April 18th 2024.
Annika Leppala, a watchmaker at Laings, shares her journey of following in her grandfather's footsteps as a horologist. She discusses the importance of patience in a world where everything is expected to be immediate, and how her background as a professional oboe player has helped her refine her skills as a watchmaker.
Reflecting on her path to becoming a watchmaker, Annika muses that sometimes the most important things in life happen by chance, such as meeting one's partner or discovering one's passion. She never imagined herself as a watchmaker, despite her grandfather's profession, as she was more drawn to taking things apart and understanding how they worked.
However, Annika has always been drawn to difficult and almost impossible challenges. She holds a master's degree in music, having mastered the notoriously difficult oboe, and was a professional musician before becoming a watchmaker. When someone mentioned to her that watchmaking was a challenging trade, she felt a spark of interest. She also felt a sense of duty to keep her family's trade alive, and so she trained at the Finnish School of Watchmaking and joined Laings in 2021.
Growing up, Annika always enjoyed watching artists create beautiful things with their hands. She is surprised that it took her so long to realize that she wanted to work with her hands too. She has always had a love for antiques and vintage items, and what she loves about horology is its connection to the past. A mechanical watch can last for centuries and still function on the same principles, which is a comforting thought in a world of ever-changing technology.
Annika's typical day starts early, around 6am, as she gets her children ready for nursery before heading to work. She likes to have a moment for herself to settle in before putting on her lab coat and work shoes to enter the workshop. Keeping the space clean is crucial to prevent any dirt or dust from getting into the watches.
Her day at work involves diagnosing and servicing mechanical watches, which includes dismantling and cleaning the parts, ordering any necessary replacements, and reassembling the watch. She emphasizes that watchmaking is not just about putting the pieces back together, but also involves many checks and adjustments to ensure the watch keeps accurate time.
Annika takes great satisfaction in seeing the end result of her work. She enjoys seeing a watch that comes in looking worn and malfunctioning, transformed into a like-new timepiece after a proper service and polish. However, she acknowledges that watchmaking requires a lot of patience, dexterity, and concentration, and it can be mentally tiring.
Her background in classical music has helped her in this regard, as she is used to practicing the same piece for months in order to perfect it. She also learned to trust the process and not get discouraged if something seemed too difficult at first. This mindset has served her well in the world of watchmaking, where there are no shortcuts and success takes time and hard work.
Despite the current emphasis on things being easy and readily available, Annika appreciates the slow and steady process of watchmaking. She believes that hard work and dedication will ultimately lead to success.
As for her own watch collection, Annika admits that it is quite small. She treasures her mother's old Zenith Sporto from her teenage years, and regrets losing her beloved green and red Gucci watch from childhood. She also has her great grandmother's wrist watch from the 1930s, which she hopes to service one day.
Annika recalls her first watch service in school, where her teacher entrusted her with an old Eterna Pocket watch that had been given to an employee for 50 years of service. She was touched by the sentimental value of the watch and felt honored to have serviced it. It remains her favorite watch to this day.
After a fulfilling day at work, Annika looks forward to spending time with her children, who bring balance and joy to her life. She considers it the perfect way to unwind after a long day of concentration and hard work.
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