ANTHRAX guitarist Dan Spitz has launched a web site dedicated to his other passion and business venture his love for watchmaking. Check it out at SpitzWatch.com. An excerpt from his official biography follows:
"As Spitz returns briefly to bask in the limelight of success with his re-united band mates of ANTHRAX in 2005, his evolution of both creating his own signature guitar line with Paul Reed Smith guitars and developing many products with other guitar equipment related company's, his main focus and concentration is still firmly planted in his family tradition of an in depth love and passion for fine timepieces. His grandfather had him at the bench at a mere young age of 8 with mechanical timepieces. 'Ever since my Pop-op showed me the inside of a Patek Phillipe as a young child I could never see straight again. I fixed everything in my house I could get my hands on. I even hand built the amplifiers for the new ANTHRAX tour I'm currently using,' says Spitz.
"After his departure from ANTHRAX in 1995 he set foot on getting the paper degrees necessary to complete his knowledge base in micro-mechanical engineering and micro-electrical engineering. His degrees span the globe and landed him a full paid scholarship to the coveted WOSTEP school of watchmaking in Neuchatel, Switzerland (the equivalent of a Harvard degree in Switzerland's land of watchmakers). 'Being one of only ten students chosen from the planet each year for attendance to learn and master the most complex mechanical timepieces know to mankind, iit was quite awesome to work on what I consider a Formula One racecar engine that fits on a human's wrist each day I was breathing over there. A human work of art at its fullest potential with time and money having absolutely no interference in craftsmanship blows my mind,' says Spitz.
"Owning two service centers in the USA and working non-stop towards his goals of ripping apart extremely complex miniature machines daily brings Mr. Spitz to a wonderful relationship with the world famous watchmaking and jewelry company Chopard. Their need for a Master Watchmaker with his credentials is not alone, due to the extreme shortage worldwide of master watchmakers of his pedigree. Mr. Spitz agrees to be Chopards sole and only 'Watchmaker of Complications Specialist' for the entire North American continent. In fact he was the first American in the company's century-and-a-half existence to ever be allowed into the masterpieces they produce solely in house. Until him all timepieces of this caliber ($50,000-$1,000,000) were solely sent to the manufacturer in Switzerland. Even to merely set the time correctly. They do not sell any internal parts for these timepieces to anyone.
"After a year of working closely at there service center in New York City's park avenue fancy streets of opulence, in complete armed seclusion from society of course, completing Chopards training and diplomas in there Switzerland factory in Geneva, and being the first-ever American to work on there Quantiem Perpetual Calendar Chronographs in the USA, Mr. Spitz was called to duty for a reunion of the original ANTHRAX members and currently is touring the world and playing to sold-out arenas once again.
"'My passion to produce my own mechanical timepiece is now within arms reach. I long to be one with a timepiece that bears my signature, micro-mechanical knowledge and complexity, and a sheer almost in-destructible case. I hope I can bring a companionship to all in the heavy metal community that has never been done before!'" says Spitz.
"As Spitz returns briefly to bask in the limelight of success with his re-united band mates of ANTHRAX in 2005, his evolution of both creating his own signature guitar line with Paul Reed Smith guitars and developing many products with other guitar equipment related company's, his main focus and concentration is still firmly planted in his family tradition of an in depth love and passion for fine timepieces. His grandfather had him at the bench at a mere young age of 8 with mechanical timepieces. 'Ever since my Pop-op showed me the inside of a Patek Phillipe as a young child I could never see straight again. I fixed everything in my house I could get my hands on. I even hand built the amplifiers for the new ANTHRAX tour I'm currently using,' says Spitz.
"After his departure from ANTHRAX in 1995 he set foot on getting the paper degrees necessary to complete his knowledge base in micro-mechanical engineering and micro-electrical engineering. His degrees span the globe and landed him a full paid scholarship to the coveted WOSTEP school of watchmaking in Neuchatel, Switzerland (the equivalent of a Harvard degree in Switzerland's land of watchmakers). 'Being one of only ten students chosen from the planet each year for attendance to learn and master the most complex mechanical timepieces know to mankind, iit was quite awesome to work on what I consider a Formula One racecar engine that fits on a human's wrist each day I was breathing over there. A human work of art at its fullest potential with time and money having absolutely no interference in craftsmanship blows my mind,' says Spitz.
"Owning two service centers in the USA and working non-stop towards his goals of ripping apart extremely complex miniature machines daily brings Mr. Spitz to a wonderful relationship with the world famous watchmaking and jewelry company Chopard. Their need for a Master Watchmaker with his credentials is not alone, due to the extreme shortage worldwide of master watchmakers of his pedigree. Mr. Spitz agrees to be Chopards sole and only 'Watchmaker of Complications Specialist' for the entire North American continent. In fact he was the first American in the company's century-and-a-half existence to ever be allowed into the masterpieces they produce solely in house. Until him all timepieces of this caliber ($50,000-$1,000,000) were solely sent to the manufacturer in Switzerland. Even to merely set the time correctly. They do not sell any internal parts for these timepieces to anyone.
"After a year of working closely at there service center in New York City's park avenue fancy streets of opulence, in complete armed seclusion from society of course, completing Chopards training and diplomas in there Switzerland factory in Geneva, and being the first-ever American to work on there Quantiem Perpetual Calendar Chronographs in the USA, Mr. Spitz was called to duty for a reunion of the original ANTHRAX members and currently is touring the world and playing to sold-out arenas once again.
"'My passion to produce my own mechanical timepiece is now within arms reach. I long to be one with a timepiece that bears my signature, micro-mechanical knowledge and complexity, and a sheer almost in-destructible case. I hope I can bring a companionship to all in the heavy metal community that has never been done before!'" says Spitz.
