Meet Peter, our Watchmaker and Professional Services Lead
Our watchmaker and Professional Services lead, Peter, has become famous (or infamous) for a few things. One of those things is that he's a watchmaker who doesn't wear watches. In fact, if you ever see him wearing one, don't be fooled—it's likely a fake.
He likes to highlight the importance of authentication by showing the general public how indistinguishable replica watches have become and features those same fake watches on our YouTube series “Fake vs Real,” something else he's also become quite famous for.
Amongst many other things, Peter, along with his team of watch specialists, is responsible for the authentication of every single watch consigned to Wristcheck and ensuring each watch meets a certain quality standard. On any given day, you'll find him in the Wristcheck watchmaking workshop, repairing or servicing watches to prepare them for consignment.
When he's not talking about watches or working on watches, you'll find him on the tennis court. Fun fact about Peter - he's actually a former ATP/WTA professional hitting partner, which means he used to warm-up professional players to prepare them for their tournament matches.
When you joined Wristcheck, the Professional Services team didn't exist - you were really the person who built out that function from scratch. Could you walk us through what the process of that looked like?
It helps that I have worked in many other workshops and helped manage the inventory, storage, and service of watches. From small, privately owned workshops to big brand service centers, I've seen it all.
It began when Austen asked me if I could build a Swiss-grade workshop for Wristcheck in the heart of Hong Kong. Although my reference is German-grade workshops, I did not hesitate to tell him it could be done and got right to work. The workshop is a small piece of the puzzle. Professional Services exist to protect the watches and protect Wristcheck. We manage the storage and inventory of the watches, ensure they are being handled properly throughout the entire consignment process, and make sure they don't fall into the wrong hands when they need to be serviced or repaired.
Without having worked for many other service centers or workshops, I would not have been able to build the aforementioned processes. Needless to say, I didn't do it alone. Wristcheck is full of talented people who are first and foremost passionate about watches. That's what defines Wristcheck.
What prompted you to relocate, and what are some Hong Kong gems you've discovered since?
It was a no-brainer. Austen is a visionary, and when I heard about what he wanted to do and how he wanted to use my expertise, I did not hesitate to immediately take the necessary steps to relocate to Hong Kong.
Having never been to Asia, let alone Hong Kong, I am more than pleasantly surprised. Hong Kong is a very culturally rich city. The food alone has made it a pleasure to live here. Gems include char siu, dim sum, siu mai, wonton noodles, roasted goose, and many more. But what makes Hong Kong really great, and I know all the expats you ask will agree, is the combination between nature and a metropolis. So when you have taken in thousands of calories of local delicacies, you can typically find your nearest hiking trail within 20 minutes of any location in Hong Kong.
I find the people to be some of the most disciplined and hard-working people I have ever met, and it's an honor to work alongside those I work with. There is no lack of motivation and drive here to constantly strive for self-growth. If you slow down for even a moment, everyone will pass right by you.
Many of our audience members probably recognize you as our resident YouTube superstar sensation. Do you see a future where you abandon watchmaking to become a YouTube personality?
It was not my intention to move to Hong Kong and create content, but I have to say that educating people about watchmaking is a strong passion of mine, and I want to continue to be the neutral and objective source of truth for all things watchmaking.
I don't know everything, but I know the collectors here in Hong Kong appreciate me as a source for general watchmaking knowledge, and I take that very seriously considering we exist in an industry where their lack of education is taken advantage of. I want to help equip people who really want to learn more about watchmaking so everyone can see through the smoke in mirrors and, in general, form their own opinions and tastes.
But would I ever "abandon watchmaking?" Absolutely not. I think you need to practice what you preach. I don't want it to become something I used to do. Nonetheless, stay tuned for more content!
