Episode 30: The one with Jose Cermeno

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:   / discord  



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…