The world of watches often requires experience, years of experience, and mastery. However, this time, we have Owen Berger, an extraordinary talent who, despite his young age, has earned recognition from collectors and watchmakers alike, and who isn't afraid to repair complex mechanisms.
Despite being a high school student, Owen still works in a workshop on evenings and weekends. He crafts vintage chronographs, rattrapantes, and very rare movements. He currently has over 20 watches in total. He bought his first watch, a vintage chronometer gifted to him by his father. He then began his journey from the kitchen table to a corner workshop, where he developed into a young master of serious restoration work.
In this interview, we'll chat one-on-one with Owen, exploring questions like, "How did you first become interested in watches?", "Why do you prefer vintage watches?", and "What's your first step when you start repairing a watch in your workshop?" We'll explore his early career in this field, as well as his passions, challenges, and future plans. This conversation will be both inspiring and thought-provoking for watch enthusiasts, collectors, and horology enthusiasts.
Let's take a look at the inner world of watches—and the world of Owen Berger—together.
Who is Owen Berger? Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I am a 16-year-old high school student living in Arlington, Virginia. I have been studying watchmaking for about 3,5 years. I particularly enjoy working on mechanical watches. vintage chronographsI focus on alarm clocks and other complications. Besides that, I enjoy playing golf, restoring classic cars, and riding SUVs. My favorite subjects in school are Chemistry and Automotive Technology. I also volunteer at Phoenix Bikes, a non-profit community bike workshop.
When did you first feel interested in watches?
In 2019, my father gifted me my first mechanical watch—a Seiko SKX013 diver's watch. I became interested in the few watches my father owned and started a battery-replacement service in my neighborhood.
What was the first watch you ever picked up and worked on, and how did you try to repair it?
It was an Elgin 12S pocket watch from the early 1920s. It wouldn't work. At first, I simply took it apart and reassembled it, using online videos to help me do so. I realized the problem was a broken balance shaft and learned how to replace it. I had the watch working in one day, and I haven't stopped learning since.
Who in the horology community knows you and has helped you? What were your family's thoughts on this process and how did they approach it?
My development as a watchmaker was made possible thanks to a group of experienced watchmakers, collectors, and experts. It all began in December 2022 when I met Eric Wind and Charlie Dunne in Palm Beach, Florida. Charlie and Eric gave me a book about alarm clocks, and Eric also gave me a watch from the 1960s. Vulcain Cricket They encouraged me to learn how to work on Cricket calibers. A month later, after deciphering the Vulcain 120 / MSR S2 alarm mechanism, I completed my first job for Wind Vintage — a complete restoration of a rusty Cricket with a beautiful tropical dial.
I received great support from the collecting community and some incredible watchmakers. In particular, collectors Eric Wind, John Cote, Rhett Lucke, Fred Mandelbaum and Jeff Stein; and watchmakers Abel Court, Jose Guerra, Dan Sabouni, Tom Schomaker and Roger SmithI am very grateful. My family has also been incredibly supportive; they helped me invest in my workshop and tools, and enabled me to travel to meet many people in the watchmaking world.
When you come to your workshop for a watch, what kind of step-by-step planning do you follow?
When it comes to a malfunctioning watch, it's always best to understand the problem before delving into it. As soon as I receive the watch—before opening the case—I wind it, set the time, and test all its functions. Depending on the issue, I may leave it running for a few hours or even a few days. Every watch is different, so the plan changes from time to time. But conceptually, I always examine the functions and look for problems.
I document the situation and take notes. I check the balance, trying to determine whether the watch wants to run and how long the balance is oscillating. This helps me narrow down potential problems. I look for friction points—obvious problems. Sometimes, if the problem isn't obvious, you'll need to get inside the watch and service it; you'll need to be extra careful during the disassembly phase to assess the condition of each component. If possible, you want to isolate the problem before servicing. Intermittent malfunctions, especially in areas like chronograph adjustment, present a particular challenge.
What calibers or movements do you enjoy working on?
I enjoy the feeling of innovation that comes with movements and new complications I've never worked with before. It's fascinating to see the different methods developed to achieve functions like shock absorption, date setting, and stable power delivery. I particularly enjoy working on chronographs and split-seconds chronographs—like the Venus 185 in the Breitling Duograph or the Valjoux 9 in the Heuer pocket watches. They're quite complex, which makes the work both interesting and challenging.
I always enjoy working on calibers like the Valjoux 72, Rolexes, Heuer Chronomatic calibers, the Zenith El Primero, and IWC's Pellaton automatic winding 853 and 854. There are so many interesting movements I've had the opportunity to work with… It's really hard to pick a favorite.
What has been the most challenging project for you so far? Why?
That's a very good question. Water-damaged watches are extra challenging. I restored a Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239, Cal. 722 that had sat without a glass for 20 years in the Florida humidity. A total of 40 parts needed to be replaced. This was actually my first project based on a Valjoux 72, and I had to learn the mechanics of the movement in a situation where many of the steel springs had completely melted into the rust.
This year, I also serviced my first repeater—a Mathey-Tissot quarter-repeater chronograph pocket watch. The level of complexity is much higher. It was an extraordinary experience.
Why do you prefer vintage watches in particular?
There are a few reasons for this. First, I really appreciate the character of vintage watches. Each piece lives its own life and becomes individual over time. Also, the variety of movements I work with is much greater—I encounter hundreds of different calibers. This is both more interesting and fun to see the design choices of different manufacturers.
For example, there are different ways to operate the hour counter in a chronograph watch, design the automatic winding system, or decipher the date mechanism. It's fascinating to compare these design choices and approaches.
Have you ever had a project go wrong? Can you tell me about a time when you broke something during repairs and then had to fix it?
This is always a risk with vintage watches. Bringing a vintage watch back to life after it hasn't worked for many years presents its own unique challenge. Sometimes it's simply a broken mainspring, and replacing it brings the watch back to life. But in other cases, replacing that mainspring exposes other weaknesses or problems.
When an old movement is reused, a chain reaction of failures can occur. This requires great patience, careful inspection of every component, and extensive testing after servicing. This is, in fact, one of the fascinations of vintage watches. However, for an unfamiliar customer, it can be quite confusing and sometimes frustrating.
Part of what I do is educate. Vintage watches are truly different from modern watches. They're not delicate, but sometimes they do require extra care and attention.
Does your age limit you at all in this area?
Opening a bank account was difficult! Other than that, I'd say my age has mostly worked in my favor. People take notice when they see what I'm doing at my age, and there have been many times where they've actually gone the extra mile to support my growth.
What are your career plans for the coming years? Will we see watches signed "Owen Berger" one day?
Time will tell—I don't know for sure yet, but I'm definitely interested in continuing as a watchmaker. Going from technician/mechanic to a master craftsman is a big step. I'm working on it; I'm starting to lathe my own pieces, learning traditional hand-finishing techniques, and exploring other trades a true watchmaker should know.
I'm so glad you contacted me for this interview—watchmaking is a truly international community. It's so exciting to be a part of it. Thank you so much!
