So that was the first watch finished and gone, and already I'd set to to make more. And naturally, I didn't want to make two watches alike, and so more ideas were required. It's... it was very important to me at that time that I did produce an entirely different watch in order to establish a reputation and they always said that Breguet never made two watches alike, so what's good enough for Breguet was good enough for me and I would follow his philosophy. In fact, I followed his philosophy very closely in every aspect of watchmaking. Once I'd become a maker, I knew then that I had to beat Breguet and that would be a great compliment to Breguet if I could get at him and publicly show that I had been able to move the watch on from him, because he moved it on from the great English makers and some continental makers, Le Roy, Mudge, Arnold, Earnshaw, all those people moved on and they were contributors.

And by now, I'd got it in my head that I wanted to join these people and I remember that as a schoolboy when I was getting books from the local library on horology, I knew the names of Arnold and Earnshaw and all those, and I felt they were friends. I'd read about them and I understood what they were doing and no one else that I knew understood them, so they were my private friends. But at the same time, in my later years, I was damn well going to beat 'em, and it was essential that I did. And just as I've seen so many students that have come to me for advice on something, and as I'm talking to them I can see they're thinking to themselves, well I think I've got your measure mister and I'll beat you when I get back. So, that's very important to try and beat the master, like you've done to me Roger.