Episode 30: The one with Jose Cermeno
Description
If you're not familiar with Jose's watches, we highly recommend visiting his website (link below) to follow along more closely as we delve into his creations. Jose is a passionate, charming, friendly, and knowledgeable individual. We are proud to have him with us and to showcase another remarkable young Canadian watchmaker. We hope you enjoy the show!
Jose Cermeno Watches: https://www.josecermeno.com/
Our Discord Community: https://discord.gg/3pfhUFPYFD
00:15 – Introduction
01:02 – Wrist checks
07:15 – About Jose Cermeno
07:56 – Going to watchmaking school in Switzerland
13:00 – Parental pride
14:27 – How did his internships influence his designs
17:56 – Jose’s special Tudor
21:08 – Watchmaking – in front vs. behind the bench
23:06 – How being a valet influenced his designs
25:09 – Initial challenges of starting his brand
28:31 – How many ouchies did it take to get started
29:27 – Jose’s dexterity working with leather
36:29 – Leather in the long run
39:58 – Balancing details and simplicity
46:20 – Coming back after a 6-year hiatus
54:44 – Future models, to leather or not to leather…
58:07 – Scale up or not to scale up...
1:01:50 – James Fournier’s UN Torpilleur story – THANK YOU RIKKI
1:03:05 – Jose’s other watches and what he’d like to own
1:07:06 – Future complications for Jose Cermeno watches
1:13:40 – Balancing price vs. exclusivity vs. quality
1:15:34 – Reject rate for dials
1:17:38 – Working the threads through his dial blanks
1:19:36 – Advice for aspiring watchmakers/brand owners
1:22:17 – Brands that inspire Jose
1:30:34 – Creating brand awareness and watch reviews
1:33:28 – Form over function or vice-versa
1:34:51 – Accidents are the mother of invention
01:39:02 – Thank yous and Goodbyes
01:39:48 – T2C OUT!
01:39:50 – But wait, there’s more…