DUMET Watches, This is me:
Being born into a family of technicians, it was “waiting to happen”
My grandfather, being a farmer, designed the machines he needed on his farm, his sons, among which, my father, played with Meccano in their childhood, rebuilding everything technical on the farm.
Later on, after I was born, my father made me toys, and me also showed me how he did it. I loved to “Hang out” with my father in the shed, bolts, nuts, tools… making whatever you want… I thought it was great
Lego Technic came on the market when I was just 5 years old, my parents didn’t consider me “Too youg” for it, so Igot wheels, sprockets and chains for my birthday, I loved it, Making things that moved!
At 6 years of age I got a toolbox with tools, no plastic play-tools, but the real thing!.
From that moment on, I could make things myself, Toys, soapbox-racers, my own skateboard, from a pair of old rollerskates.
I’ve always been fascinated by “small things”, at the age of 8, I was already doing the “Service” on model railroad locomotives, adjusting switches, replacing lamps and motor-brushes on H0 Scale modeltrains.
My world got bigger and bigger from that moment on.
So, I went on to a technical school, learning how to use lathes, milling machines, shapers and grinders from the age of 13.
After school, I started working as a machinist/welder, but after 4 years I was given the opportunity of becoming a Toolmaker, the profession I always dreamt of.
From then on, I was “Churning out” precision parts on a daily basis, and i loved my job.
After 11 Years I wanted to “take another step”, and I became an Engineer, designing all kinds of machines and tools, and making drawings for it.
Later I also worked for a company that made Special CNC machines.
Since I already had built my own CNC mill, and I had run all kinds of CNC machines, I knew how to design and build them, and also how to program them, having develloped a programming language for my own machine as well.
Unfortunately, the Crisis hit, and I found myself out of a Job.
I did have a number of “short term jobs” but by 2013 when out of a job again, i made my first wristwatch, I took the movement from my father’s old watch, repaired the movement, and made an aluminium case for it, as well as a brass dial and hands.
I then realised: “I can do this!” and a friend “Challenged” me to build a Titanium watch.
After Completing that first Titanium watch, things got serious , and I decided to start Dumet Watches.