His intent to show people he is more than meets the eye (and encouraging others to do the same) manifests itself in the many talents he possesses: acting, painting, designing, and watchmaking. When I shamefully admit my surprise at finding out the extent of his passion and knowledge for watchmaking, he smiles, and it’s clear this isn’t surprising to him: “When I can go into the specifications of what makes a watch unique or relevant, I am quite proud because most people do not expect it. I don’t necessarily look like the consummate watch guy.” IWC Replica
And, clearly, subverting people’s expectations of him has only worked to Hodge’s benefit. His unique approaches to his work spring from his ability to empathize wholeheartedly with others: “Acting allows me to engage different personalities and understand the root of someone’s intentions, because as an actor the job is to build on these characters and focus on really defining their intent. Why do people do what they do and what motivates them? And in terms of horology and design, I feel like as a designer, our primary responsibility as makers is to set the tone for new experiences for people. How are you going to engage this product that you think you’re familiar with in a very new way? And how can I give you something that is familiar enough that you instantly connect and that it immediately resonates with you?”“I’ve always been an artist, but I wanted to be an architect, and for me watchmaking was architecture in its tiniest form,” he explains. “I started learning how to design by studying brands for certain specificity, and Breguet was one of the first brands I started studying because of what Abraham-Louis Breguet contributed, in terms of the tourbillon and the resounding effect that he had, which still plays out today in terms of efficacy and significance.”

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As we get up from our seats, the conversation circles back to the Tradition 7097 he’s wearing and before I know it, Hodge is going from display to display in the best replica watchesboutique, peppering the boutique’s manager with insightful questions and studying each model closely. And he’s right: he doesn’t necessarily look like the consummate watch guy. But his poise combined with his eagerness to learn echoes that of the most studious watchmaker seated in his workbench in Switzerland’s La Chaux-de-Fonds. With such a sincere enthusiasm for his crafts, there’s no doubt that there is only more to come from this former Trenton kid who once drew on his mother’s white walls.