VUE

Ferrer's passion for watchmaking ignited during his time at NJIT, where he studied industrial design and still adjuncts to this day. During his collegiate years, the aspiring watch designer held an internship with the Movado Group Inc. in Paramus, a brand that traces its roots to La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. From there, he began making his own designs and eventually worked up the nerve to crowdfund his own watch brand. "During my time at Movado, I got really hooked. It was 2015, and Kickstarter had really become a thing. I was freelancing at the time, traveling all over the world when these guys said, 'We don't have a big budget, but we'll fly you to Switzerland'—so I just took the ride. ey introduced me to manufacturers all over the world. When I began working with some of the connections I'd made, I was freelancing out of coffee shops in New Jersey, just sketching away. I shared my ideas with these manufacturers and basically had everyone on board for my passion project. I thought, 'Hey, I can do this. I can get this on Kickstarter.' So I launched it and did $40,000 sales in one month. It was totally unexpected," he told me. From concept to a finished product, Ferrer's designs typically take around eight to 12 months to complete, though each time- piece is not without its challenges—specifically in functionality. "e hands on a watch have a very specific weight to them. So depending on how much paint there is and the dimensions of the watch hands, that all affects the accuracy of the watch. All these different weights have to be tested. If anything is inaccurate, we would have to remake the hands. e engineering, testing and the concept is the most difficult part of the journey. at takes three to four months just for that," he said. V U E N J . C O M 39

• Cover