Micheal Clerizo is the author of Masters of Contemporary Watchmaking and George Daniels: A Master Watchmaker And His Art. He is a contributing editor at The Wall Street Journal magazine.

1. Describe briefly your childhood.

My childhood was an enormous amount of fun. We lived in a big house in Connecticut. My two sisters and I got along wonderfully. My parents were warm, loving people. My mother was a superb gardener who could get anything to grow in our yard. She was also the best cook I have ever known. She had worked in restaurants before she met my father and could cook just about anything. My friends would come to our house just to eat her food. A few years ago I went to my elementary school reunion. One of my friends pointed out that when we were kids he loved visiting other kids’ houses if they had a pool table or a swimming pool but he came to our house for my mother’s cooking. In high school the food in the cafeteria was one small step above inedible so my mother made sandwiches for me every day. As she always cut the sandwiches in half I sold half to other students who didn’t want to eat the junk served in the cafeteria. My father was a professional gambler and a very successful one so he was home a lot of the time. I thought that was cool. My friend’s fathers all went to work every day but my father was mostly at home. He loved to read and as soon as I could read we started reading to each other usually American history books. I still love history.

2. As a child did you have any driving ambition?

I never wanted to be anything other than a writer.

3. What is your first significant memory as a child?

My first memory is not very pleasant. I nearly drowned in our pool. To this day I remember the water blurring my vision and filling my lungs. I don’t like to think about it. On the other hand, I also remember great birthday parties with clowns, horses and many, many presents.

4. Have you ever had another profession?

No.

5. What made you decide to go in the direction you are currently in?

Many people who write about watches are watch lovers who became writers. I am a writer who became a watch lover and then started writing about watches. Many years ago an editor asked me if I knew anything about watches. I knew nothing about watches at the time but being a freelance writer and always needing work I lied and said yes. The editor immediately commissioned a 1,000-word article from

me. After that article I was hooked.

6. What’s the worst job you’ve had to do?

I have hated every job I’ve ever had. Thankfully there have not been many jobs in my life. I prefer projects and I like to work on several at the same time. That way if I become bored with one I can switch to another for a while.

7. What’s been the hardest moment in your life so far, and how did you overcome it?

This is an easy question to answer; the time my wife was diagnosed with cancer. Of course, that is not something I overcame. My wife beat cancer mostly by believing that the disease would not beat her. Watching her was inspirational. She had to take chemotherapy in pill form, which she usually downed – against medical advice - with champagne. You have to admire the woman.

8. Who has had the strongest influence on you?

For influences I would say my father, two high school teachers and George Daniels.

For inspirations – anything that is well written.

9. What are you most proud of?

My marriage, my relationship with my family and my friends.

10. What advice would you give to a 20 something someone thinking of taking a similar path as you?

Oh gosh. This is the kind of question mostly answered with something like; ‘Follow your dreams,’ ‘Find your passion,’ ‘Remember if you fail, fail big’. Those sorts of sentiments are fine and I believe in them as much as anyone. But…there is one little sentence that I have found to be true and useful throughout my life. I always tell other people that if it works for me it will work for you. Here it is: Never trust anyone who doesn’t like Elvis.

11. Name three things on your bucket list.

Finish my novel, direct a film and find the paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. I have directed a not very good documentary about a clock repair guy in a small town in Vermont. It won’t be my last effort. For anyone particularly bored during lockdown here is the link.

12. Where do you think the watch industry is going to be in 10 years time?

I am not a pessimist. I believe mechanical watchmaking will be around for centuries to come. Human beings survived as a species partly because we learned to manipulate tools so we could make things. Because of this, we are hardwired by evolution to appreciate craft. The mechanical watch is produced, at least in part, by craft. I wrote an article on this subject on Watchonista.

Beyond those thoughts, I think in 10 years time we will still be talking about the same brands we are talking about now but there will also be something different – we will also be talking about a lot of new brands. The watch industry is experiencing it’s own start-up explosion. Just look at the site wornandwound, many of these small brands will disappear but others will grow and prosper.

Wonderful!

To learn more about Micheal Clerizo