Vincent Calabrese, nationality Italian is a self-taught watchmaker and co-founder of the AHCI.

1. What did your father do? what did your mother do?  Describe briefly your childhood.

He transmitted to me the pleasure of independence. My mother worked hard to raise us and my childhood was quite turbulent.

2. As a child did you have any driving ambition? What did you want to be?

I wanted to be a sailor, after that a trumpet player and finally, at 13 and a half, I became a watchmaker purely by chance.

3. What is your first significant memory as a child?

Injustice.

4. Have you ever had another profession? What did you do?

When I was 13 years old. Assistant chemist, deliveryman, store salesman. After that I only worked as watchmaker

5. What made you choose to become a watchmaker?  Who have you worked for in the past?  What made you decide to go in the direction you have chosen?

My mother chose this job. I worked two months in a jewelry shop in Naples and then I became independent. It was the economic crisis that hit the industry in 1974 that made me leave industrial watchmaking and become an Artisan creating my own watches.

6. What’s the worst job you’ve had to do?

The hardest was a book deliveryman. I realized the actual weight of culture. The most dangerous: assistant chemist.

7. What’s been the hardest moment in your life so far, and how did you over-come it?

The death of loved ones. By keeping them in my memory.

8. Who has had the strongest influence on you? What are your greatest inspirations?

Fortunately nobody. My ethical and philosophical motivations and the justice of men and not that of the imposed law.

9. What are you most proud of?

From my Spatial watchmaking and the creation of the AHCI.

10. What advice would you give to a 20 something someone thinking of taking a similar path as you?

Take what is yours.  To copy takes you nowhere. Happiness is in us, it is not in others.

11. Name three things on your bucket list.  

My past, my courage and my future.

12.Where do you think the industry is going to be in 10 year’s time.

That does not interest me, I'm not part of it.

To learn more about Vincent Calebrese www.vincent-calabrese.com