My name is Amandine, I am now 13 years old and keen on watchmaking. Since the age of 7, when asked what job I want to do, I answer “watchmaker-designer at Bulgari”… In the meantime, I interview people in the industry… At this year’s Time to Watches trade show in Geneva, I had the good fortune to meet Vincent Calabrese, an independent watchmaker, compulsive inventor who has made many brands famous, co-founder of the AHCI, and so on. What immediately appealed to me about this veteran watchmaker was the passion in his eyes when he talked to me about his watches.
By Amandine, the youngest Swiss Watch Passport columnist
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Who is Vincent Calabrese at the office?
A solitary man enjoying his freedom.
And in real life?
Always the same
How did you get into watchmaking?
Luckily, I left school against my will.
What do you remember about your first watch?
That it was damn small.
And which watch has the most sentimental value for you today?
The one with my latest invention.
Do you make watches for young people?
Very few! Few are like you at 13 / 14.
What would you say to a young person under 15 to get them interested in mechanical watchmaking rather than their Apple Watch?
I wouldn’t ask.
And what are your brand’s assets to win him over?
Originality
There’s a lot of talk about durability. What does that mean to you?
It’s all about manipulation.
Do you prefer TikTok, Instagram or LinkedIn?
What advice would you give me to be able to live my passion and work in watchmaking?
Try it and see.
Anything you’d like to add?
Congratulations on your passion and keep it alive.
I had the opportunity to do a cross-interview not long ago, and I thought the idea of the interviewer being interviewed was great… Would you have a question for me?
If you were making a watch, would you give priority to aesthetics or complication?
It’s hard to answer. In fact, a few months ago, I think I would have said aesthetics, because it’s the first thing you see and it’s often what makes you like or dislike the watch… I wanted to be a designer. But today, the more I meet watchmakers, the more I touch movements and the more I want to become a watchmaker, so complication is going to count. In the end, both are super important, so let’s say aesthetics at the service of complication. A bit like your watch with the butterflies (editor’s note: the Fly’ora model).
Shall we take a selfie for my album?
Luckily, you already took one before the interview… But come and visit my workshop in Morges with your dad, and we’ll take lots more photos.