Luxury Watch Community: Scottish Highlands Meetup

Rosneathian · 2023-04-09T11:33:33Z

Rosneathian shares his journey of moving to the Scottish Highlands, renovating a 170-year-old cottage, and commissioning a unique watch, reflecting a new life philosophy.

Rosneathian

WPS member · Horological Meandering forum

10 replies1300 views2 photos

Rosneathian, a long-standing and respected member of the WatchProSite community, shares a deeply personal account of his recent relocation from the United States to the Scottish Highlands. His post details the extensive renovation of a 170-year-old cottage and a significant shift in his collecting philosophy, including commissioning a unique timepiece. This article explores Rosneathian's journey of simplifying his life and embracing new creative pursuits.

Good day, Friends, and Happy Ishtar.

It's been a while since my last toe-tip into WPS. I've now completed my move from the United States to Scotland and purchased two properties, including a cottage which is my new primary home. Both properties are on Rosneath peninsula, if you're curious. One faces Gare Loch to the east, and the other faces Loch Long to the west. To the north are the Arrochar Alps. That's where the Highlands begin. To the west are the Lower Hebrides, and beyond that the north Atlantic.

The county of Argyll and Bute is the ancestral home of the Campbell Clan, which still resides at Inveraray Castle on Loch Fyne an hour away. This is a ruggedly beautiful part of the world, and home to thirty castles. In Kilmartin Glen, it has an archeological site several orders of magnitude larger than Stone Henge, and which contains hundreds of relics from a neolithic, bronze age, iron age, dark age, and medieval past.

I've spent the last four months insulating the cottage. I must commend the Scottish government in this regard. Scotland is committed to home insulation and works fast and efficiently to deliver. It provides generous grants to eligible homeowners. It even provides partial grants to re-paint walls once insulation work is finished (!). Pay your taxes and get effective public service in return. How radical.

Next up is renovation. The cottage was built around 170 years ago (some time in the 1860s). My intention is to fit it out with live grain and solid Jacobin oak everything (doors, floors, shelves, etc.) and accent it all with black wrought iron fixtures. I'm working with Scottish designers and manufacturers, and with sustainably sourced woods. The one exception is the ironsmith who's designing and building the book towers and brackets for suspended book shelves, and a balustrade and rail for a newly-built staircase. He's from Ukraine, and he's skilled, proactive and fast. He's designing it all in a floral theme for just the right touches of whimsy. I'll be applying paints that contain crushed olive stone so the walls will be finished with a naturally coarse, suede-like texture. Finally, I intend to re-wild the garden with flora from the area's stunningly rich micro-climates.

My hope is that the restoration-cum-renovation will be harmonious in three directions: the first reaching into the past so that it looks like the installations have always been here; the second reaching into the future so that in 170 years time the property will feel 300 years old without anything noticeably of the 2020s; and the third digging deep into the present and place by celebrating the cottage's semi-rural natural setting.

I have a nice Italian interior designer who lives locally helping out. Since I'm taking most of the creative decisions, she serves as my project manager and fixer. The work is scheduled to conclude by the end of June, by which time I'll have my library installed and artwork mounted.

As some may recall, part of this transition involved the shedding of things that had become superfluous. I decided to keep my library and art (sic). I chose to let go of my watches to free up my mind for other creative and more fulfilling pursuits. So from August 2022 to date I've sold 20 watches and have gifted another ten. Now, after a breather, I'm in the process of selling another 12 and want to end up with six in a box, with maybe a few odds and ends in a bedside drawer.

One of the six is a project with a British watchmaker. We began chatting idly around 12 months ago, with no specific purpose in mind. It turns out that he and I have much in common. So around the time my selling began, I asked him if he could tweak his ongoing work to accommodate a one-off for me. He agreed. He's since shared a series of photographs and videos of work in progress, of which the photo below is one. I'm looking forward to receive it whenever it's ready. As is my new pace of life now, there's no hurry.

It'll be a nice way to bookend my most recent foray into collecting.

With best regards to all.

Rosneathian

Key Points from the Discussion

The contributor notes Rosneathian's screen name change from 'Age_of_Surfaces' to 'Rosneathian' coincided with his move, reflecting his new Scottish home and personal transition.
Rosneathian clarifies that 'Rosneathian' derives from a Gaelic word meaning 'sanctuary,' a fitting description for his new, secluded home 12 miles from the nearest town and 35 miles from any watch dealer.
The author confirms the image shared in his original post is of an enamel dial under construction for his bespoke watch project, which will feature a 0.94 Argentium silver case.
A fellow member expresses admiration for Rosneathian's intentional refocusing, letting go of past possessions, and undertaking a long-term renovation project, alongside commissioning a personalized watch.

The Discussion

Jp75

Apr 9, 2023

Thanks for sharing the story which I found it very insightful. Interesting to see how you take the time to refocus, letting go of things that were your past but not perceived as needed for the the future, and renovate an antique cottages with a long term view. Also commissioning a watch from a watchmaker which resonates with you, understanding that this one-off is a journey in itself. Regarding the picture, is it part of the future dial? Some enamel or champ-leve ? Looking forward to seeing how

FabR

Apr 9, 2023

As I'm not very familiar with Scotland, now l also understand the meaning of your new screen name, Rosneathian! I believe it got changed from 'Age_of_Surfaces' around the time you were completing your transition from the United States back to the United Kingdom. (There's no doubt that "United," at least as a term, has been a pretty reliable constant in your personal and professional journey! ) Even if I'm sure this latest change in your life appears much more natural to you than it does to me as

Rosneathian

Apr 9, 2023

Having mulled over it for so long, having looked after family, having cleared the decks, and finally having made the move, it's all about enjoying the decision. Being close to so much natural beauty is good for the soul; being away from crowded places promises calm. Family is easily reachable because I have an international airport close by, but it's one of those parts of the world that gets rural very quickly once you leave built up areas. Yes that's the dial under construction. It's enamel, an

hs111

Apr 9, 2023

.. trying to understand your re-focusing on life and the multiple avenues & tasks you decided to embark. Congrats also on your watch project, really sounds exciting ! Wishing you a happy Easter weekend and all my Best ! Cheers !!

Rosneathian

Apr 9, 2023

Yes, Rosneathian it is! The name comes from a Gaelic word, one meaning of which is 'sanctuary.' Having become rather world weary, it feels like that. I'm 12 miles from the nearest town, and 35 miles from the nearest dealer of watches of any kind. So as you can see, I've taken healthy precautions I first visited Lake Como in Italy when I was 11 years old. "Wow," I thought. "I must come back." I never did. Yesterday I went for a drive and stopped at four lochs surrounded by steep hills, and one ca

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