Personalities
Double Freak: Heavy Metal Maestro & Master Watchmaker
Personalities
Double Freak: Heavy Metal Maestro & Master Watchmaker
He returned to the band between 2005 and 2008 for three world tours during the Anthrax Reunion Tour, appearing on the tour DVD, Alive 2. In 2010, Spitz co- founded a new Christian rock/metal band, Red Lamb, with Dave Mustaine of Megadeth to help spread awareness for autism after the diagnosis of his twin boys. Together, Spitz and Mustaine wrote the song “Puzzle Box” as the first official heavy metal song dedicated to the topic.
Music was an important part of his life, but there came a time when the chaotic tour schedule that took him away from his young children gave way to a different and powerful calling.
The Legacy
Spitz grew up in the Catskill Mountains of New York, spending much time in his grandfather’s store. He learned at an early age about watches — and their beauty and value — by helping his grandfather restore and repair timepieces. He takes pride in the skill and knowledge passed to him from his family. He says, “I’m a third-generation watchmaker. It’s in my blood; I grew up in my grandfather’s jewelry and vintage timepiece store, repairing Patek Philippe watches.”
He grew his skill by repairing vintage timepieces, something he considers a personal specialty and a trade that is close to his heart. He has owned and operated three different restoration and after- sales service centers for pre-1960s mechanical complicated pieces. His reputation got the attention of Swiss-based watchmaking and jewelry company, Chopard. He joined the company as the only “Watchmaker of Complications Specialist” for all of North America, where his duties included designing courses and instructing other watchmakers at the company. He also worked as a consultant for Chopard’s four-barrel L.U.C Quattro caliber.
A Road Less Traveled
Spitz knew from early on he would pursue the path of independent watchmaking. In his words, “I remember seeing a small picture in a watch magazine of Paul Gerber’s triple- rotor independent piece and thought, ‘Wow! You mean I can make my own watch?’ To me, that was the start of independence, and my path was set in motion. It’s been a long ride from there to here, but it was all worth it.”
He found his passion in one main idea: he wanted “to manufacture a caliber where each and every part can be remade by hand by a traditionally schooled and trained watchmaker.” It was a powerful place to start, and so he set out to do just this.
He knew exactly where to start: in the past. “Most of my experience lies with restorations from the birth of the wristwatch era. My specialties and passion lie with vintage chronographs and hairspring driven instantaneous retrograde flyback mechanisms, even though I work on pieces from all eras,” he explains. “I’ve also had the pleasure to be one of the few watchmakers ever to repair the infamous Rolex Zerographe, one of the most expensive Rolexes ever to be auctioned, in my work for Phillips auction house.”
Collection Daniel A. Spitz
As of 2021 and after five years of research and development, Spitz’s eponymous atelier now has an in-house movement named the caliber J11.13 after the birthday of his firstborn daughter. He built his own CNC machine from scratch, learned the CAD/ CAM design framework and worked alone to create and craft his first movement.
“I design, create and make all my own gears, pinions, main plates, etc., on premise. My workshop has a very rare 100+ year old Lienhard brocading machine where I personally handmake the solid silver guilloché dial per unique piece for the collector,” says Spitz. “Additionally, I have a straight-line vintage guilloché machine. I utilize both modern and vintage manufacturing processes in unison.”
These days, Spitz is able to create three timepieces a year using his own design in his independent workshop near Dallas, Texas. Each piece leaves an indelible mark on the watchmaker. Spitz explains his journey eloquently, “Each watch is unique because I make it by hand. When I’m finished making the watch, I have the memory of the (sometimes painful) journey of creation, of all the people around me, the time around me and the non-human machine interactions.
Spitz is often left drained, having given all of his time and attention to the timepiece at hand. He says of the aftermath, “At the end of this process, I’m a complete mess, so I have to consistently create and move forward to feel somewhat normal. I’m not good with copacetic.”
Currently, Spitz is working on a pocket watch project which he will unveil later in 2022.
The Future of Independence
Spitz has watched the rise of the independent watchmakers with interest and enthusiasm over the years. He compares it to the early days of breaking down doors to bring a new kind of music to the world. Like the birth of thrasher metal, the creation of a new kind of timepiece is a labor of love and persistence. “That’s independent watchmaking,” he says. “Our human story of struggles, love, passion and insanity. We have to be crazy to do this.”