08/04/2026
My boys surprised me for my birthday by making me a “watch maker” 😂
All I have to do is put the parts in the box, close the lid… and it will magically make a watch for me.
If it actually works, it might be the greatest time-saver in history!
Today also marks exactly 15 years since I first decided to retrain as a watchmaker.
Back in 2011, I’d just returned to the UK after spending most of my twenties in China. Job hunting was tough, so I gave myself a two-week deadline to pick a completely new career, which would coincide with my birthday.
I spent days in the library reading every career book I could find: pilot, gardener, doctor, even masseuse. In the end, I walked out with a book about watches.
I didn’t even own a watch at the time and had never heard of watchmaking as a real job. But something about it felt romantic… and the more I read, the more I realised it was the perfect fit.
One of the best decisions I ever made.