ROLDORF & CO. ROLDORF & CO. RK Watch Service

We are living in a very strange world, a world that for some is in crisis, for others, it is a time for opportunity. The world is surviving a pandemic, two and a bit years of fear, hope and charity. For some, it was a time for discovery, to find out more about themselves, and their relationships, and for many, it has been the  first time to experience a devastating world crisis. During this time, as an entrepreneur, business owner and watchmaker, I have noticed a phenomenon.

In the lead up to the great pandemic of 2020, the world saw an emergence of a curiosity in mechanical timepieces. It was fascinating to see a new generation of people noticing something that had been all around them. We started to see an increase in awareness of the independent watchmaker, and the revival of established brands. We started to notice people who had a passion for watches, and start their own brands to produce small numbers of unique and exciting pieces. All of this was seen through the lens of an expanding group of people that started to notice. Social Media, gave people a soapbox to stand on, espousing the passion for what they’ve seen, learned, had and do. The economist’s term for this would be  “Social Capital”.
With each new post, more capital is gained in the form of followers. The more unique the post, the more followers would gather to see what’s next. I cannot remember a time while growing up or during my life as a young watchmaker, where social capital was so strong. In the past, people liked to flex their Rolex but they did it more silently. If you had the money, or you worked hard to have the money to buy such a watch, it was considered a discerning taste. It’s not all that different from the type of car you drove. People who had acquired these things did not think of themselves necessarily as influencers, I don’t think. They just liked what they had, and had the means to buy them.

The influencers then were the unique achievers, those people that were opera singers, explorers, racing car drivers or world record seekers. Perhaps, if the internet was around at that time, people would have acted differently socially.  In today’s world, the influencer isn’t necessarily one of the above, but certainly has become an enabler. Their following have become the society. The enabler has emerged to become a person that appears to be much larger than life, and one that the society looks too for their direction.

The watchmaker, in all honesty, was the person in the background, and from my experience, always was a humble person like many others involved in a trade.

On a recent flight, I happened upon a very interesting movie title to watch. If you’ve seen it, you’ll understand. The title of the movie is “The Outfit”.

At its core, it describes a humble way of being. The movie is not about a tailor but a “cutter”. When you watch the movie you’ll understand. The leading character in the play is a craftsman, that has learned his trade from the beginnings as an apprentice. Over many years he learned more and more about his trade, and became a reliable craftsman, one that always tried to achieve “perfection”. For any craftsperson it’s that goal of perfection that is ( hopefully) ingrained upon them during their apprenticeship or schooling that is their guiding light and compass. However, It was not for the craftsperson to espouse their virtues . This behaviour was not virtuous at all as then their humble virtue was then hubris. Their virtue or skill is for others to espouse, as this would be based on their findings of the tradespersons skill and service. Hubris does not, and should not, be exuded by the tradesperson. The fact is, it was considered to be a poor reflection on the craftsperson if they did so. Ultimately their reward was simply knowing the skill and the finish of the work with the service they would give was the best they could provide, and that their customer was happy to the point of exceeding their expectations. 

The pursuit of followers and  the concern for reverence in a trade is simply hubris. 

As for a watchmaker, It doesn’t matter if the watchmaker is making parts by hand, or if the watchmaker is restoring or just servicing a watch. The pleasure and confidence a watchmaker should have in their work is in quietly knowing skill they have put into the work, and for their customer to espouse their virtue.

The world has changed, to where we worship false idols. It can be seen in watchmaking. This is not a religious connotation but simply an observation from one that tries to always remember humble beginnings and their place. In this place, hubris must not exist. It is a place where one always strives both silently and tirelessly for perfection, and not for reverence.