For teenagers in Singapore, the military is just part of life. Every male who turns 18 must enlist and serve two years. While some might view this as a daunting requirement, Alex Ian Loh picked up the skills he needed to pursue his watchmaking dream by becoming a weapons expert. And he’s shooting for the…
By Shane Snider Editorial Director Thawil, Switzerland — Kyle Schut’s introduction into the watch business didn’t come from years of industry exposure — his horological sales prowess was born in a most unusual place: A video game arcade in South Africa. The 32-year-old owner of Straton Watch Company was only 15 when he managed to…
By Shane Snider Editorial Director LONDON — José Miranda had a radical vision for a timepiece that would jump out among the growing landscape of micro brand watches. The London-based TV commercial producer may be an avid race car enthusiast and speed freak, but he found the road to brand ownership long and winding. Miranda,…
By Shane Snider, Editorial Director Buford, GA —Ben Crumley’s love affair with watches and strap making started in a most unusual place – at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Georgia. While he wasn’t even there at the time, his father was diving with friends when he spotted something shimmering on…
By Shane Snider, Editorial Director MORENCI, Ariz. — Fernando Mansilla’s dream of designing a watch may have started with a simple napkin doodle, but the real inspiration for his Pontvs and Carmagnolle watches comes from a pit dug deep into the earth’s surface. The 31-year-old is a metallurgical engineer at Freeport-McMoRan’s Arizona mine – the…
By Shane Snider PETALUMA, Calif. — Motorcycle mechanic and Seiko enthusiast Jared Hermann’s “turtle” build may be one of the most intensely personal projects he’s worked on, but it also stands out for another reason. The 40-year-old WATCHA member might be the only person in the watch world to have actually eaten part of his…