Next we meet Felix Finkler, Founder of the Watch Supply company, that offers watch fans the chance to complete the assembly at home and build their own automatic watch, benefitting from our knowledge and development of parts. They started as a small watchmaking company to assemble watches in their London workshop, today known as Fink Watch Manufacturing.
We hear Felix’s fascinating views on business, his favourite watches and what the future holds for the company going forward.
MWM: How is business?
FF: We are now right in the Christmas season, so we are quite busy at the moment. At the same time, we are constantly working on improving our kits, our instructions and our watches, so there is always quite a lot to do.
MWM: What are your current business priorities?
FF: We have spent most of this year on adding new watches to our range so we can offer something for every taste. Now we have added most of our design ideas and turned them into watch kits in our workshop. The second priority was an overhaul of our toolkits and instructions, which are currently also being tested in our workshop with those who visit us for an afternoon. In 2025 we plan to continue at our current pace and introduce some additional designs, but most importantly we plan to look at new movements – so all in all an exciting time.
MWM: Tell us something we don’t know about Watch Supply?
FF: There is not too much that we are not already sharing. We try to be as transparent as possible – after all our customers need to know everything about the components and movements they use and how they can assemble their watches. So we share most of our knowledge already. What most people probably don’t know is that we started out in the same position as most of our customers find themselves in. Some years ago, I was sitting in my living room trying to assemble some random watch parts I found online. Not surprisingly it did not go well and after having spent a few more years in training, we set out to deliver a better solution for watch fans looking for their first step into the world of watchmaking.
MWM: Which watch do you wear?
FF: I am currently wearing our Classic Master with the white dial (above). The idea for this watch was one of the first designs I ever wanted to bring to life, a long time before Watch Supply was even a concept. It is a very classic design but with some modern elements especially around the case, it has become a great everyday watch. And of course, heat blued hands are just an exceptional eye catcher! It took some time to find the right partners to bring this idea to life but when the first Classic Masters were built by guests in our workshop, I knew this would be one I would keep in my private collection.
MWM: Which watch would you like to own?
FF: There is a very specific design I have in my head, and I haven’t seen it yet made by others. So, I guess we will have to spend some time and develop this watch ourselves so I can own it one day.
MWM: What do you like best about the Watch business?
FF: Its variety and enthusiasm through watch fans – there is a specific watch for everyone out there, and people love their watches for such a broad variety of reasons. Be it because of the history of a specific model, or its importance for so many other exciting worlds impacted by the measurement of time. World changing achievements, record breaking and exploring of new worlds have been made possible by the use of precise timekeeping. This is only possible through the incredible innovation and engineering skills that went into watchmaking over the course of the centuries, and it will never cease to amaze me how great watchmakers of the past came up with such incredible mechanisms.
MWM: What don’t you like about the Watch business?
FF: Not much really. As in every sector and hobby, there are some people taking themselves a bit too seriously. But otherwise, what is there to dislike. Many traditional sectors are getting a bit slowed down by their history, but watches and watchmaking are just so diverse that everyone can find the specific niche they want to be in.
MWM: What is next on the horizon for you?
FF: I think it is safe to say that we have now completed the first part of our journey. An exceptional tool kit (above), detailed and easy to follow instructions and a wide range of watch models either as a home kit or to be built in our workshop. But there are some areas we are focusing on for the next year. The most important one will be to add Swiss movements to our range. While our Japanese movements are extremely reliable and precise, Swiss movements offer us much more customisation potential and even better finishings. For more experienced watchmakers, this would be a great way to build a Swiss watch by themselves.
Felix Finkler is a Friend of MrWatchMaster