The Watchmaker: Inside the art of repair. What does it take to bring a watch back to life?

He's been a watchmaker for over 50 years. But Richard Rogers has a rather surprising confession: he's never actually made a complete watch! So what exactly has he been doing for half a century? And why did his own father believe that watchmaking was a profession with no future? In this episode of What's in the Title?, I meet Richard Rogers, a watchmaker with more than five decades of experience and a wonderful love for his craft. I came into this conversation knowing almost nothing about watches. And Richard took me into a world I had no idea existed. We discover why watchmaking is about so much more than making watches. Richard explains the extraordinary skill involved in restoring antique timepieces, sometimes more than 150 years old, when replacement parts no longer exist and everything has to be painstakingly recreated. We explore the world of luxury watches, from Rolex to Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and independent watchmakers who may create only a handful of watches each year. What actually makes these timepieces different? How much of the work is still done by hand? And what are we really paying for when a watch costs tens of thousands of dollars? Richard also takes us back through history, to a time when knowing the correct time could mean the difference between life and death at sea. And then there's the actual working life. How do you spend a day repairing these tiny mechanical machines? What happens when a component disappears somewhere on the workshop floor? How do you diagnose a problem nobody has encountered before? And can you become so absorbed in a repair that you literally solve it in your dreams? Richard has some wonderful stories, including a particularly funny one from his training at Vacheron Constantin in Geneva. But perhaps the most surprising part of our conversation is what Richard says about the future. When he entered the profession, electronic and quartz watches were transforming the industry. His father was convinced traditional watchmakers would soon become unnecessary. More than 50 years later, Richard believes it's an extraordinary time to enter the profession. We talk about specialist schools, apprenticeships, career opportunities, and why an industry built around working with your hands still has so much to offer in a world of automation and AI. Throughout our conversation, Richard's enthusiasm is impossible to miss. Even after half a century, he's still excited by new inventions, unusual mechanical problems and the beauty of a carefully made watch. Whether you're passionate about watches, interested in craftsmanship and engineering, exploring an unusual career, or simply curious about the work hidden inside everyday objects, I hope you'll enjoy discovering Richard's world as much as I did. ---------- *About What's in the Title?* Your backstage pass to the world—and future—of work. A podcast exploring what people really do for a living, the skills and decisions behind different professions, and the surprising realities that job titles rarely reveal. 🎧 Find the podcast and listen on your favourite platform: https://linktr.ee/whatsinthetitle ---------------- *Chapters* 00:00 Welcome to What's in the Title? 02:03 Meet Richard Rogers: 50 years in watchmaking 03:11 What is horology, and how did watches change history? 07:21 Why this watchmaker has never made a complete watch 10:38 Restoring antique watches and diagnosing problems 14:20 How luxury watches are designed and made 20:32 What makes an expensive watch different? 23:34 Repairing vintage watches and finding rare parts 28:05 Innovation and the future of mechanical watches 33:03 A typical working day for a watchmaker 37:30 The funny reality of working with microscopic parts 39:37 The skills and mindset behind the profession 41:54 How to become a watchmaker and why the industry needs new talent #Watchmaking #Craftsmanship #CareerExploration