Double Freak: Heavy Metal Maestro & Master Watchmaker

He brought to bear all of the things he learned about what causes a wristwatch to fail and delivered a design that counters much of the sources of trouble. There is a single impulse, no-oil escapement composed of raw titanium parts to counter the issue of old, tacky oil over time. He included a full plate bridge system, the first of its kind, and an oversized balance wheel. The plates are made of vintage metallurgy German silver, and Spitz is currently developing a barrel system.

“I design, create and make all my own gears, pinions, main plates, etc., on premise. My workshop has a very rare 100+ year old Lienhard brocading machine where I personally handmake the solid silver guilloché dial per unique piece for the collector,” says Spitz. “Additionally, I have a straight-line vintage guilloché machine. I utilize both modern and vintage manufacturing processes in unison.”

These days, Spitz is able to create three timepieces a year using his own design in his independent workshop near Dallas, Texas. Each piece leaves an indelible mark on the watchmaker. Spitz explains his journey eloquently, “Each watch is unique because I make it by hand. When I’m finished making the watch, I have the memory of the (sometimes painful) journey of creation, of all the people around me, the time around me and the non-human machine interactions.