Meet with Mr. Gudjonsson of JS Watch Co

with Mr. Gilbert O. Gudjonsson

Meeting a fellow independent watchmaker is always an enjoyable experience for me. It is especially more enjoyable when you get to meet a master watchmaker who was honored by being nominated Craftsman of the Year 2009 in Iceland. Seeing someone who has gone through the same struggles and challenges in starting his own independent watch brand, with the sourcing of parts and creating unique branding and design has indeed amused and sparked enjoyment in me because we too at KLO & Co experience the same challenges.

from JS Watch Co website

Mr. Gilbert O. Gudjonsson of JS Watches has been repairing watches for over 40 years now in his small shop in Reykjavik, Iceland. When his son was old enough and wanted to start a watch brand, Mr. Gudjonsson agreed and knew that it was time to create a watch that he can call his own. The father and son’s goal was to create a timepiece that would withstand the test of time and would be passed on from one generation to the next. Through the years, the idea has become a reality and just recently even gained international admiration and following. JS Watches is the first and only watch manufacturer in Iceland.

Creating your own watch brand is no easy task. Creating a watch brand in a place where the population is low, and people who are enthusiastic about watches or watchmaking even lower, is much harder. In a way, we at KLO & Co can relate to that. Sourcing for parts in low quantities is quite difficult for micro independent brands like us, and quality control must be more stringent. Low quantities also mean increased cost in parts we purchase, as we do not mass produce these fine timepieces, and individually inspected parts take more time and resources. However, it is when putting all your time and effort into these individual timepieces is what gives independent watches a breath of character and workmanship perfection.

I am glad to meet Mr. Gudjonsson and to see and experience his watches firsthand.

-Kenn

JS Watch Line-up