To all watchmakers,
I'm a 34-year-old male currently based in Melbourne.
I decided at the start of last year that becoming a watchmaker is the path I want to dedicate myself to.
I applied for the Prince Horology Vocational Training Centre in Phnom Penh mid-last year. I flew over in September to complete a bench test and was successful.
The school had top-tier facilities and teachers, headed by Anthony McGonigle, whom was truly amazing and passionate in what he does.
Unfortunately, three months into the two-year program, the school was abruptly closed down in January due to the downfall of the Prince Group in Cambodia.
This naturally left myself devastated after the commitment I had put in, knowing I would have to restart from scratch.
So I found myself back at square one, searching globally for a new school. For a multitude of reasons, I landed on the watchmaking program at JPC in Texas.
I applied once again and in May travelled to Texas for another bench test, which I also passed. Unfortunately, I would have to wait until August next year for my guaranteed position, or January if a student drops out of that intake.
This has naturally left me exhausted from travelling around the world. I have now reached the point where I would ideally like to remain in Australia and pursue the apprenticeship route.
I look forward to hearing from some of you whether you may have a potential opening for myself and meeting the community in person during the conference in October.
Much appreciated,
Jeremy.