Episode 30: The one with Jose Cermeno

Time 2 Calibrate

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…