Oldest watch making factories. David henderson, stewart has been at the helm of his enterprise for more than a decade. So im going to ask him, what makes russian watch making text . The so david i have to, i guess, start with an esoteric question. The philosophers and scientists stay really cannot decide on what time is. One theory is the time was created by humans so that we could deal with our uncertainty. What is time to you and what are clocks to you . Well times to me is one of the most important things and it was, i mean we pulled the money in the world. You cannot buy an additional seconds. And, you know, each of a subsidy can equal in front of time. And um, you know, when you look at so the history far on says this time was acreage time was given by sky. They looked at the sun, the stars at the moon. So it came kind of for them, it came from the gods. And its the time we say course, so i kind of from have the same feeling towards time as something does some very precious. And definitely one of the most important things started. We happen to wells with us as so we have and it was me. Now when you started, i hear it, but i get that. You really didnt know anything about watches. Now you were pretty much an expert. Um, so what makes a kit the watch stand out to tech from a technical point of view . Well, i cant say is much more than to watch it. I cant say is a history, and i cant the is brand thats intimately linked to russian culture. Russian history and its also the result of an incredible new how that is kept in under this roof, which otherwise would have disappeared. Because you can always buy the machines in switzerland. But the new house is out solution incredible. These people doing incredible things with the hands, and the result is to watch without any bug fees, ships that are connected thats should always give the right time is just and thats what caused that to interact and every single day, week, month, fee, uh uh, gives, gives you the time and theres something thats quite incredible. Now, um, ive heard of an acoustic signature and ive heard that a lot can to watch has its own unique acoustic signature. What exactly is that, and why is that okay, to so unique watches, i know just watches move the hands, move around, the diode and watches make a sound also. And so what, shes very much like a living fussing. And it has a history, its, its, its, it, the watch make it gives life to the, to the watch. And, uh, the watch that you were and your risk measures your, show your time. Mm hm. And it gives a sound on the sound as you need it, because the watch is made with russian metal. Mm hm. Uh and uh, the rituals, the houses in construction. So the sounds is difficult for me to describe the sound, but i know its unique. It doesnt look, it doesnt sound like the sound that this with which so okay, what about the jewels and watches . Um, when i think of jewels, i think of something that is decorative, but jewels for water and much more important to can you talk to me a little bit about what a drilled watch means . Yeah, of course, every single which is which is depression, which is tons of using the mechanical movies i have on my wrist. 24 jewels. Now. Jewels, uh no, just beautiful gems. Mm hm. Jewels are also sort of a very important function. You should imagine like in, in, in the game tree there are lots of wheels with axes. And each ox rotates around is pivots, like sometimes 100000. 00 times a day. And it, if it were a metal against my fault, it was very significant. You were out isnt so at the tip of every oxy have, but you said you really against the metal doesnt wear out just all sorts of some very important function. Ok, thats very cool. Something that i did not know. Thank you for that. Very few people knew that theres a lot of people think like you, its just extra to, i mean, thats a declaration, but its not right. Its actually has an expensive very, very important. Now what about um, use, what you do here is more than business. You say that it is a can to well cultural values. In fact, ive heard it in and review the use of it. What you do here is kind of like from the bookstore theater, can explain that. What do you mean by that . I mean, everybody thinks its a business, its not a business. A business is something which is aims to make money. Get to so much more than not. You should imagine that it gets as a fund fee that has existed for more than 300 years. It was funded by jim per piece of the great. Mm hm. And it tells the stories that folds incredible achievements of the service under brushing people who the conquests of space and brushing of on god and so on. So on. And what she does so doesnt seem peopled by what she has to read the time. Now people by what shes because the gets emotions from the watch. And the emotion comes from the mechanical movement, which is unique, which is the result of an incredible know how the story that the watch toes, the design and all of this is, is tremendously incredible. And look to my wife. Shes the result of more than 8000. 00 operations. You need more than the specialists to do this. I mean, its not, its the purpose of all of this is not to make money out of being much, much richer if i started to, you know, and i, to continue winston has come to wherever this is about something much bigger than thats the alexander brother and coffee has been collecting time pieces for half a century and now owns more than 6000 clocks and watches from different places and advocates within any known private collector in the world. The. How did you get started . What is collecting watches mean to you . Is it about preserving history . Is it about the fascination with time . What does this collection mean to you . Later on . Yes, im 64 years old. You know, you pay for some people say soviet watches a what else to listen during changing that wrong. And were, so we need to preserve all history, which im trying to do. I, it doesnt feel young people have no idea or about. And so if you had watches, which will actually amazing on what ive been collecting is a history of watches. Thats out to say i 1st and then i collected antique timepieces before switching to soviet made one set there with no, its a fascinating subject. Im a member of the connect as club with a woman with the many years ago. Wrote to me saying its better to own 10 break, a watches, the bucket full of soviet mass produce junk because it was, i guess, go from just had no clue about soviet watches with, with what i want to do is help the next generation appreciate the beauty of soviet watches, his concern, he really got his history is the legacy i want to leave behind checklist. I persisted. So youve mentioned you have more than 6000 watches. Its an impressive collection. And of these thousands, what are some of the most rare or the of valuable like half masonic fitness and the most rare and valuable ones as he is or if it was good. In fact, these watches have zodiac signs on the dials. Yeah, you have cancer and so on, you know, can you think the zodiac sign has its own gemstone . Okay, so weve got music. This time piece is also interesting. Back with the if you look at the live is you can see it has a holographic crystal skeptical or is another remarkable piece. Whether its a dining wash from a factory museum, there with a with this while she has a unique movement, which was never mass produced because it was destroyed, you wouldnt, as soon as it was made 0 instead of what is the use of the renters watches. I have just the, i guess my final question is, how much was this all work . Have you ever had your entire collection appraised . How much is it all value that revise it . You know, this collection is priceless, sam, i dont even know how much it could be was because its so unique. But it would be a lot of money because a lot of work that has gone into this collection. And you can find such a time piece as today, or they dont exist anymore. There was a woman who called me twice, offering me 50000000, so the collection would remain its guardian, but i would no longer be the other. It was unknown, started for me, you know, im 64. Okay. And then when i been doing this my whole life, i just con, sell it to anyone who im sure its my life. I dont want to change is that with . Yeah, like collecting watches and youll have its, i enjoy the excitement and im really committed to seeing this through the scenario. And my goal is to have the biggest collection period on my side, but thats what i want. The money doesnt have the same appeal to me. I would think that what i enjoy noise being able to tell people about my watches. I want people to know that our country maze all these wonderful things, the what are the qualities that you look for and, and watch make or what does one need to have in order to be like an exclusive about yet, the quality watchmaker, i would say the biggest quality thats a which mucus house is pushing me. Um i uh, before discovering other cats. I was a lawyer. I was a banker. I never saw so much passion in the profession as what you mean because uh for them. And so much within the job is the passion, if, if the for life. Mm hm. And when youre passionate about whats making, then old, you have the qualities flowing automatically, you know, precision and, and all of that. Its a videotape question. And what about you do you cannot be a good, whats, what makes a, if not pushing it about to your about to making, which is i would say that thats true and all the way through, i guess what about you personally . What have you learned from watching, making you say that you were lawyer and a banker coming here. What have you learned about life in general . Well, 1st of all, ive discovered 2 things. First of all, um i discovered the world of time and things like we, we talked about to submit your own. Mm hm. I also discovered how, you know, we, we come from a wealth of the western wealth when we value, you know, people who succeed in life by being bankers and lawyers, and with us. And i discovered in this funk for you how incredible jesus was. Uh, you know, when i see walkers is crossing it, people doing things with a hands that job is so much more difficult than even being a banker. Mm hm. Um, to become a good to watch me could take suitcase 5 to 6 years. And i was a huge challenge because there are new normal which making schools in rough anymore. So we, when we high young people we, we created our own wish making so, and we, we freedom and it takes us 5 to 6 years to, to make, you know, especially something. So ive had it for months for specs. Now full, full for these workforce work with their hands because they do out to these incredible things the, the sometime pieces can be spotted on the wrists of the worlds rich and mighty take constantine check. And whos watching making is recognized by kind of source, as some of the most creative and original we can find out whats quite literally behind the face of it. The konstantin, thanks for taking the time to speak with us and to show us some of your work. Now i see some sketches out here which fascinates me. I understand that before you start any project, you start with a sketch in, in a time when we have a i, and computer enhancements. So why with a sketch . Are you an analog person, per se . Hes a sion of several of the many watchmakers and designers who rely on modem, 3 d modeling tools. So most who said use a, i think what i want though, is for my creativity to come from the how does it with me . But as if you need this direct link between my fingertips in my brain, when i transfer my idea around to a note that will canvas, my gimme a call start, such a must for me. That personally theater, where is the quickest way to sketch a new watching life . So now the outside design, the ornaments are one thing, but the inside of the watches, the mechanism itself. Do those change from watch to watch or time piece to time piece, or is it all the same inside . And then when we describe a watch movement, we talk about its architecture. When we look at different buildings and theyre architectural styles, we certainly see some functional elements like the foundation and the post in the ground. The was the windows and so on. A watch movement is a very functional mechanism as well. So we have a functional elements. I also meant to have aesthetic value to, even though some of the pots will never be seen by anyone except to watch, make a full service or have had the watch later that youre working with so many tiny parts to create the mechanisms or on such a small, small scale, very delicate work. How do you get such crash midship, the mathematics, correct . The parts . Correct. Some of them your manufacturing yourself. Im sure. Um, how does that all Work Together . Have you do that here . Probably a little is sometimes this kind of craftsmanship is described as jewelry. Great. In fact, some watchmakers consider with almost an insult, almost to the precision you need for making jewelry, is orders of magnitude lower than whats required for mechanical launches of tests vo, question. We certainly need special measurement to instruments because the color and says in making about depend on the precision of our measurements. We have these instruments as well as specialized machines, which allow us to manufacture high position pods to a total runs of several microns or several thousands of a millimeter. Now, youve said that youve made the most complex timepiece in russia. What do you mean by that . Is it complexity and number of parts . Is it the intercourse in to intricacy, excuse me, of movement. So, what is the most complex time . Police in rush side created both the most complicated table clock in russia and full recently the most complicated watch in russia as well. The past. Yes, one try to in this a number of pods in the movement. For example, the moscow computers clock has 2506 pots in the movement alone. The wristwatch i mentioned has 664 pods and can use me for the complexity is also determined by the number of function that dont complication. So you should say you have the number of pods and the number of functions that can perform the bowl. So probably the number of new inventions in the time based on the background tax, and then this a time, which is the most precious thing we have, that went into the crafting of a mazda base. Ok, now youve also created the 1st to, to be on clock or time piece in russia. What exactly is that . Um, am i correct in understanding that its helps with the accurate accuracy . What is it to be on time takes . 20 years ago, i set myself the goal of creating the 1st a tube alone in russia in a table clock. Last on usual goal was a challenge i decided to take upon myself to create the to him alone is a mechanism invented by dismissal. Jamaica abraham louis, but i gave you 200 years ago. I should start with the purpose of countering the effect of gravity on the accuracy of a time. Peace with the laws of physics hasnt changed much over the last 200 years. So one of the key components of a time based of 10 shows its accuracy is the balance wheel. Who has access must coincide with its center of mass and none of them even now in the 25th century. We cant make it exactly so therefore, the jump of a tub alone is to average out gravitational error and provide accurate time keeping stuff by some good works well in portable time piece is and is a great solution on the 8th and some of your designs are fantastic with um, extravagant ideas and thinking of the time piece that calculates the time on mars, as well as a time piece that calculates Russian Orthodox easter. I guess i have to ask maybe the most obvious question of whos the clientele for this type of watch . Why would someone want to this type of a watch . My role here is primarily that to but not just to me knows no limits. This classical out like drawing or making sculptures. And what i do is the technical out to modest me the most working on extremely complicated mechanisms which calculate the distance between us and to boss full time on miles on the days of orthodoxy. Stuff. Obviously these have no practical sense these days in the same book. Its more of an autistic challenge for me. And so when youre talking about mechanical watches in general, mostly today were swamped with information and can check the time, not necessarily on a risk wash and put on a mobile phone and so on. You could say that the mechanical watch has essentially outlived its usefulness to them because they were just so many of it convenient devices that can tell you the time. So my work is primarily a Creative Process for me. You know, as a 1st, we do have all right in the space program, a system that watches the show, the time on miles will eventually be used by cause milledgeville restaurants, who will set foot on the red planet and the distant or not too distant future. They want to know what time it is, but the secondly, ill watch these have been and still being used on the International Space station and stuff. Now, among the very few time paces that have been worn under a space suit by cosmos, during space walks by tomorrow. So there are a couple of specific examples of serious practical use. Give others. Mm hm. Im commenting and lets talk about the orthodox easter time piece. Because ive tried to calculate it with sasha, my editor, its very difficult. Its incredibly complex in terms of doing that. How do you go about creating something and the mechanism for something so complex. Sticking in data rules for setting the data of orthodoxy, state well formulated in the middle of the 1st millennium hague d. It was defined as the 1st sunday following the 1st full moon off the casa many different algorithms for determining the date with her post over the next 1500 years with all that, ive taken it a step further. And also i came up with my own mathematical formula based on those algorithms, which then helped me to build a mechanical watch from audio history. Yes, ive done that twice by the way, once for a model with optical indication released in 2005. My 1st launch for orthodoxies to the federal. Id like to for a different mechanism which uses a hand to indicate the right data. And im proud to say that few watchmakers do innovative mass upon from classical mathematical calculations to help them invent new modules and the calendars. Another thing that is now after say that the time of my research, you had 94 patterns already. Youre an artist, youre an engineer, and you have to be all of these things. Um or what is your next big dream project . I guess commercial. Im happy to say that we just go down 95th paint and i will reach 100 pages and soon enough, you know, at some point i began to see my work as a challenge and were just trying to do something nobody else is doing and setting apparently unachievable goals, im not going to develop any secrets, but we do have quite a few very ambitious projects in the pipeline. You can trace this trajectory, looking at some of our previous achievements because frank wriggled of unusual and complicated watches. Some of them related to space, exploration, nor other challenges and some not very practical isnt others quite practical. See me at the not necessarily needed today or next. Yeah, that may be very handy and future. Yes. What about your work and bring to joy and brings you pride . What . What do you like . Most of you do . Unlike other phones about watch making is very complex and it takes a long time to create to watch. Thats true, that it can be months and often years. Okay. The big names, the movement of this clock. Yeah. It took me about 5 years to build some o