Minhoon Yoo, an Indie Watchmaker from South Korea

In as we speak’s day and age, the world appears to be getting smaller by the day. We actually can go anyplace we would like, and have the world at our fingertips by the web, smartphones and social media. This offers entry to individuals we in any other case would by no means have met, and this additionally applies to the world of watchmaking. There are numerous devoted women and men working onerous to seek out their place within the business, and also you simply need to do some digging on social media to find fascinating tales. Lately we’ve been interviewing a number of younger and upcoming watchmakers, usually discovered by probability by Instagram. And as we speak, we add the subsequent watchmaker to that steadily rising record of future stars. Coming from South Korea, not essentially the most anticipated place to be trustworthy, Minhoon Yoo has been painstakingly creating his first-ever mechanical watch, the Carved Piece. This glorious wanting watch comes with a number of distinctive touches and an abundance of handmade elements and hand-applied ending. So with out additional ado, let’s discover out extra about this younger man and his work.

Minhoon, may you briefly introduce your self to us? What’s your background, the place do you come from, and so forth?

No drawback. My title is Minhoon Yoo, an impartial watchmaker primarily based in Seoul, South Korea. I used to be born in Busan in 1990 and moved to Seoul in 2010 with the beginning of my Artwork College training. I’ve been coaching and finding out to craft issues myself with the concept to current them as artwork items. I opened my very own watchmaking studio in 2020 and since then I’m growing my very first wristwatch, known as the Carved Piece.

You come from Seoul, South Korea. Are you able to inform us one thing concerning the watchmaking tradition in your house nation?

In actuality, there are only a few individuals doing impartial watchmaking in South Korea. Kwanghun Hyun (@3hands_studio on Instagram) is one among them, making mechanical watches, automata, and cameras. He taught me the fundamentals of machining and suggested me which machine to purchase to start out making watches the appropriate manner.

There may be an attention-grabbing area known as ‘Jongro’, the place most non-public watch repairs and restorers are positioned. In case you get to South Korea, that’s the place the place you get a way of the native watchmaking tradition. I like to go to there to take a look at some classic watches, get concepts and inspiration, and discuss with outdated watchmakers there. They assume it’s bizarre that I make my very own watches although.

How did you get into watches and watchmaking?

Once I was a pupil in Artwork faculty a few of my seniors have been having profitable careers within the area of artwork furnishings, which is expressing concepts as a type of furnishings. I at all times thought it could be a cool job as a result of as an artist you possibly can categorical your self by objects underneath your personal title.

So I began to make artwork furnishings throughout my research, to be a full-time artist like these seniors. However at some point I received to see the documentary of NHK about Impartial watchmaking. Two watchmakers, Philippe Dufour and Antoine Preziuso have been making ready for the Baselworld exhibition within the movie. I used to be fascinated by not solely their abilities and dedication but additionally the philosophies they spoke about.

After watching it I think about a mechanical watch as a type of artwork and researched extra about indie watchmaking. I discovered myself loving each the conceptual facet of Artwork furnishings and the technical facet of watchmaking. Impartial watchmaking appeared like an ideal path for me, so I slowly began to purchase machines and books, and put up a few of my work on Instagram.

So at one level, it was time to start out making your personal watches. How did you begin, and the place did you discover your inspiration?

Sure, I began to review watchmaking and machining whereas making the very first check watch primarily based on an ST-36 mechanical motion. The ST-36 is a Chinese language copy of a Unitas 6497 motion, so very large and good to start out with. I already had an thought about Carved Piece again then, so I saved practising and shopping for the appropriate instruments to enhance the standard. Since I had nobody to speak to about such issues, a number of watchmakers on Instagram, and my pal Nicholas Williams, actually helped me to maneuver ahead.

I attempt to discover my inspiration within me, I preserve pondering of ideas I really feel desirous about and develop them in my thoughts. I begin to visualize it once I can persuade myself that it’s value making.

Your first watch is the Carved Piece. Are you able to inform us one thing about how that got here collectively?

I learn a guide by Korean artist Nam June Paik (Korean media artist) throughout my navy service in 2011. The phrase ‘the extra ambiguity there may be, the extra info it has.’ impressed me to start out this mission. When individuals see summary work, every particular person can see various things, as everybody has his or her personal perspective. So an summary portray incorporates extra info than simply the figurative picture itself. Its which means might be expanded by the participation of observers.

I needed to visualise this attention-grabbing idea within the wristwatch, by changing geometric Guilloche patterns on the dial with random hand carving. Hand-carved patterns of Carved Piece have extra indeterminacy than geometric patterns. All of the indices have random-style shapes to associate with the overall idea of design.

Though one of many virtues of mechanical watches is precision, I hope individuals can see the enjoyment of uncertainty by the Carved Piece. And since this watch is made in Korea, I added Korean conventional components to the Carved Piece. The nameplate design is impressed by conventional Korean furnishings, with a ‘swallow-tail’ model form. In historical past, Korean individuals believed this form brings goodness to our lives, we name this Bok.

You do a variety of work your self. Might you elaborate on that?

I make the silver dials and fingers myself, which I realized with the assistance of George Daniel’s guide. So the construction of the silver dial has his DNA. I like white silver dials as a result of it’s a really pure color of the fabric, and really totally different from colors of lacquer or electroplating. I minimize the fingers by CNC and do all of the hand-finishing myself. I attempt to make as many aspects as doable once I design the elements as a result of I really feel the mixture of well-finished elements offers depth and provides good reflections.

On the motion facet, I make bridges with Nickel silver, which will get a heat creamy color. I like this color additionally as a result of it comes from the fabric itself. I designed and made a very new model of click on spring as nicely. I additionally polished the tooth of the ratchet and crown wheels and utilized snailings on them. Many of the elements are polished, bevelled, and black polished on each side.

Can you are taking us by a few of the specs like dimensions, supplies, value, and so forth?

Carved Piece is a time-only watch with a small second subdial. The motion is a modified Peseux 7001, which is manually wound. The watch measures 37mm in diameter and solely 7.3mm in peak, with 45mm lug to lug, so it wears very easy on the wrist. Quite a lot of the elements of the Carved Piece are made by me, by hand. The indices, the dial, the fingers (though I take advantage of CNC machining for the overall form), the clicking spring, the bridges, that’s all completed by me.

It comes on a black alligator leather-based strap with a swallow-tail formed buckle to match the case. Every one takes two months of full-time work to finish. The associated fee is USD 18,000 (with a 50% deposit), which is so much however I hope individuals will acknowledge the quantity of labor that goes into it.

What would you say has been the most important problem in creating the Carved Piece thus far?

I can say two issues. First, making a nickeled silver bridge for the 7001 actions. The Peseux 7001 is a really small calibre, and the thickness of bridges is lower than a millimetre. It will have been simpler to make the bridges with brass as nickel silver is difficult to machine with out distortion and deformation. Particularly with the thinness of the motion. To resolve this drawback my watchmaker pal Nicholas Williams flew to Korea and helped me for a month in my workshop, regardless of the pandemic scenario.

And in addition Eduardo from Atelier de Chronometrie helped me with this drawback by giving sound recommendation, so I wish to say due to them by this text. Second, making the ticking click on spring on such a skinny bridge. I needed to design it to be seen as part of the bridge. I needed to make many check springs to squeeze it onto the bridge and acquire the correct quantity of rigidity to amuse watch house owners each morning. Ultimately, I’m completely happy about how they got here out.

How can individuals get in contact for extra info, or maybe order one among your watches?

I’m at the moment constructing my very own web site, however that can take a while. Individuals desirous about my watches can message me by Instagram (@minhoon_yoo) or e mail (minhoonyoo@gmail.com). As I’m principally engaged on the Carved Piece, I typically reply faster by Instagram as it’s simply simpler.

What’s your plan for the long run in watchmaking? What can we count on from you in the long term?

Since my background is in design and artwork, I feel the inspiration and the design course of are a little bit bit totally different from most watchmakers. Sooner or later, I wish to attempt to discuss extra various subjects and inspirations within the format of watches and I really feel they’ll look a bit totally different from common watches.

For instance, in my subsequent mission, I’m planning to make watches impressed by Korean structure. Mission by mission, I’ll make extra elements in-house. I’m not obsessive about in-house itself, capability for elements making is a device of expression in watchmaking. I’d be completely happy to be supported alongside the journey and hope some individuals actually like what I do.

Any last ideas to share with us?

Thanks Robin for locating my mission attention-grabbing and giving me the possibility to speak with watch lovers by MONOCHROME. In Korea I felt alone for a very long time since there usually are not many individuals to speak to about indie watches. I really feel extra related with the appropriate individuals today, I’ll do my greatest alone work to create extra attention-grabbing watches.