“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”– Chinese Proverb

Friction in the world of watches is problema numero uno. As the celebrated watchmaker Abraham Louis Breguet once said, “find me the perfect oil and I’ll build you the perfect watch”. Friction is all around us and it is how we address this occurrence that offers us the means to overcome obstacles. But friction will always be present, no matter how well the oils of lubrication can reduce the daily grind. It is best to accept, deal and persevere in an effort to achieve our goals, dreams and aspirations even amid the trials and tribulations (pandemic speed bumps) thrust upon us. 

My last entry in this journal was on January 31, 2020. The world has certainly changed a lot since then. Spring break was canceled and even the alternate “road trip” was waylaid. We saw this pandemic getting more severe and more wide spread nearly every day. Within a few short weeks, phrases like social distancing became an everyday part of conversation. Sanitizer, bleach and (WTH) toilet paper, became hot commodities. 

Now it is not my place to dismiss the importance of taking precautions, we all must - to a degree. And the dissemination of the information that the media has offered us, no less the POTUS and his staff, can be, and should be something left up to the individual to determine credibility and to then proceed with caution. 

There has probably been no time in the last century that the US and the world at some level has experienced this level of domestic friction. Being home-bound, away from work, dealing with domestic stresses….  Thank those teachers who offer us a respite from the daily grind of adolescent drama and somehow offer to nurture an education via remote learning. Cheers to the healthcare workers who jumped onto the front lines of this catastrophe. A huge thanks to the agility of the food service people who kept us nourished either with take-out or delivery. They deserve our thanks!  

I’d personally like to thank my customers, my staff and my wife. I’ve received orders for products during this shut-down from way out of state. I’ve had watches sent from across the country that were in need of repair. My staff was available when I could not take the bulk of the workload. My wife was there to let me attend to business as I needed to. 

In short, through all turmoil, there is friction, things that make us cringe, and we’d wish that there was an easier way to make them smoother. There is no magic lubrication that can relinquish this uneasiness other than human compassion, perseverance and dedication. A gemstone is just a rock until it is offered friction in an effort to polish it to perfection. Then and only then will the beauty of its true nature be revealed. 

Be well Bozeman and beyond. Stay healthy and share some compassion to those in need. The world will continue ticking, we’re just here to make sure you’re on time. 

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