Where are they now - Anthrax lead guitarist Dan Spitz
Fun interview at watch website
HODINKEE:
Interview: Meet Dan Spitz, Anthrax Guitarist Turned Master Watchmaker
“When it comes to a watch’s quality, the truth is that the movement sucks ass or the movement kicks ass. With me, you are going to get the heavy metal answer from the heavy metal dude.”
Dan Spitz, former lead guitarist for thrash metal band Anthrax, has sold more than 15 million albums, been nominated for 3 Grammy’s, created over 10 studio albums – and now he is recognized as one of the best watchmakers in the world. After leading one of the greatest metal bands of all time, he abruptly departed Anthrax and pursued numerous courses of study to master the art of watchmaking.
John Reardon: You suddenly lost interest in playing guitar in 1995, ripped the stereo equipment from your cars and house, and gave all your guitars to Hard Rock Café. Why the sudden lost of interest in music and how sudden was your awakening to the call of watchmaking?
Dan Spitz: It was kind of a long process. I had been living on a tour bus since I was 14 years old and played in bands with others of equal skill set, but they were much older than I was as a young musician. I excelled at what I was doing… and Anthrax soon hit and was playing sold out coliseums for years. By the time ’95 rolled around, I was the first one in the band to have children and I missed then while I was on the road. We would do an album and tour for years at a time, and then start the cycle over again – time at home was not there. It’s a story you see everywhere: it became mundane and more like a job. I needed a break. It’s easy to go on stage and play... that’s the anger, the love, the connection with my fans, who are like family. The fans are actually in the band, on stage, slam-dancing. But when it was time to write new music, this came from within, and you need to have an extreme love for it. At the end of the day, I just needed a break. I have extreme OCD, I do things either full-on or full-off, and I like to do things that others have not done before. I need that drive and that ambition. That’s why I decided to commit to learning the higher levels of watchmaking beyond what I did as a kid.
Please share the story how you were introduced to the world of fine mechanical watches?
My Pop-Pop (what I called my grandfather Eddie Spitz) owned one of the largest antique jewelry stores in the Catskills that sold extremely high-end antique jewelry and watches. My grandfather was simply the greatest guy ever and a jeweler and a watchmaker from an early age. At 8 years old I was sitting with him and we were taking apart Patek Philippe watches. That started early on in my life, and both Patek and Vacheron Constantin (now my favorite) were always part of my life. I had the opportunity to go to my grandfather’s store and rip things apart that I really shouldn’t have been inside. My mechanical abilities started at a really young age.
You broke a 53-year-old record in completing the watchmaker’s course at the Bulova school. Can you tell us more about that?
My mechanical ability comes from my non-traditional background. My room looked like a small NASA station growing up – tons of stuff. I was always building and taking stuff apart my whole life. I am a problem solver as far as mechanical and electronic things go… a self-taught problem solver. That comes into play in a large role in watchmaking. When I arrived at Bulova school, I had a background in problem solving that ensured my success. Soon after Bulova, I got a notice from WOSTEP, back when the only place to do the program was in Neuchâtel, and I won a scholarship to go there and continue my focus on complications.
Sounds like a fun person to have a beer or two with.
As for the line: "
My room looked like a small NASA station growing up – tons of stuff.", that would be my Mom and Dad's basement. Had a full electronics and woodworking shop as well as a darkroom (that room was originally the coal cellar -- major dust issues...) I was also into pipe organs at the time and had a 2 Manual 6 rank organ in one basement room that I had scavenged from local churches. I knew the guy who installed the 'new and better' electronic organs back in the 60's and worked with him and got the pipes and chests for my labor.
Dan's website is here:
Dan Spitz
Posted by DaveH at September 7, 2012 11:03 PM