I presented last week, with a great pleasure, The Naked Watchmaker project of the watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin. Since there were some questions left in my mind, I decided to ask the man himself, according to my tradition, only two questions.
DAK: In all these years of working with watches, deconstructing, photographing and studying them, I imagine there was one piece that impressed you more than the others. Is there such a piece? Can you share in a few words why?
PSM: There isn’t a particular watch that resonates more than another. What I have grown to appreciate more than the actual watch is the thought process and execution of the final watch. This may be on a level which is industrialized or artisanal. Presently I am working on Breguet watches from simple to complex examples and with these watches, there is a congruent thought process associated to innovation within a classic DNA that traverses all the products I am deconstructing combined with the same level of quality regardless of value and complexity of the product.
Ideas mean nothing without execution and are easy to come by. The final product is the result of the process, and in this area, I am fascinated. – Peter Speake-Marin
DAK: If you would have the chance to deconstruct any watch in the world, which one would it be and why would you choose that particular one?
PSM: There is no one watch, there is simply an aspiration to share as much of a subject I have loved for over 30 years. I am incredibly grateful for the confidence that these companies bestow upon me, I am being allowed to show timepieces that only the most select employees are allowed to work on and in some cases that are in museums that are only brought out for very special guests.
From November we begin publishing an extensive series of deconstructions on Breguet watches, both modern and antique. – The Naked Watchmaker
Since I love the project so much and I consider it a valuable source of information for the watch lovers, and not only, I decided to offer it a big banner at the beginning of Watch I love Magazine for an undetermined period of time. I would like to thank Peter and his lovely wife Daniela for their time and help!