In
the micro-machining industry, Josh Hacko is a man whose time and
attention is both scarce and sought-after. So, I count myself lucky,
because for me, he is the most accessible man in the world: my husband.
Being married to a watchmaker-machinist is not something that many women
in Australia can claim. In fact, it sounds so exotic to most strangers
that introducing myself as the “wife of a watchmaker” is often far more
interesting than describing my own job in creative media.
That being said, to claim that I understand what Josh does day-to-day is
stretching the truth. Asking “how was your day, honey?” is often met
with very a detailed explanation far beyond my comprehension. (If you’ve
ever listened to his podcast “The Precision Microcast”, you’ll
understand what I mean). While this can sometimes be frustrating for
both of us, I’ve also been dumbfounded on multiple occasions by Josh’s
wealth of knowledge when chatting to other industry experts. And did I
mention he’s mostly self-taught?
As such, I often find him scrolling articles or research papers on his
phone about the newest machine or watchmaking technique (…okay, so maybe
he’s a nerd). But on the upside, I know Josh will never come home
complaining about the 9-5 grind. And I know he is unlikely to have a
mid-life crisis and suddenly want to “quit and become a DJ”. But, on the
downside, it also means long hours, regular late-night work calls that
stretch into the early morning, and countless weekends tinkering in the
workshop “just for fun”.
Of course, being married to anyone who describes his work as “also his
hobby” isn’t always sunshine and roses. In our case, it’s more
“moonlight and machine oil”. But, I’m grateful because this watchmaking
work - or “hobby” - of his is exactly that: it’s his. While some women
contend with husbands whose model-trains consume their third bedroom, or
whose Lego collection adorns their otherwise perfectly-decorated lounge
room shelves, my watchmaker husband is very happy to exercise his craft
exclusively in his workshop. And so our home remains (mostly) devoid of
tools and machinery.
At this point, you might be wondering if being married to a watchmaker
was what I expected when we said “I do”. I guess having our makeshift
COVID wedding in the city office should have been a pretty clear sign. I
knew the hours would be long, and that I’d spend a decent amount of
time on my own. Fortunately, Josh married an introvert who’s very
content with her own company and has about a dozen hobbies. What I
didn’t expect was the persistence of machine-oil stains on everything -
work-shirts, good shirts, pants, hats, you name it.
What I also didn’t expect was how exciting it would all be. Most
watchmakers around the world are content to sit at their bench, pull
things apart and put them back together again. Not Josh. Being at the
forefront of Australian watchmaking (and manufacturing) means that
everything is important and full of potential - every new dial made,
every employee hired, and every newsletter written. This excitement is
contagious and has also given me the unexpected opportunity to try my
hand at newsletter writing, designing booklets, helping in the office,
and even joining on work trips, all of which I am incredibly grateful
for.
Possibly the most unexpected - and ironic - part about being married to
Josh, though, is that he doesn’t actually wear a watch. Maybe it’s the
curse of knowing too much about the industry; maybe it’s a question of
priorities, or simply one of habit (after-all, it’s dangerous to wear a
watch in the workshop), but to me it’s possibly my favourite
characteristic to highlight. Strangers are often confused and astonished
by this fact, but it just makes me smile.
You see, a man can spend all his money adorning his wrist with the
“best” and fanciest watches in the world. But unless he really knows
what he’s wearing - how it works, how it’s made, its history and brand
story - then how much sophistication does he really have? A man can own a
watch and lose it, break it or have it stolen, but if he can make that
said watch, well… he’s unstoppable.
Maybe it’s biased for me to say this, but I reckon that Josh and Nick
have one of the most interesting stories of any family-owned business in
Australia. And they are so generous in sharing their story -
manufacturing process, history, future plans (and now personal
behind-the-scenes details) - with their supporters. I’m incredibly lucky
to have a front-row seat, but you’re all sitting only a couple of rows
back, witnessing it all close-up too.
But for now, we’re just taking it one day - one oil stain - at a time…
Maryellen Hacko
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