06/27/2026
A while back I built watches for both of my kids using a DIY Watch Club kit. They were challenging to assemble, but incredibly rewarding. So when it came time to build one for myself, I ordered a bronze GMT diver.
The kit arrived with the wrong dial.
Normally that would be frustrating, but sometimes the best ideas come from mistakes.
Instead of waiting for a replacement, I found a blank dial and had my wife and both of my kids paint their names on it before I assembled the watch.
My daughter’s went exactly as planned. My wife’s did too.
My son… well, first I had to track him down at a friend’s house because the kid has a better social life than I do. Then there was one wipe-off-and-try-again moment. It wasn’t perfect.
And that’s exactly why I love it.
I’ve always been drawn to things that show the human hand. Tool marks. Brush strokes. Scratches. Wear. They’re reminders that something was actually used, built, or loved by a real person.
A signature or a fingerprint is about the closest thing you can physically carry with you from someone you love. Now every time I look down at my wrist, I see their mark. It gives me a little reminder of home, no matter where I am.
It also made me think about how often good things begin with mistakes.
My watch exists because the wrong dial showed up.
My business exists because my uncle accidentally backed into my first motorcycle about a month after I bought it. It nearly tore the kickstand off the frame. At first I was sick about it. Then I realized something that has stayed with me ever since.
It’s just a thing.
Motorcycles are meant to be ridden. Watches are meant to be worn. Leather is meant to develop a patina. The best possessions aren’t the ones that stay perfect—they’re the ones that collect stories.
I stopped worrying about keeping that bike pristine and started cutting it apart to make it my own. That decision eventually became my business.
Maybe mistakes aren’t always mistakes after all. Sometimes they’re just the beginning of something better. DIY Watch Club | Watchmaking Richard Grabbe
