Shaping the Future of Watchmaking with Grigor, Head Watchmaker & Service Ops Director, Birks

At the Canadian Watches & Jewelry Show in Montreal, WatchDNA sat down with Grigor, Service Ops Director & Head Watchmaker at  Birks Group, to explore the evolving world of watchmaking.

In this conversation, Grigor shares his insights on preserving traditional watchmaking craftsmanship while embracing modern technologies, the growing need to train the next generation of watchmakers, and the challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.

Whether you’re a collector, enthusiast, aspiring watchmaker, or simply curious about the future of horology, this episode offers a fascinating look inside one of the industry’s most respected crafts.

Watch the full interview and join the conversation on how we can keep this timeless profession alive for generations to come.

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Special thanks to Grigor for sharing his expertise and passion for the craft.

#WatchDNA #Watchmaking #Horology #Birks #CanadianWatchesJewelryShow #Watchmaker #LuxuryWatches #TimeConnectsUsAll

Transcript

0:00

Hey everyone, I'm very excited to sit down with Grigor. Grigor is a watchmaker and something that I always love to say is that I really like watches and passionate about watches but mostly I love the story behind and obviously without watchmaker there's no watches. So I really wanted to sit down with you for five minutes just quickly to uh introduce yourself and what do you think about having a show like that in Montreal? Having a show in Montreal or uh more precisely in Laval, my my hometown, of course. It's uh it's very exciting. Uh to be able to witness you know the watch interest getting bigger and bigger here in Montreal and Canada in general. So I guess thank you to the organizers for you know organizing a watch event. It's always interesting to meet new people, yeah, uh make new connections. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And can you tell us a little bit about uh your background? Obviously, as I mentioned, you're a watchmaker. How long time have you been doing that? Where did you do your courses? Obviously, being in Laval. I think uh you're I remember that you said you said you did a class in uh Trois Rivières, the school in Trois-Rivières. Yes, so uh I'm a student of the Trois Rivières National Watchmaking School of Canada. Beautiful. And uh today, uh well I've made a career at Burks and uh I'm head watchmaker at Burks, okay, also director of after sales service, beautiful. So customer service is uh of the utmost importance in the in the luxury industry, yeah, and uh and at Burks. Yeah, so this is where my career has landed me. And Burks is obviously the institution in Canada with all the stores. One question that I had is obviously through the industry and every industry, the retail industry, there's always a lack of people going to the stores as a watchmaking, there's always a lack of people working as a watchmaker, and obviously without a watchmaker, there's not a watch to, you know, not enough uh handle to to fix watches, right? So, what's you what's you a little bit of feeling of how the industry goes and what do you think we might need, or you know, what are changes that has to be done or should be done? So, for the success of this uh the watch industry as a whole, uh obviously we do need watchmakers. Yeah. The watchmakers to be able to sell the time pieces, adjust them properly, educate the customers who are purchasing it, and also to maintain these time pieces. A watch is is for a lifetime and and then some. So if you would like to maintain, keep the history of the watch, you know, it becomes a family heirloom, and when you pass it down, obviously it needs uh servicing, and uh you need to bring it to professional watchmakers. Okay, it's a big investment. Yeah, uh, you want to have someone who actually dedicated their life studying these these timepieces to be able to service them in the manner that they deserve. One question being a father, and obviously I see your son next to us, not putting on the spot, but is there any little moments or little things that you show him, telling him, you know, just because obviously that's a passion for you. And I'm not maybe not is maybe not want to be a watchmaker, but at least show him a little bit of the toys or you know your passion. I'm lucky that he has a small interest. So he has a small interest. When I purchase a new watch, I tell him I'm not buying this for me, I'm buying it really for you. Yeah, uh, I'll just hold on to it for now and then eventually it'll become yours. So yeah, that's how it works. Beautiful. That yeah, that's that's what I love of it. I feel like watches are one of the only objects that actually go in time and it's actually a lease. It's it's more like for me, like I was saying, this is my son, I'm wearing it today, but it's my son when you graduate, and and I got it when I got you know in my previous position, and then you know, every time I I graduate from my from a master's, and then I got a watch that is at the bank, and you know, yeah, so it's it's boring. And I'm not going to tell the brand, but there's a brand that used very uh well this uh you know this uh yes this term. Exactly. I think we all know it, but uh, but it's okay. But listen, thank you so much for taking the time again. Every time that I meet people that are that I feel like their passion uh within the industry or without the industry, I just love to talk and to I'm a sponsor. I love to learn uh learn from people. So thank you again for indeed for being here. And uh my pleasure. We look forward to to learn more about uh the Trois Rivière School. I heard that uh they're going through uh a process. There's going to be a process to improve it, yeah, uh make it better, uh speak about it, uh market it to other regions in the country and maybe beyond. So if there's anyone interested uh in the watchmaking in general, yeah, well I think uh Trois Riviers would be a good place to start. That would be amazing. All right, we look forward. And in French and in English. Oh, definitely. That's perfect. In French for now, yeah. And uh soon in English, yes. Amazing, amazing. All right, thank you again so much. Thank you, thank you, everyone, and make sure to check it out. Watch thenda.com slash watchmaking, and you can learn a little bit about the movement, about all the different uh things that I love. It's really a piece of heart.