The life of a watchmaker

Global pop sensation Taylor Swift released her record breaking album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ last year.

From the artwork to the lyrics to the costumes, the album highlighted the glitz and glamour of flamboyant productions and a career in the public eye.

‘The Life of a Watchmaker’ is unlikely to be the name of Swift’s follow-up album, and the differences between the two careers seem stark. But is there love to be found in the craft of technical watchmaking, and where do these brilliant engineers go for their dopamine hit at work?

I spent some time chatting with Rob Wilson, Seiko’s and Grand Seiko’s technical support manager. During a fascinating chat, which will be published in the next edition of Watch Insider, one of the questions I asked Rob is what gets him out of bed in the morning after an impressive 40 years with Seiko.

“Training people I find really rewarding and really good fun,” he told me. “When you’ve got a new guy and you can show them the things that they don’t know, that’s rewarding and worth getting out of bed for.

“I’ve also been roped into doing things for Watches & Wonders, where we meet press, journalists, and things like that, which is interesting. “Also travelling a bit by going to Japan from time to time is a great part of the job.”

First and foremost though, watchmaking is a labour of love for Rob, irrespective of the side perks of the role.

“One reason I’ve stayed at Seiko is the constant innovation,” he says. “We’re always making new products, and that is what keeps me going really. Spring Drive I still think is absolutely fantastic technology. We are still selling it now all these years later but we’re still developing it. With the U.F.A, for example, 20 seconds a year accuracy is incredible.

“In a nutshell, that’s why I’m here: innovation and interesting products.”

Give a watchmaker tweezers and finger cots over feather fans and sequins any day of the week.

The full interview will be published in the January 2026 edition of Watch Insider UK.