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Hello, and welcome back to About Time. For hardcore vintage Rolex collectors, few names inspire more confidence than Dr. Greg Petronzi.
A licensed psychologist and avid watch enthusiast turned self-taught watchmaker, the Manhattan-based Petronzi is renowned for his exceptional restoration skills –particularly with mid-century Rolexes.
He is the founder of True Patina – a business specialising in movement overhaul, dial repair and colour-matching hand work – and True Dome – a company started to recreate the acrylic crystal “Superdome”, that is an essential component of the aesthetic of vintage Submariners, but was discontinued by Rolex in the early 1980s.
What began as a hobby alongside his clinical research in psychotherapy, something he continues to teach at New York University and offer at his private practise, has grown into a boutique restoration business trusted by collectors, dealers such as Wind Vintage and auction houses including Sotheby’s.
Petronzi’s “preserve, don’t replace” approach has earned him a reputation as the best in the business – quite a niche one, sure. But one that's keeping him plenty busy.
During an enjoyable Zoom conversation this week, Petronzi reflected on the intersection of psychology and watchmaking, the meditative quality of repairing balance wheels and how he’s become the go-to expert for Rolex "MilSubs".
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Dr. Greg Petronzi in his workshop |
About Time: Nice to meet you, Greg. How do you normally introduce yourself? As a psychologist, or a watchmaker?
Greg Petronzi: I would say the watches have taken over. Psychology is still a part of my life – and a fairly big part. I still teach at an NYU course I went through years ago, during my master’s. I love teaching it because it adds a supervisory layer for people in practicums and internships, working with patients. It’s very pragmatic – we talk about cases and such. I really like that class, and it keeps me on my toes as a psychologist, helping me think critically about cases and ideas. But for the most part, watchmaking has taken over.
How did you get into watches?
Initially it was just a hobby, then it became a side gig [as a job], and it kept getting bigger. I realised I really loved it – it was just something I really enjoyed. Then it started to outperform psychology in earnings, and it’s a lot less stressful. Even though the watches are expensive and some clients – like myself – can be particular, it’s not the same level of responsibility as someone’s mental health. I also find the work mindful and relaxing. And when things don’t go right, I step back and approach it again mindfully.
What’s the name of the class you teach at NYU, Greg?
It’s not the most exciting name – “Internship for Mental Health and Wellness”. It’s a two-part course. Students in the master’s programme do a practicum instead of a thesis. They need 600 hours of supervised client work to graduate. There’s eight students in the class and we talk about cases, challenges, theories, termination, resistance, transference, countertransference – all these things. It’s really exciting, and I’ve been very fortunate to get some really great students, too.
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In for repair: A Submariner ref. 5513 had a cosmetic overhaul including corrected oil stains on the dial, a relumed handset with with tier 2 pigments. Petronzi also added a TrueDome D19 crystal |
I can imagine it’s a growth area.
I suppose you’d say that, sure. When I went through the programme myself years ago, it was that class – or series of classes – that had the most impact. It wasn’t just “read this chapter and digest it”.
It was more like: what do you actually do when you’re with someone? It’s about the interpersonal experience – what do you feel because of the person you’re sitting with? How does that make you feel?
That’s what I find more engaging – getting into the nitty-gritty. Like, “Ah, I felt so frustrated – the client brought this thing to me, and I didn’t know what to say. I felt really conspicuous because of X, Y and Z.” That’s what makes the class a lot of fun. Here comes the crass segway. Have you spotted any nice watches on your students? Not so much. Occasionally I will get clients that are watch folks. And in fact, sometimes I’ll even get a client because they’ve known me through the watch world. Sometimes you can take a little brief pause at the end of session and do a little wrist-check.
Like sports or cars, it’s one way for guys (and girls!) to open up. Totally. It’s a real method of connection. You can derive a lot about a person through the watch that they select to wear. What are you wearing today? I've got this Tudor Snowflake [holds it up to the camera]. And this is actually a MN76, but I decided to put it on a bracelet just to switch things up.
I’d read that your first watch was a see-through Swatch. That was also mine.
Yeah, awesome. You probably felt this way, too – but as a kid, being able to look through it and see the automatic rotor move and the balance... I didn’t know what I was looking at, I just knew it was fascinating, right? That’s what really started it for me. And the funny thing is, that excitement has never left me. Mechanical things that bring guys’ joy.
Right? I had a friend who, unfortunately, passed away. He was an older man, a doctor I met through the watch community years ago. And he and I bonded on our mutual love of watches. And when he got sick, his excitement for watches just went away.
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The elusive Maxi dial Rolex Submariner ref. 5513, via TruePatina |
Okay.
And it made sense, you know. Because it’s hard, when you’re not able to enjoy things like watches, bicycles, motorcycles, cars – things of that nature, right? You’re thinking more about, “How can I get through today?” You know what I mean? And so the inverse of that, to me, is the ability to enjoy stuff like that. It’s also an extension of our health. Right. So that’s another thing I really love about these things – it’s almost like a luxury to be able to enjoy them. Not just the piece itself as a luxury item. But that I’m able to feel grateful that I’m able to enjoy it. As an extension of positive mental health? Self-care. In what they call the intake process, on an initial consult in psychology, you observe how someone comports themselves physically. What are they wearing? How are they groomed? These things can give insight into someone’s mental condition. I’ve gone through phases where I’ve felt depressed and, arguably, took much less care of myself. Absolutely agree. So, that’s another human thing – when we’re feeling well, we tend to also treat ourselves well. There are so many overlaps.
This is veering dangerously close to, “I can justify buying this Rolex because I’m worth it"!
As a rationale, of course! The funny thing is, I’ve actually convinced people around me who aren’t watch people to get into it too. After talking to me long enough, by the end of the conversation, they’re excited about buying a watch as well. That happened to my brother-in-law. He wasn’t a watch guy — and after about a year of knowing me, suddenly he’s got a Daytona.
He went in big! He started with a CWC military watch, you know. And he worked his way up there. |
All right, nice. Tell me a little bit about your collecting journey – what happened after the see-through Swatch? How did things accelerate?
So, the Swatch was the first. This was middle school – I was about 12 or 13. There was a guy in my class, Joe, who had a Tag Heuer F1.
A nice piece.
I remember looking at it and thinking there was something about it. Even though it wasn’t an automatic, it was the first time I noticed a watch that had a signed crown.
The logo on the crown?
Yeah, and I thought, that’s a detail my Swatch doesn’t have – and it’s cool. I was just a kid, but I noticed the weight too. Even though it wasn’t big, it felt more substantial than my plastic Swatch. The bracelet felt smooth, and the build quality was clearly different.
I really wanted a Tag F1 – but I was in middle school, had no money and no one was buying me one. When I graduated, I got cards [containing money] from aunts and uncles – $50 here, $40 there – and had enough to buy a Tag. I think it was around $300.
I remember going into the watch store as a kid felt so intimidating – all these expensive watches, and the people behind the counter looking at me like, “Who are you? You’re a kid. Get out.” But you got it?
I bought it. I was in love. I wore it from high school through most of college – I really got a good amount of use from it. In college, I moved from Tag to Breitling. I got really into the Breitling Superocean. My dad had had a Breitling Colt, which is the sort of slightly smaller model of the Superocean. I just thought that was such a cool-looking watch, you know? My mom got it for him for Christmas.
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So that was next?
I was working in college simultaneously. I had what they called a work–study at the Italian department in my school [US financial aid program that provides part-time jobs to students] and got enough money to be able to buy the Breitling Superocean, which at the time was like $1,200. And the idea of spending $1,200 on a watch at the time was, like, mind-boggling.
Ha ha. I was nervous. I worried people might see me on the subway and try to steal it. Looking back, it had a brushed case – nothing flashy – but it was anxiety-inducing. Then, toward the end of college, I was saving for a vacation with a girlfriend at the time – who dumped me. Okay…
And while I had the Superocean, I was also, like, “James Bond– what watch did he have?” You know what I mean? All roads lead to Bond. And so, the Submariner came on my radar. And I just started to research the Subs. And I was just like, “Wow, these are beautiful. Oh my God.” And they were so far out of price range. What were the prices back then?
At the time, they were six [ie: $6,000; they start around $9,100 new today]. I loved the Maxi dial 5513 – my grail watch – and I remember one sitting on eBay. I thought, “Will I even see one in person, let alone own one?” Because of the breakup, and having saved for that trip, I thought, “You know what…?” There was a matte dial 16800 – a transitional Submariner reference. It was the most affordable vintage-adjacent Sub, because of the matte dial. It was about $3,000. I sold my Superocean for roughly what I paid – maybe a bit more – added the vacation money, and bought the 16800. So: lost the girlfriend, but gained the watch?
Yeah, it worked itself out. I was absolutely in love with it. I remember thinking, “Wow.” I couldn’t believe I spent $3,000 on a watch. It just seemed so ridiculous. But I was over the moon. And the watch journey escalated from there. In psychology, we call it “systematic desensitisation” – the more you give in, the easier it gets to think about spending. Uh oh. And then I started meeting people through forums. I was active on The Rolex Forums – this was years ago. I met some really nice folks, some of whom I’m still good friends with today. And then it was just sort of… downhill. [laughs] |
Why Rolex, Greg?
It was not about the name. It wasn’t about the prestige. It was really about the design. I really loved the way the Submariner looked. It wasn’t ostentatious. It was just very purpose-built. It was sort of that “design following function” kind of thing. Simple. It seemed sort of strong, yet elegant.
You're a tool watch guy.
Always a tool watch guy, at heart. I like being able to use the watch and not worry.
Right.
The other day I was driving my car – a BMW M2 Competition. I love this car. My wife got in and accidentally opened the door into a rock – put a nice dent in it. Nothing that can’t be fixed. But still. And right after, I thought, “This is why I love tool watches.” You can bang it into something and it’s one of the only collectable items with monetary value that, if you dent it, it doesn’t lose value. One argument goes that the more you ding it, the more it becomes yours.
Exactly. Vintage watches tell time in multiple dimensions. Not just now, when you look at it, but also the time you’ve lived, through the wear. Also, [with vintage watches] there’s a design language that’s no longer present. The current Submariner is an evolution of the original – like the Porsche 911 is an evolution of the 356. |
An overhaul of a special Rolex Explorer I ref. 1016. "Purchased by the grandfather of the current owner and remained in his family since," says Petronzi |
You’re a watchmaker now, but it was the external element – the design – that appealed to you first?
Yes, correct. Initially, it was the aesthetics. But I also appreciated things like Rolex being “first” at a lot. The first really waterproof watch, the first automatic. Those things made the brand more exciting to me. And originally, it wasn’t a luxury staple. It was a quality, robust piece. Ian Fleming wrote it into the Bond script not for luxury, but because it was what the military wore. They were issued Rolexes – because they were seen as robust. The watches did what they needed to do and they looked good. That really appealed to me. It wasn’t until much later in my collecting arc that I started to really appreciate movements – and that was more because I became a watchmaker.
You apprenticed with a watchmaker first, right?
I fell into it. I became friends with a 35-year watchmaking veteran -Rik Dietel, based out of Florida. When I graduated from grad school in 2016, I finally had time for other things. Collecting had been pre-graduation – I didn’t have much time for anything else, just reading forums and learning about watches cosmetically.
How big was your collection back then?
I probably only had a couple of watches. I had a Submariner in grad school, which, to all intents and purposes, I couldn’t afford. But the way that I was able to afford it was by rolling over constantly – selling a watch and then adding to the pot. Selling a watch, adding to the pot.
And after graduating?
I started sending Rik watches to service. We began chatting more, and I took an interest – asking, “What do you do for this? How do you change that?” He’d say, “You need this tool, that tool,” and I started researching. At the same time, I began making a bit of money – doing therapy. Not a lot, but more than I’d made as a student. So, I could start buying tools. And I’ve always had this trait: when I get into something, I dive in deep. I once learned Italian because I had a crush on some girl.
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Okay!
And I noticed I had a bit of a knack for it. I took a 101 in-person watchmaking class with a friend at the New York Horological Society. You take apart, and reassemble, a movement – and I did it easily. It came naturally.
That pushed me to call Rik more –“How do I do this?” Before I knew it, we were video chatting daily. A remote apprenticeship. He’d say, “Do this, this and this – should take a couple of hours. Call me when you’re done.” I’d call 40 minutes later. He’d say, “You’re done?” I’d send pictures. He never gave praise…. but I could tell.
Alongside Rik, I was deep into YouTube tutorials, instructional videos – and reading watchmaking books. I really dove in. Where were you getting the watches from?
At first, just my own. Then friends’ watches. Then friends of friends. Suddenly, I started getting inquiries from strangers. I was posting work on Instagram and the more I posted, the more people reached out: “Would you service my watch?” That’s when I realised: I’ve got to take this seriously. Didn’t the nerves kick in? “This is someone’s special possession. I can’t mess this up.”
It’s funny you should ask that. I was working on watches I probably had no business touching early in my career. I was doing things like decasing a $500,000 Big Crown Submariner for a friend.
And he was trusting me with this. It wasn’t a full overhaul, but I was handling the watch. And I was pretty calm about it. I thought, “Wow, I should be more anxious.” But I wasn’t. I felt like, “I can do this.” I think because of that – and because people saw that – some big-time collectors started trusting me. Because watchmaking is two parts skill and then two parts trust. Or maybe even one part skill, three parts trust.
Because when you bring this item that is your prized thing, you want to know with 100 per cent certainty this is a person that’s going to take care of you – they’re not going to take any of your parts, not going to change anything, not ruin it.
Because I came at it as a collector – and had close friends who trusted me – that trust came earlier than it might have otherwise. And because I could showcase that on Instagram, it became a feedback loop. People felt confident sending me their pieces.
I should also say, I did really good work. I paid extra attention to things like making sure there were no marks on the dial when I was changing hands – because I knew how important that was. I made sure the originality was preserved as much as possible. And not all watchmakers have that view. A lot come at it thinking, “Let me replace this,” instead of trying to recondition and preserve. That would be the easier route. The more I got into it, the deeper it went. And it just snowballed.
My workshop started to evolve and before I knew it, I had a sizeable investment in tools and had formed the official company. I got all the tax stuff in line, the insurance sorted – because I was handling expensive watches. It grew from a small side project into a much more comprehensive business.
During Covid, the volume increased quite a bit. People got really into watches – they could spend money, it wasn’t going on travel. So, I was getting a lot of watches, especially from certain dealers I had relationships with. |
"I guess there’s this gene in me to be able to see a colour and replicate it pretty well"
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Eric Wind was one, right? Eric Wind was one, absolutely. [The owner of respected Florida-based preowned luxury watch retailer, and subject of an excellent 2023 Esquire profile, is a client of Petronzi’s. Wind also invested in TrueDome last year.]
A good endorsement. Yeah, the work I was putting out was pretty good. Regardless of how much people trusted me, if I wasn’t putting out good work, it wouldn’t have been able to develop the way that I did. Ok.
Also, because of Covid, we were basically shut indoors. So, I was able to spend more time in my workshop. And when I wasn’t doing the watchmaking, I would work remotely on psychology. I would just go to a Zoom. It was constantly back and forth. Instead of just being in an office for psychology, now I was able to basically be in my workshop almost all the time. So, I was really able to hone the skill set quite a bit. |
A Rolex GMT sporting TrueDome's D38 crystal |
And is that when the cosmetic repair began?
Yes, which is not something a lot of watchmakers do. Even Rik, my mentor, doesn’t do that stuff. It was really new for me, and novel. And just through trial and error I found that I got really good at colour-matching hands. Can you explain what that means?
A lot of times, hands don’t match the dial for one reason or another. Maybe water got into the case, or the lume fell out. So you relume the handset. And I got really good at colour-matching hands to the dial to make it look like the dial. And how do you do that?
It’s akin to painting. You get different pigments, and you try to match the colour to your eye as best as possible. So, you’re mixing colours a lot. Yeah. This was something that I really credit to my mom, who’s an artist. Is that one of hers? [A large, colourful landscape painting hangs behind Petronzi on the laptop screen]
That’s hers. I credit my capacity to do the cosmetic to the fact that I grew up in an environment of art. I guess there’s this gene in me to be able to see a colour and replicate it pretty well.
So, if there’s a chip on the dial, for example, I’m pretty good at colour correcting the dial and mixing colours to really match that dial – whether it’s a blue, black, brown or grey dial. It’s all just a matter of mixing pigments until you find the exact shade. And then also textures.
Those are things that do set me somewhat apart from your typical watchmaker. And I think because of that, it also gave me a lot more business, because that’s a very niche area. People would send me things from all over the world. It wasn’t just the States. And that’s also something that, again, the more that I showcased that, the business sort of took off, and it became a legitimate enterprise.
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Some "fixed bar flexing" with an undersized vintage Nato strap on a full-spec unpolished "MilSub" |
I’ve know Eric Wind a little bit. He’s so big on authenticity. One hundred percent. And this is why I like Eric so much as a dealer. A lot of dealers get jaded from constantly turning watches around. But Eric has an eye for originality and an appreciation for things. Not all dealers have that disposition, so it’s nice to work with him. We share that perspective.
In the car world, they call it “numbers matching.” When you restore a car, you want everything to be period correct and matching. The same is true for watches. If you’re sourcing a bezel insert – does it match the period? Is it proper? Does it fit the dial? Collectors who get granular really know this stuff. And Eric – he’s almost like a savant in that way. He has a really detailed understanding of what’s correct. How rare is that?
I’ve had dealers send me watches – very knowledgeable folks – and when I open it, I’ll say, “Hey, I’ve got some news. This movement, even though it’s Rolex, has probably been swapped.”
For example, in 1972, Rolex switched to a hack mechanism [a hack stops the watch's second hand, for precise time setting]. So, if you have a watch dated after ’72 that’s not hacking – you know [it’s not totally original].
That’s another helpful thing. Sometimes a dealer or private client just wants to verify: “Is my watch okay? Is it legit?” And knowing the nuances of a particular launch or company helps give people more confidence in what they have – or what they’re buying. |
There’s some who argue against touching anything on a vintage watch.
I have a buddy who’s a really big-time collector – his collection is mind-blowing. We often joke about “touched” versus “untouched.” He’s the kind of person who, if he gets a watch, doesn’t want it serviced. He doesn’t want anything touched, because he’s so obsessed with originality.
I push back on that. The way I see it, Rolex didn’t send the watch out with a crack in the crystal. A cracked crystal isn’t something to boast about – it’s a risk to the structural integrity. Or, if the movement’s in such bad shape that wearing it erodes it – that’s not good. Then you’ve got a very expensive paperweight. So, I do differ from collectors who believe in never touching their watch. I think you should avoid cosmetic changes if possible – but things like seals, gaskets, crystals and the movement should be kept up to date. That’s what preserves the watch long-term.
Which is why you set up the company TrueDome?
Yeah. TrueDome’s intent is to honour the original designs of vintage crystals – to recreate those while giving collectors the safety of something that can pass a pressure test, if the conditions are right. So, you can enjoy the watch, preserve it – and it still looks the way it should. That’s why the crystal became key. That company came about through both watchmaking and collecting – the cohesion of the two. |
These are acrylic crystals, right?
Acrylic crystals, yeah. I have one on my Tudor now. Rolex used to make these with a specific – and lovely – dome shape. They reflect and refract light in a very distinct way. It’s part of the design language.
In the ’80s, they removed that dome – I think, to make them stronger – and switched to a flatter style. But it changed the look completely. So, collectors like me would scour the internet for original domed crystals. But as acrylic ages, it shrinks – tolerances change, and water-tightness can be compromised. So, the hunt becomes a nightmare?
Exactly. A) You’re searching for expensive crystals. B) They often don’t function anymore. C) Some sellers were repackaging junk aftermarket versions in Rolex packaging and passing them off as original. That’s where TrueDome came in. I wanted something that performed well, looked right – and was honest. Ours have a watermark on the side that marks it as a TrueDome, so no one can sell it as an original – it’s proud to be what it is. How did you find someone who could make them? I reached out to a few manufacturers who specialise in crystals and asked if we could reverse-engineer the originals. They said yes – but it wouldn’t be easy or cheap.
We had to get a number of originals and destroy them in the process – studying their shapes and dimensions – and then run multiple fit and pressure tests to ensure proper mounting and water resistance. That was important to me. I wanted to wear them on my own watches without worry.
It took 10–12 months to get through R&D – renderings, testing – to finally get a finished product. [Using laser guided micrometres, CAD renderings and 3D moulded samples, they achieved a match closes to the original “Superdome” crystal designed for vintage Rolex Submariner models like the ref. 5513.]
That became our first crystal: the D19. That’s the crystal for Submariners – Rolex or Tudor – the vintage Sub references. And it’s been our most popular crystal. |
Only five known examples in the world. Petronzi bought this Australian military issued, fixed bar ref. 5510 back to life. "The watch arrived running at -442s/d with a host of issues including a bent hair spring and warped movement plate," he says. Fixed up, it now runs within two seconds per day. "The dial lacquer’s aging reminds me of a Rembrandt painting."
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And it grew from there? From there we did other references. All acrylic, and all with that same philosophy of recreating the original design language, but providing the clearest acrylic and the strongest stuff so that people can try to enjoy their watches without worrying so much about them.
I recently got to handle some early 1960s Daytonas at Sotheby’s here in London. Those original cases and bracelets are so great.
I agree with you. There’s a charm to the vintage stuff that is somewhat lost in today’s watches. Look – today’s watches are great. They function phenomenally well. They’re very strong and robust. But there’s just a charm and an aspect of the vintage pieces that’s just not… it’s not there as much. You’ve done work with auction houses, right? One of the most fun moments I had with an auction house was at Phillips. I was asked to come in and just do what’s called a “partial service”. I did strap changes and verification – opening up some watches to shoot the movements and things like that. This was right at the end of Covid.
And, in particular, one time, it was for the Sylvester Stallone collection. A watch guy, famously. Yeah, he’s a big-time collector. And I was always a big fan of his, you know, growing up. Rocky was huge for me.
So great. This little Italian–American kid just trying to get bigger and stronger. I was just totally about Rocky.
So having the ability to see – and open up, and work on Sly’s watches... It was a Panerai, actually. The Panerai he wore in the movie Daylight – which is what was responsible for making Panerais exciting for people. [The 1996 action film is said to have turned the brand's bold, military-inspired design into a Hollywood-endorsed luxury icon.]
Had he knocked it about a bit? It looked like it was well-worn. He definitely used his watch. |
An unpolished Rolex Explorer I ref. 1016 with a TrueDome D22 crystal, for sale on Wind Vintage |
Given the specificity of what you do, I’m guessing you have a waiting list? People would rather you restore their watch than someone else?
I’ve somehow become a go-to for a very specific watch reference – not just the Submariner, but a Rolex military watch made for the British military called the "MilSub". [The Rolex "MilSub" was British Navy-issued, between 1971 and 1979. It’s identifiable by its sword hands, fixed bars and graduated bezel].
It’s a very collectible, important Rolex. And it’s been sort of the pinnacle of what I’ve achieved in watchmaking. Because it’s such a significant watch – and I’ve become friendly with people who know them well. And I’ve learned a lot myself.
At one point in collecting, I’d always wanted one. It seemed like a grail that would never be achievable – they were very expensive. But eventually, I looked at the collection I’d built and thought, “Wow – if I sell all these…” And so you did?
That’s right. I got one [a "MilSub"] at auction a few years ago. I serviced it and made a comprehensive YouTube video about it – and that got a lot of views.
Then friends in the community who also had "MilSubs" started sending me theirs. So, I became someone people specifically sought out for that. One – I personally know a lot about them, so I can spot what’s correct or not. And two – they know how passionate I am, and that I’ll really take care of them. Because it’s such an important, valuable watch, there’s a lot of trust involved. I’m not saying I’m the only one who can work on them – there are plenty of talented watchmakers – but being both a collector and owner, and knowing these watches well, people feel confident sending them to me. So, I’ve sort of become this “MilSub watchmaker” of sorts.
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Rolex British military Submariner "MilSub" ref. 5513, circa 1972 |
It’s quite niche, isn’t it?
Definitely a niche! And one I feel honoured to be part of. Years ago, I was just that kid in college looking at these online thinking, “I wonder if I’ll ever even see one in person?” To go from that to now – it’s pretty cool. But I just kept hustling until one day I woke up and realised, “I get to work on these things I’m so passionate about.”
Do you know what Rolex thinks of what you do? That’s a great question. I’d bet they’d prefer everything stays in-house. I think there are people within the company – passionate collectors – who would appreciate what I do. I think I’d get along well with them. But most brands today – not just Rolex – want to repatriate service as another revenue stream. I get that from a business standpoint, but it makes things harder for independents like me. Sourcing parts, for example, is more challenging.
Rolex stopped supplying parts for vintage calibres a few years ago – and that makes things tougher for those of us working specifically on vintage watches. Although, who knows?
They did launch pre-owned [After decades of not engaging with the secondary market, Rolex launched its own Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program in 2022 to authenticate and guarantee used Rolex watches sold through authorised dealers] – maybe that’s a step toward valuing their vintage pieces more and supporting the independents doing that work. |
"Pretty happy with how this came out considering how bad that hairspring was," says Petronzi. "After adjusting the overcoil to centre the collet it took me about 5 attempts to dial the stud position in just right to achieve 0.0 beat error in the flats." |
Would you work for Rolex?
If there were a way to collaborate, I’d be thrilled. I have friends who’ve worked for Rolex. But my space – this is where it gets tricky – is all about preservation and restoration. Rolex’s disposition is innovation. “Make your watch new again.” Mine is: keep it original. I won’t even polish cases. That’s a hardcore vintage dealer thing too, isn’t it? Unpolished cases are a must. Yeah, exactly. And Rolex likely wouldn’t give me a parts account unless I offered polishing. Independents have to prove they offer X, Y – and Z is polishing. So, I’d need to revamp parts of my workshop. It’s a tricky situation.
But maybe vintage preservation will become more important to them – and maybe they’ll see what I do and reach out. That would be amazing. Another thing is, I’ve had a very unconventional path. I’ve got all the education for a PhD in psychology – and no formal training in watchmaking. That could be a barrier. But still. Who knows? Was there a watch that’s given you pause when you’ve taken it on? Something crazily rare?
There have certainly been watches I’ve worked on where – because of their rarity – there’s not much potential to source parts if you need them. And because of that, you have very limited options in terms of how you fix it.
One of the parts that most often needs fixing – because it’s directly correlated to how much shock the watch has experienced – is the balance wheel. And on the balance wheel is this very, very small, thinner-than-a-human-hair metal coil spring called the hairspring.
It’s supposed to be in this perfect Archimedean spiral – both in flat and in round. And when a watch experiences shock, oftentimes the hairspring will deform. And this will really compromise timing.
You can clean a watch, replace screws – no big deal. But when it comes to the balance, if you don’t know how to reshape that spiral to the perfect Archimedean spiral, you’re in real trouble. Because sometimes you can’t source another one. |
A "tropical dial" GMT, as seen through a TrueDome D38 crystal |
Has that ever happened? It’s happened before. And I have a similar attitude toward hairspring work – as they call it – as I did toward statistics in grad school.
Statistics started out for me as this really arduous, awful thing. Not good. I just wanted to avoid it. But then I realised, “If I have to publish original research, I better learn statistics. I better get good at it.”
So, I dove into it. Instead of looking at it as a barrier, I looked at it as an opportunity. And it’s the same thing I’ve done with hairspring work. Instead of seeing it as this impossible thing that would make watchmaking awful and arduous, I said, “Let me take this as an opportunity to increase my skill.” So that’s what I did. I spent almost a whole summer just working on hairsprings – the same way I spent learning statistics. And I’ve actually gotten pretty decent at reshaping hairsprings and getting them back into true [shape].
As a result, I’m able to save some watches that otherwise may not have been saveable —because you can’t find those balances. |
Sub club: vintage Tudor and Rolex Submariners |
Just to finish on something you said earlier – that watchmaking is two parts skill and two parts trust. Is this is where your psychology training crosses over? You seem like a trustworthy guy.
One hundred percent. With psychology, people won’t see you if they can’t trust you. It’s all about the rapport you create – that determines the successful outcomes of therapy. In fact, the research I did in psychology was focused on the extent to which therapy outcomes were determined by the match between a therapist and a client.
Specifically, I looked at: do dispositional qualities – personality traits or attachment styles – predict a person’s affinity toward different psychotherapeutic orientations? Cognitive, behavioural, humanistic, etc. What I found was that – even though there were some statistically significant predictions – the effect sizes were very low. What I found instead was that there was a very big relationship between what they call the “therapeutic alliance” – the trusting relationship – and therapy outcomes. That mattered more than anything.
It mattered more than the perceived similarities between therapist and client. More than anything else. So again, we think about trust as such an important foundational element of good therapy. But it’s also a foundational, important element of any good business. And it’s absolutely true of watches as well. Arguably more so. They’re not just luxury goods, but super-personal.
Yes. So when people send their watches over to someone they don’t know, they want to feel a degree of confidence they can trust this person – that they won’t change out original parts or handle their watches in a careless fashion.
But I think even more than that – mainly – it’s about knowing it’s coming back in a condition that’s going to be as good, or better. And a big part of that is trust – really feeling confident. And I get it. Before I was a watchmaker, I was a collector. I was sending watches to get serviced too. And I was always like [makes strangled, nervous sound]. The flipside now must be the joy you get back from clients, when you’ve restored something to good order. It’s especially rewarding when it’s a watch with sentimental value. When it’s been in the family – or handed down from a deceased parent or something like that. To me, that’s particularly meaningful. When I work on that watch, that reality is not lost on me. I get much more satisfaction knowing I’m bringing it back to a usable condition for someone when it’s been in their family, when it has a sentimental attachment. So yeah, that’s part of the meaningfulness of it for me as well. |
Norqain Freedom 60 Chrono Enjoy Life Special Edition |
With a collection valued at $1m that includes a Patek Philippe "Tiffany" Nautilus, a Rolex Daytona with a diamond-paved bezel plus a handful of Patek Philippe Grand Complications, the actor Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg likes an seriously expensive watch.
So it was perhaps a surprise to find him on the 'Gram on Friday, singing the praises of this unserious £4,000 chronograph. "Everybody asking me about this watch. This is the Norqain Ice Cream. Limited edition. Oh man, this watch is amazing," the Ted star offered in a typically muscle-bound, shorts-wearing, car-centric clip.
A new take on the brand's Freedom 60 chrono, the star's choice features a white dial with colourful green, pink and blue sub-dials, plus a matching outer tachymeter scale. There's also a special date window design with an ice cream cone graphic that pops up once every seven days. And it comes in a special box with matching sunglasses.
"Watch of the summer," adjudged Wahlberg. |
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