Ondrej Berkus recounts his captivating workshop visit to independent watchmakers Michal Molnár and Igor Fábry in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. This post not only showcases their incredible, hand-finished watches but also highlights the personal connection and open exchange of knowledge he experienced. Berkus's journey, complete with scenic photography, offers a rare glimpse into the world of independent horology and the passionate artisans behind it.
Hey everyone,
i first heard of Michal Molnár and Igor Fábry about a year ago and even though i loved their work at first sight, it never occured to me to contact them. They just seemed out of reach for mere mortal like me. After hearing about them some time ago from some watchmaker and watch journalist friends, hearing about what nice guys they are, i decided it might be a good idea to see them for myself. I wanted to meet them at SEW ( salon exceptional watches ) in Brno this year ( i'll have a report of that as well ), but it turned out they were not going to attend this year. So i contacted them and went to see them last Friday in their workshop in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.
And boy was i glad i did...
The trip itself was amazing, with some mountain ranges to cross on the way, beautiful sceneries and the first snow i've seen this year. There were moments i was sorry i didn't go in summer ( and in my Alfa
), but the Land Rover ( Bend-Over Freeloader as i call it ) was allright
Getting to the first mountain range, some nice hills and rivers on the way.
This is one of my favorite biking roads, still on our side of the border. Really lovely corners, smooth and no traffic at all
Usually doesn't have this much snow when we ride it
Mountains on Slovakian side of the border
That's pretty much it - i either didn't manage to capture the best scenery on time or the pictures got fuzzed up. My ten years old camera is not really that great anymore
But here's why i drove all the way, the guys and the watches. Let me tell you, those two are among the nicest and also the funniest people i know. We talked for hours, shared opinions on watches, work ideas, exchanged tips on how to do stuff. They really don't keep any secrets and did i say already they are really nice?
Their 'office' or sitting area, with lovely view ( they are on a top floor of a gorgeous building combining old and new, i can't describe it, go and see for yourself
Igor on the left, Michal on the right. Both in their working area with a couple of lathes, micro milling machine and a lot of hand tools. All manual, no CNC there. And of course a couple of microscopes under which the guys do most of their work, fitting and finishing.
The microscopes are, coupled with tremendous skills. the reason their finishing is truly impeccable. I'm serious, we are talking about watches that are absolutely perfect in every way even under 20x magnification. Any defect you can see in the pictures is an optical illusion and a result of my bad photography. I really spent about twenty minutes with a loupe to my eye and couldn't find a single flaw.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
This is just a technical looking masterpiece
Wow, right?
Prehistoric themed engraving on an antique movement. It just works together.
This one caught my eye the most - the movement is reversed in the case, engraved and set with diamonds. This watch is also a bit smaller than their usual production and it just blew my mind.
A saphire walled barrel and whimsical second hand on the reverse side. I mean, would you look at the level of detail?
And a group shot with my QP ( i had it on loan for the SEW and took it with me for them to see )
I hope you enjoy this as much as i did and will pay attention to them - they have even more amazing things coming in the near future
Take care,
Ondrej
