havid Nagan Journal –
“And that no one may think that other pursuits, which have to do with abstruse branches of study, and what I may call the varied field of learning, should be compared with this art of oratory, rather than the merits of a commander or the wisdom of a statesman-like senator, let him turn his attention to these very kinds of art, and look around to see who, and how many, have been distinguished therein; in this way he will most readily judge how scarce orators are now, and ever have been.”
Of course, what the Roman philosopher was referring to is the art of oratory and the rarity of those who devote themselves to it; the underlying message may be used to apply to our industry - watchmakers, or more broadly, makers of watches. There’s a difference, naturally.
To the initiated, that is to say connoisseurs, long-time collectors, and enthusiasts, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of brands to choose from, ranging hugely from price point, complication, rarity, brand philosophy, community, and production capacities. To the uninitiated, those that aren’t directly involved with the industry or have only a limited relationship with it (collecting or otherwise), it would be news to state there are so many brands out there. Most of the uninitiated are nescient to the fact that there are watchmakers that will produce less than 100 watches in their lifetime. Watchmakers that literally heat, manipulate, and form their watch cases out of solid gold bands; that, through the use of archaic decorative machines, will mill each and every single piece, or component, to be included in their creations.
The distinction I am making is, despite all of the newfound enthusiasm in watch collecting, we are still a relatively unknown, or better yet – undiscovered, industry of art and culture. Past the hyped-up stainless-steel sports watches that only a few have access to, past the never-ending waitlists, past the arbitrary spend profiles demanded of collectors, past the articles highlighting the astronomical values being fetched by some models, we are but a tiny fraction of what we can be. And, if I may, with all of the humility I have to offer, a tiny fraction of what we should be.
I’d like to propose to the reader - zoom out from the aforementioned. In a time of abundance in optionality, why not dig deeper and find the tiny, family-run companies that are producing limited numbers of unique timepieces that speak to you. Whether they are watchmakers themselves or makers of the watches they have designed, in the historical manner of etablissage. If I were a wagering man, I would bet, upon your interacting with the tiny maisons, you would walk away with a feeling of belonging or a certain closeness to the respective individuals.
It is of my opinion, that aside from building a brand, aside from capturing a certain niche of the market, we must share our passions, knowledge, and interests with those who don’t know. If we care about the industry as we say we do, if we value the experiences, the people, the memories, the watchmaker that works alone and makes 10 pieces annually, then it is our DUTY to tell the stories we so cherish. Is it not? There has never been a time, better than we are currently in, to capture the interest of the ignorant or indifferent. We have to learn the history, to understand it, and move it forward. Like the baton of a relay race. How else do we ensure that the history, methods, craftsmanship, the enduring nature of this industry that has given us so much, is not forgotten? How else do we move this industry forward without rendering it an empty, hollowed-out shell of itself?
Another consideration – this industry, the more you look into it, the more technical it becomes. It is extremely complex as these are, immutably so, inherently complex and diminutive things to manufacture. The message mustn’t be communicated by way of charlatans; rather, in an (relatively) easy, broken down, and modernized medium. That’s not to say, certainly, the levels of context needed to understand the technicality are to be overlooked. If anything, without the context, a watch only becomes a mere vessel of vanity.
I’ll finish with this – I am not stating I have the all the answers needed to do the aforementioned. I am merely stating it is a mission we should all find nobility in – to iterate, develop, and expand our beloved industry forward and out in a fantastically passionate way. This is my answer and it is what I have chosen to devote my time to. Hopefully, at the very least, it inspires others to find their own.
Talk again soon,
AJB