A passion for watches
More than just a chronometer
Despite the rise in mobile phone use, all of which display the time, the purchase of watches is not tailing off although few take such an interest as one man in Nicosia
To many people, a watch is simply a device that allows them to know what time it is, but that’s not the case with George Demetriades. The 33-year-old has a passion for watches and is one of only ten people on the island to hold specialised watch repair qualifications from Switzerland.
Ten years ago, Demetriades opened Stop and Watch in Nicosia, a shop selling and repairing watches. “Ever since I was a young boy, I loved watches,” he told seven. “My first watch was a Casio, which my father gave me, and from then on I’ve always believed that a person’s watch shows off their individuality.”
He added that you can tell a lot about a person through their choice of watch, with many seeing a timepiece as a status symbol. “For example, a lot of rich people will now choose something other than a Rolex, as they’re becoming increasingly common, with many fakes also circulating.”
He said that if money was no object, he himself would go for a Patek Philippe, Zenith, IWC, Maurice Lacroix or A. Lange & Sohne. “These beautiful watches are normally passed down from generation to generation.”
Demetriades, who wore a special magnifying glass around his neck for the duration of our interview, is certified in modern watch repair for mechanical and electronic Swiss watches and has several Swiss diplomas hanging in his shop.
“What’s important, apart from design, is the mechanical movement of the timepiece, which is made up of an average of 50 to 150 parts,” he explained. “I like mechanical movements rather than quartz, which lose their value too quickly. To manufacture a mechanical movement, a lot of handmade work has to be done on that movement. You end up buying a mechanical watch because it’s like a piece of art.”
He also stated that, “all fine watches have a lot of rubies embedded into their mechanisms as they eliminate friction and increase the lifespan of the movement.”
When most people think of fine watches, they immediately think of Switzerland.
According to Demetriades, that’s because the Swiss, “are the best at what they do. They have the tradition and the knowledge and are very proud of their products.”
On a counter, hundreds of miniscule parts were laid out, with Demetriades’ assistant holding several pieces up to his own magnifying glass with a pair of specialist tweezers.
After a few minutes observing the machinery at the shop, it felt as though I was in a science laboratory. Demetriades showed me a machine for washing watch movements, electronic diagnostic devices, a waterproof testing machine, polishing machine and a steam jet. The equipment is also capable of repairing clocks as well as wristwatches.
So, what brands does Demetriades sell? “Maurice Lacroix, Raymond Weil, Nina Ricci, Citizen, Dolce & Gabbana and Guess to name a few,” he replied.
Prices start low and rise to £48,000 for a limited edition Maurice Lacroix made of platinum, with an alligator skin strap and a tourbillon movement (designed to counter the effects of gravity and other perturbing forces that can affect the accuracy of a chronometer).
He was also asked whether the ever-increasing sales of mobile phones, which all display the time, had a negative effect on sales of watches. “Not at all,” he replied. “In fact, I have noticed an increase of 40 per cent on the sales of mechanical watches over the past ten years.
“I believe that everybody has to own a mechanical watch at some point in their life and, as Leonardo Da Vinci said, details make perfection and perfection is not a detail.”
