My journey as a watchmaker started with a bit of sticker shock. I had taken a family heirloom watch to a local jewler for service, and was a bit flabbergasted by the cost. At the time I had no idea how much skill and effort was required for watch work, but as an engineer by trade I decided to learn more. Shortly thereafter I stumbled across a wonderful YouTube channel, Wristwatch Revival, where the host, Marshall, walks through and narrates wristwatch restorations in detail. I can’t recommend his channel enough if you have an interest in the topic.

Watching these videos, as well as others, convinced me that I could also learn to service and repair watches, and, after aquiring an initial set of tools and some cheap movements to experiment on, I was off to the races.

I rapidly shifted from working on cheap modern movements to vintage watches, generally purchased in non-running condition “for parts and repair.” I worked on a tremendous variety of different movements from various manufacturers, with varied complications, including chronographs and alarm watches. As time went on my skills and capabilities continued to grow, and this process accelerated greatly when I decided to retire from my “day” job as a technology executive in early 2024, allowing me to focus tons of time - almost obessessivly - on my watch restorations.

Initially I focused on building a personal collection, part of which is pictured to the right, but eventually I decided that my collection had reached its maximum reasonable size. In order to continue fueling my passion I needed to start putting restored watches back into circulation by offering them for sale, and Time To Go Vintage was born.

Restoring vintage watches, both functionally and aesthetically, is something that I deeply enjoy, and I am very fortunate to be in a position to devote time to watch repair without having to worry about making a significant profit. This enables me to lavish time on relatively affordable vintage timepieces that otherwise might be neglected due to the high cost of typical professional repairs, and I love being able to save these pieces from the junk drawer, making sure they can still be used, enjoyed, and appreciated as wonderful little pieces of history.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me!

Mark